Popular New York rapper Jay Z, real name; Shawn Carter, has been announced to headline the latest Super Bowl halftime show for the 2026/27 NFL season.
Jay Z has previously been involved with the Super Bowl before, as his company Roc Nation have been producing the halftime show since 2019, and Jay Z often played an important role in selecting who performed each year. After this partnership between Roc Nation and the NFL, the halftime show has shifted to a more R&B and Hip Hop focus, compared to the previous focus on Rock and Pop music. With the shift in direction, we have seen huge global names headline the event, with artists like The Weeknd (2021), Rihanna (2023), and Bad Bunny (2026) being a few of the names.
With the announcement this morning, fans are already speculating online about who will guest star with the rapper, with popular names like Beyoncé (Jay Z’s wife), Kanye West, Linkin Park, Rihanna, and Eminem all being names thrown around to perform alongside Jay Z.
At his shows, Jay Z often brings out his wife Beyoncé to perform alongside him, as well as often bringing out Eminem, Rihanna, and Alicia Keys to perform with him live. Mr Carter has also done collab albums in the past with Kanye West, with the album “Watch the Throne”, which contained multiple platinum songs such as Niggas in Paris (10x), Otis (3x), and No Church in the Wild (3x). Another big collab album was with Linkin Park, called Collision Course. Both of these albums have reinforced speculation on social media that Jay Z may bring out these bands/artists to perform with him at Super Bowl LXI.
The NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said he “couldn’t be more excited for fans around the world to experience the artistry, creativity and cultural impact he will bring”.
"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," Goodell said.
Before the announcement, Mr Carter performed two shows last week at the SoFi Stadium, which is where the Super Bowl will be played. The LA shows were part of a tour to celebrate the 30th anniversary of his debut album Reasonable Doubt.
"From 'Reasonable Doubt' to standing on the Super Bowl halftime stage, this has been a journey," said Jay-Z.
"Thirty years of music, work, and culture on the world's biggest stage. This run continues to be a dream come true."
NFL fans, though, are not the happiest with the decision, with many claiming “he picked himself”. One fan said, “He literally picked himself; he’s a washed-up rapper pushing 60 years old. No chance I’m watching it”
However, will Jay Z’s performance top Kendrick Lamar’s from 2025, which won an Emmy for his halftime performance for outstanding music direction, and was also the most-watched Super Bowl halftime show in history…