Hip-hop icon and music mogul Jay-Z will headline the Apple Music Super Bowl LXI Halftime Show on Feb. 14, 2027, at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, the NFL, Apple Music and Roc Nation announced Monday.
The announcement marks a milestone for the 25-time Grammy Award winner, who has spent the past seven years behind the scenes, helping shape the NFL’s halftime entertainment through his company, Roc Nation.
Apple Music revealed the news through a promotional video featuring Jay-Z sitting inside a stadium surrounded by goats, accompanied by the caption, “GOAT’s out of the bag.”
The announcement sparked mixed reactions online, with some fans celebrating the rapper’s selection and others questioning his decision to headline a show his own company produces. Some X users even suggested that the half time show had gotten worse since being acquired by Roc Nation. However, there is no surprise that speculation has already begun on whether Jay-Z’s wife, global superstar, Beyoncé would join him onstage.
“From Reasonable Doubt to standing on the Super Bowl Halftime stage, this has been a journey,” Jay-Z said 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.”
The announcement comes during a landmark year for Jay-Z, who has spent 2026 celebrating the 30th anniversary of his debut album, “Reasonable Doubt,” and the 25th anniversary of “The Blueprint.”
His anniversary concert series included three sold-out performances at Yankee Stadium in New York, alongside international shows in London and Paris, before concluding with back-to-back performances at SoFi Stadium on Oct. 23 and 24. The Los Angeles venue will also host his upcoming Super Bowl performance, bringing the rapper back to the same stage just four months after his anniversary celebrations.
Born Shawn Carter in Brooklyn, New York, Jay-Z has established himself as one of the most influential figures in hip-hop history. Throughout his career spanning three decades, the 56-year-old has accumulated 25 Grammy Awards and 89 nominations, becoming one of the most decorated artists in the recording industry’s history.
His discography includes critically acclaimed albums such as “Reasonable Doubt,” “The Blueprint” and “The Black Album,” alongside chart-topping hits including “99 Problems” and “Empire State of Mind,” featuring Alicia Keys. In 2017, he became the first rapper inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame, before earning induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2021.
Jay-Z’s relationship with the NFL began in August 2019, when his company Roc Nation entered a multiyear partnership with the league to serve as the league’s strategic entertainment advisor and executive producer for the Super Bowl Halftime Show.
The agreement also aimed to strengthen the NFL’s social justice initiatives through its Inspire Change program, which supports organizations addressing economic inequality and criminal justice reform.
Since the partnership began, Roc Nation has helped deliver performances from some of the music industry’s biggest names, including Jennifer Lopez and Shakira in 2020, Rhianna in 2023, Usher in 224, Kendrick Lamar in 2025 and Bad Bunny in 2026.
Despite his extensive involvement in producing the halftime show, Jay-Z has never taken to the Super Bowl stage himself.
“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,” NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said in a statement. “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.”
Beyoncé is also familiar with the Super Bowl spotlight, having headlined the halftime show in 2013 before returning as a special guest alongside Coldplay and Bruno Mars in 2015.
Although speculation has already begun surrounding potential guest appearances, no additional performers have been confirmed.
Super Bowl LXI will air live on ABC, ESPN and Disney+.
Image credit: Joy Washington
Senior at the Philip Merrill College of Journalism
UMD '27