This article was written by Matt Foley and published on Sport & State, a new media company founded by Clay Travis that is built around sports, culture, original voices, and live conversation.* * * * *
If last year’s Super Bowl halftime show wasn’t exactly your cup of tea, I’ve got news: you (likely) won’t need a translator to understand the headliner this time around.
There (likely) won’t be any anti-ICE activists on stage either.
According to Dave Brooks of Puck News, 56-year-old billionaire hip-hop mogul Jay-Z has reportedly selected… himself… to headline the Super Bowl LXI halftime show on February 14, 2027, at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles.
Jay-Z’s Roc Nation agency took over the NFL’s halftime entertainment booking in 2019, and apparently seven years of headaches were enough to make Hov choose an artist he can trust — and one he thinks will make the biggest splash with a wide array of NFL viewers.
CHECK OUT THE DAILY WIRE MIDTERM HUB
Sidenote: I like to think Jay-Z came to this conclusion while listening to Michael Jackson’s “Man in the Mirror.”
Miley Cyrus, Justin Bieber, and Harry Styles were all reportedly in contention, but ultimately, none could compete with the boss himself. Neither the NFL nor Roc Nation has confirmed the selection. Jay-Z is scheduled to perform two concerts at SoFi Stadium this weekend, so an announcement could be coming then.
For Jay-Z, the timing makes perfect sense. The 25-time Grammy winner has spent most of 2026 celebrating the 30th anniversary of his debut album, Reasonable Doubt, and the 25th birthday of The Blueprint. He’s been selling out stadiums in New York (Yankee Stadium), Paris, and London.
Plus, he’s also the subject of the new HBO docuseries featuring his “99 Problems” collaborator Rick Rubin.
What to expect
Between Bad Bunny, The Weeknd, Usher, Kendrick Lamar, and Rihanna, Roc Nation’s recent halftime show performers have drawn a mixed response, to say the least.
Not every show will cater to every viewer’s preference, but the recent halftime shows under Roc Nation have clearly been curated for younger, contemporary audiences rather than the NFL’s core fanbase.
Jay-Z’s self-appointment likely won’t quench the classic Americana thirst of viewers who were excited for Turning Point USA‘s alternative halftime show with Kid Rock last year, but for the majority of the Super Bowl-viewing public, it’s a safe, nostalgia-inducing bet.
Hov will have no shortage of potential megastar guests to choose from. It’s probably safe to assume Kanye West won’t be making an appearance, but imagine a run with Alicia Keys hitting “Empire State of Mind,” Rihanna for “Run This Town,” Beyoncé for “Crazy in Love,” and Linkin Park for a “Numb/Encore” reunion that would send every millennial male into full scream mode.
Lil Wayne, Pharrell, Eminem, Justin Timberlake, Drake, John Legend, Nas. Even the Beastie Boys or Rubin himself. The opportunities are truly endless.
With Roc Nation at the helm, it’s unlikely that fans of Bruce Springsteen, Phil Collins, or Robert James Ritchie will feel totally seen, but after last year’s Bad Bunny debacle, Jay-Z offers a compromise.
The critics who wanted the NFL to stop booking contemporary rappers get an undeniably legendary American artist with decades of recognizable hits — and who hasn’t released an album in nine years.
Plus, at least we know the hiring manager trusts the product.
.png)
.png)
