On Monday night, the NFL announced that rapper, record producer and businessman Jay-Z will take the stage at SoFi Stadium as the headliner for the 2027 Super Bowl halftime show on Feb. 14, 2027.
Jay-Z has led a pivotal career, receiving 25 Grammy Awards and 89 nominations across his career, the second-most Grammy nominations in history behind his wife, Beyoncé.
Jay-Z has had four No. 1 songs on the Billboard Hot 10 including hit singles, “Empire State of Mind,” featuring Alicia Keys, and “Umbrella,” featuring Rihanna.
He is also the founder of Roc Nation, which has been a partner of the NFL since 2019, aiding the league in its entertainment initiatives, including Super Bowl halftime shows. After seven years, the music artist has finally chosen to put on a performance himself.
“I think he said he didn’t want to pick them himself too soon, because that would seem selfish,” said Christian Taylor, a freshman studying media and practice and a super fan of Jay-Z. “I’m so excited and people aren’t, he has so many hits, you know? He’s been in the game for 30 years and the way he’s still selling out stadiums, still hits.”
Other students have speculated which artists Jay-Z may have as guests for his set.
Ashlyn Marquand, a freshman studying accounting, said, “That would be really cool if he brought out Beyoncé”
Taylor echoed the statement, “I would love to see Beyoncé… I want it to be like a family affair.”
The artist performed for the 30-year anniversary of his “Reasonable Doubt” album at SoFi Stadium on Oct. 23 and Oct. 24. He will be returning soon with an even bigger Super Bowl performance, according to the NFL.
Several halftime shows have received Emmys for their popular performances, including last year’s show by Bad Bunny. It received a record-breaking seven Emmy Awards.
“I thought the Bad Bunny performance was really cool. I liked how there were a lot of people included in it. What stood out to me was how his performance was really unique,” said Marquand.
Given last year’s show, students are interested to see how Jay-Z will put on his performance.
“I feel like you’re gonna be jumping up and down. There’s gonna be fireworks. You’re gonna be rapping. Jay-Z’s like, ‘Ah!’ So I feel like that’s what he’s gonna bring to his performance,” Taylor said.
Marquand said she doesn’t listen to Jay-Z’s music often but recognized some of his more popular songs featuring other music artists.
“ I feel like I’ve definitely seen his name in a bunch of songs, but when you initially said it, I didn’t know the songs right away,” she said.
Despite their unfamiliarity, students are optimistic to see what Jay-Z has in store for Super Bowl LXI.
“Hopefully he puts on a good performance, though, because I think the performance matters a lot more than the music actually,” Marquand said.
Chandler Stone, a freshman studying sociology, added, “I think he should bring out a lot of people, but I also think for Bad Bunny they performed for the camera, but I feel like they should perform for the audience instead, if that makes sense.”
The show will air on ESPN, ABC and Disney+, and on mobile devices with NFL+, Roc Nation, the NFL and Apple Music, according to the NFL.
Edited by Andriana Yatsyshyn and Ally Nakamura.