Super Bowl 2027 halftime show performer finally confirmed as Jay-Z
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The true identity of the Super Bowl 2027 halftime show act has finally been confirmed, and it turns out one of the biggest rumours about the show was true: Jay-Z will be headlining.
“From Reasonable Doubt to standing on the Super Bowl Halftime stage, this has been a journey,” the rapper, whose real name is Shawn Carter, said in a statement to Variety.
Jay-Z has chosen himself for next year’s Super Bowl. Getty
“Thirty years of music, work, and culture on the world’s biggest stage. This run continues to be a dream come true.”
Reports emerged last week that Carter, 56, had chosen himself for the coveted gig seven years after his company Roc Nation took over production of the halftime show.
There was no confirmation from Roc Nation or the NFL at the time, but sources told Puck News the rapper felt “more compelling” than other frontrunners like Miley Cyrus and Justin Bieber.
Now NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has revealed he has been waiting years for Carter to take to the Super Bowl stage.
“For several years, we’ve had the privilege of working closely with Jay-Z and Roc Nation, and I’ve seen the extraordinary impact he has had on the Super Bowl Halftime Show,” he said a statement.
“When we first reached an agreement with Roc Nation to produce the show, I had just one request: that Jay-Z take the stage himself one day, whenever the moment felt right to him.
“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.”
Carter has spent most of this year on his ‘Jay-Z 30’ anniversary tour, which marks three decades since he dropped his debut album Reasonable Doubt and started dominating the rap genre.
Carter will finally take to the stage himself in 2027. Gustavo Caballero/Getty
Apple’s Vice President of Music and International Content Oliver Schusser told Variety his impact on global music culture since the ’90s has been profound and undeniable, so it makes sense they’d want him for the coveted gig.
Despite having had ultimate say on who performs at the Super Bowl since 2019, Carter has never taken up the mantle before.
His wife Beyoncé has hit the stage twice – as the headliner in 2013, and again as a guest during Coldplay’s 2016 performance – but both were before Roc Nation signed its first $US5 million five-year deal with the NFL in 2019.
Singer Beyonce performed at the Halftime Show for the first time in 2013. nna\chantelle.bozicevic
It re-upped that deal for another five years in 2024 and produced a historic show this year when Bad Bunny performed a touching tribute to his Puerto Rican heritage and Latin American culture.
Only time will tell how Carter plans to make next year’s show bigger and better.
He may turn it into a family affair and bring Beyoncé and their eldest daughter Blue Ivy on stage to perform with him, as the teen did over the weekend.
“Please put your hands together and make noise for the multi talented, the most incredible Blue Ivy Carter,” he called to the sold-out crowd in Los Angeles.
Jay-Z could bring his famous daughter Blue Ivy on stage with him at the Super Bowl next year. WWD via Getty Images
Blue, 14, played the piano while her father performed The Story of OJ and Dead Presidents for thousands of screaming fans.
He previously gushed to GQ about his eldest daughter’s skill on the piano, saying, “She has perfect pitch. If she hears a song, she’ll be like, ‘play it again,’ and then she’ll teach herself.”
Carter could also call up any number of his A-list collaborators to perform with him at the halftime show, from Alicia Keys, to Rihanna, Justin Timberlake, or even Kanye ‘Ye’ West.
Who was in the running to be the Super Bowl LXI halftime performer?
Miley Cyrus was one of the most popular picks to perform at next year’s Super Bowl after a hastily deleted social media post sparked rumours she had the job.
Screenshots circulating social media weeks ago claimed that Apple Music, the sponsor of the halftime show, accidentally teased the performer by posting a photo of a woman’s silhouette and deleting it moments later.
Miley Cyrus was also among those considered for the top job, according to reports. Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP
Fans immediately likened the silhouette to Cyrus and predicted that she would be announced as the halftime act.
The only problem was that there was no proof Apple Music ever actually posted such an image, suggesting the screenshots doing the rounds were an elaborate fake.
Even so, Cyrus remained one of the frontrunners for the job.
Harry Styles was another top pick because he recently released another hit album and has no tour dates scheduled for February next year. Coincidence? Fans didn’t think so.
It was also rumoured that Justin Bieber was being considered for the job after the success of his Coachella performance earlier this year.
Justin Bieber performed during the Topps Final Halftime Show the FIFA World Cup Final in July. Getty
He broke the internet with his Coachella set, and then went on to co-headline the first-ever FIFA World Cup Final halftime show in July, proving Bieber Fever is still well and truly alive.
Other artists like country hitmaker Luke Combs and even pop megastar Taylor Swift were also thrown into the mix, though those rumours were a little less credible.
