Jay-Z to head Super Bowl

Jay-Z will headline the Super Bowl halftime show on Feb. 14, 2027. The announcement was made Monday night by the NFL, Apple Music, and Roc Nation. The performance will take place at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California. A promotional video featured the artist sitting in the stadium with goats and the caption "GOAT's out of the bag." The news follows days of speculation about the lineup for the upcoming game.

This booking marks a reversal of a position Jay-Z stated in 2019. At that time, Roc Nation began a partnership with the NFL to advise on and produce the league's entertainment presentations. During that initial meeting, Jay-Z told NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, "If this is about me performing at the Super Bowl, then we can just end this conversation now." Seven years later, he accepted the role.

The announcement comes shortly after Jay-Z closed his "Jay-Z 30" concert series in Southern California. The tour began with three shows at Yankee Stadium in New York and continued in London before ending in the region where the Super Bowl will be played. The tour marked a return to the stadium where the final concerts were held.

Since the 2019 partnership, the NFL has featured a rotating cast of major artists for the halftime slot. Past performers have included Shakira and Jennifer Lopez, Rihanna, Kendrick Lamar, and The Weeknd. The league continues to use Roc Nation to manage the production aspects of these events.

Jay-Z, born Shawn Carter, holds 25 Grammy Awards from 89 nominations. His nomination count is the second highest in history, trailing only his wife, Beyoncé, who has performed at two Super Bowls. His discography includes the albums "Reasonable Doubt," "The Blueprint," and "The Black Album." Notable tracks from his catalog include "Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem)," "99 Problems," and "Empire State of Mind." His 1996 debut album, "Reasonable Doubt," was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame last year.

Beyond music, Jay-Z has built a career in publishing, management, and sports. He co-founded Roc-A-Fella Records and established Roc Nation in 2008. The company now works with various artists and athletes. He became the first rapper inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2017 and joined the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2021.

The announcement coincides with a period of high visibility for the artist. Following the recent Super Bowl performance by Bad Bunny, the Puerto Rican singer held the top six spots on Spotify's Top 50 U.S. chart the next morning. Eleven other Bad Bunny songs also ranked in the Top 50 during that time. Jay-Z's recent tour activity has kept his songs active on streaming charts and discovery platforms.