Jay-Z reportedly picks himself for Super Bowl LXI halftime
TLDR: Puck News reports Jay-Z, whose Roc Nation has picked the Super Bowl halftime act since 2019, has tapped himself to headline Super Bowl LXI on February 14, 2027.
The guy who picks the halftime show apparently picked himself. The timeline didn't need long to get behind it.
Here's the report. Dave Brooks of Puck News, citing multiple sources, says Jay-Z is set to perform at Super Bowl LXI at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood on Valentine's Day 2027. It reportedly came after weeks of back-and-forth over who should get the slot, with Miley Cyrus and Justin Bieber among the other names floated. As of Tuesday, neither the NFL nor Roc Nation had confirmed it.
The self-booking is the whole story. Roc Nation signed its deal with the NFL in 2019, and that deal effectively gives Jay-Z the final say on who plays the biggest 13 minutes in music. He's spent 7 years putting other people on that stage. Arguably the greatest rapper of his generation has never headlined it himself. Prediction markets had him as the favorite even before Puck's report, at around a 51% chance.
Some reactions were just a couple of words.
The timing also fits. Jay-Z is in the middle of a victory lap for the 30th anniversary of Reasonable Doubt and the 25th of The Blueprint, and that run included 3 straight sold-out nights at Yankee Stadium. If you're ever going to make the call on yourself, the year your 2 classic albums hit milestone anniversaries is the year to do it.
Next up is the official announcement, which the NFL usually makes well ahead of the game. After that comes the guest-list guessing. Beyonce is the obvious name, and an appearance would be her 3rd Super Bowl halftime after headlining in 2013 and guesting in 2016. Until the league or Roc Nation actually says it, this is still a report, a strong one with multiple sources behind it, and the internet has already decided it's happening.
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