After years of producing the Super Bowl half-time show, Jay-Z has announced that the 2027 headline act will be none other than himself.
After days of speculation, the NFL, Apple Music and Jay-Z’s company Roc Nation announced on Monday night that the rapper will be the featured performer for the half-time festivities at the Super Bowl LXI on 14 February at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California.
“From Reasonable Doubt to standing on the Super Bowl Halftime stage, this has been a journey,” said the 56-year-old rapper in a statement. “Thirty years of music, work, and culture on the world’s biggest stage. This run continues to be a dream come true.”
Roc Nation has partnered with the NFL since 2019 to advise on and help produce the league’s entertainment presentations, including the Super Bowl half-time show, beginning with Shakira and Jennifer Lopez’s performance at Super Bowl LIV in 2020.
At the time, Jay-Z said he had told the NFL commissioner, Roger Goodell, “If this is about me performing at the Super Bowl, then we can just end this conversation now.”
Goodell said on Monday that the NFL had wanted Jay-Z to perform for years.
“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,” he said. “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.”
Monday’s announcement came a week after reports first emerged that Jay-Z would perform, with some observers speculating that it was unlikely due to his lack of recent hits. Jay-Z’s last solo album, 4:44, was released in 2017 while his last collaborative album was made with his wife, Beyoncé, in 2018, performing together as the Carters.
He just closed his Jay-Z 30 concert tour over the weekend at the SoFi Stadium, after performing several dates in New York and London.
Born Shawn Carter, Jay-Z has won 25 Grammy awards and received 89 nominations, the second-most in history behind his wife, who has performed at two Super Bowls. His catalogue includes the albums Reasonable Doubt, The Blueprint and The Black Album, and hit songs such as Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem), 99 Problems and Empire State of Mind, his collaboration with Alicia Keys.
His 1996 debut, Reasonable Doubt, was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame last year.
Jay-Z’s career has extended into music publishing, artist management and sports. He co-founded Roc-A-Fella Records and founded Roc Nation in 2008, building it into an entertainment company that works with artists and athletes.
Jay-Z became the first rapper inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2017 and joined the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2021.
Bad Bunny performed at last season’s Super Bowl in February, bringing on special guests including Lady Gaga, Ricky Martin, Jessica Alba, Karol G, Cardi B, Young Miko, and Pedro Pascal.
The Puerto Rican superstar’s songs had sharp gains across streaming charts, playlists and music discovery platforms in the hours after the show.
Past Super Bowl half-time show headliners include Kendrick Lamar, Rihanna, the Weeknd, Michael Jackson, the Who, Madonna, Coldplay and the Blues Brothers.
Associated Press contributed to this report.
