Did Jay-Z Pick Himself to Headline the Super Bowl Halftime Show?
00:59
Jay-Z decided he has found the perfect entertainer to headline this season’s Super Bowl halftime — himself.
The legendary rapper has been announced as the headliner of the halftime show at Super Bowl LXI, which is slated to take place on Feb. 14, 2027, at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, the home of the Rams and Chargers.
“GOAT’s out of the bag,” the official Apple Music X account posted Oct. 26, along with a clip that shows the rapper sitting in the empty stands.
“When we first reached an agreement with Roc Nation to produce the show, I had just one request: that JAŸ-Z take the stage himself one day, whenever the moment felt right to him,” NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said in a statement. “I couldn’t be more excited for fans around the world to experience the artistry, creativity and cultural impact he will bring to the Super Bowl stage.”
Jay-Z has overseen the musical direction of the halftime show since the NFL struck a deal with his entertainment company Roc Nation in 2019. The halftime concert featured Jennifer Lopez and Shakira in the first year under his guidance in 2020.
The 56-year-old rapper has enjoyed a renaissance in 2026 as he celebrates the 30th anniversary of his debut album, “Reasonable Doubt” with sold-out shows from Yankee Stadium to Paris.
With Jay-Z headlining, that raises the possibility he could be joined onstage by a host of collaborators, including his wife, Beyoncé. She headlined her own Super Bowl halftime in 2013 and returned as a special guest during Bruno Mars’ halftime show in 2016. She and their daughter, Blue Ivy, also joined Jay-Z onstage at one of his “Reasonable Doubt” shows in July.
Jay-Z’s Valentine’s Day performance will follow the show-stopping set by Bad Bunny at Super Bowl LX on Feb. 8 at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif. The Puerto Rican star was the first Spanish-language solo artist to headline the Super Bowl halftime show, which is one of the biggest stages in music.
The 2026 performance also included appearances from Lady Gaga and Ricky Martin. Other stars made cameos on the field, including actors Pedro Pascal and Jessica Alba and Atlanta Braves’ player Ronald Acuña Jr.
Bad Bunny’s halftime set averaged 128.2 million viewers between 8:15 and 8:30 p.m. ET It also broke records for viewership on social media while the Seattle Seahawks were busy beating the New England Patriots 29-13 for their second Super Bowl title
“The top three most-viewed NFL social posts in history are now Apple Music Super Bowl LX Halftime Show clips,” NBC said in a news release.
Recent halftime headliners have also included Kendrick Lamar, Usher, Rihanna and Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg.
