Matt O’Connor: President/Editor-In-Chief
Super Bowl LXI (61) will go down on Valentine’s Day 2027 in California’s SoFi Stadium in Inglewood. As with every year, one of the biggest talking points surrounding the Super Bowl is what artist will be chosen to headline Apple Music Halftime show. After coming on the heels of performances by Kendrick Lamar and Bad Bunny, expectations have already been set very high. Typically, the NFL puts out an official announcement for their halftime show artist sometime in September, so a reveal will most likely be happening very soon. There’s been quite a few artists who’ve been frequently brought up, but who among them will be chosen as this year’s headliner?
Who’s Been Rumored?
There have been three artists whose names have been thrown around. According to some insiders, both Justin Bieber and Harry Styles are towards the top of Roc Nation’s short list for potential candidates. Roc Nation and Jay-Z ultimately make the final decision as to who does and doesn’t get the offer to perform. But even with these rumors, there’s still a strong chance that both Bieber and Styles decline the offer if they were chosen. Another rumor states that Miley Cyrus is also being heavily considered for the halftime slot. But like with Bieber and Styles, there’s a chance she won’t accept the offer. In year’s past, these rumors have rarely been accurate and aren’t indicative of the selection process for the halftime show.
Other Potential Options
Beyond the rumors, there are still plenty of options that Roc Nation could go with that could be crowdpleasers. Sabrina Carpenter, Morgan Wallen and Dua Lipa have all been popular requests that could get plenty of eyes on the show. They could also go with someone a bit older for a more nostalgic feel like Kesha or Pitbull. Looking at things from another perspective, both Bad Bunny and Kendrick Lamar incorporated distinct, thematic imagery and messages into their performances, and that pattern could certainly be continued if an artist known for integrating these kinds of values into their discography.
Of course, the requests for Taylor Swift are still as prominent as ever, but the chances of the NFL landing and affording a performance from her are still incredibly low. The production costs and licensing agreements would be a task and a half for the NFL. While she would certainly bring in a crowd unlike anything ever seen at a previous halftime show, the costs are just too high and ultimately not worth it at this point in time. She could definitely perform in the future, but not now.
At the end of the day, whoever Roc Nation and NFL end up selecting to perform at the big game will be one of the night’s highlights. Halftime shows have always been exceptionally memorable and usually resonate with general audiences more than the actual game does. As of now, all we can do is play the waiting game until the NFL makes the final announcement in presumably a few weeks.
