Jay-Z to Headline Super Bowl Halftime Show at SoFi Stadium

By Tom Whitfield

Jay-Z will headline the Super Bowl halftime show at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, on Feb. 14, the NFL, Apple Music and Roc Nation announced Monday night after days of speculation.

Seven years after a refusal

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said the league had one request when it first reached an agreement with Roc Nation: that Jay-Z take the stage himself “whenever the moment felt right to him.”

Jay-Z, born Shawn Carter, described the booking in a statement:

From 'Reasonable Doubt' to standing on the Super Bowl halftime stage, this has been a journey.

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 halftime show. When the partnership began, Jay-Z said he had told Goodell: “If this is about me performing at the Super Bowl, then we can just end this conversation now.”

Seven years later, Jay-Z is set to perform after all. The announcement did not explain the reversal or name any Super Bowl supporting performers.

What does this change for audiences?

For audiences, the booking turns a halftime event already shaped by Roc Nation's production role into one centered on Jay-Z as the featured performer. It also resolves the central irony: the mogul whose company helped produce the show will now be its featured performer.

Roc Nation will executive produce the halftime show, and Hamish Hamilton will direct. The announcement did not specify a set list, supporting cast or musical concept. It establishes who leads, but not how the show will work.

A 30-year run with a rotating guest list

Jay-Z is set to return to SoFi Stadium, where he closed the celebration of the 30th anniversary of “Reasonable Doubt,” his 1996 debut album. The recent run included three sold-out shows at Yankee Stadium and sold-out performances in London and Paris, before his SoFi Stadium stop over the weekend.

His recent concerts brought out a rotating cast of guests:

• At SoFi Stadium, his daughter Blue Ivy played piano on “The Story of O.J.” and “Dead Presidents.” Scarface, John Legend and DJ Khaled joined him on opening night.
• Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg and Too $hort appeared during Saturday's finale. Earlier in the run, Beyoncé, Rihanna, Eminem and Nas were guests at Yankee Stadium.

The executive behind the stage

According to the announcement, Jay-Z has won 25 Grammy Awards and received 89 nominations, the second-most in history behind his wife, Beyoncé. Beyoncé has performed at two Super Bowls.

The same account lists “The Blueprint” and “The Black Album,” as well as “Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem),” “99 Problems” and “Empire State of Mind,” his collaboration with Alicia Keys. “Reasonable Doubt” was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame last year.

The announcement also traces his career as an executive and entrepreneur. The Brooklyn rapper co-founded Roc-A-Fella Records and founded Roc Nation in 2008, building it into an entertainment company that works with artists and athletes.

He became the first rapper inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2017, joined the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2021 and is a four-time Emmy winner.

Emmy expectations remain higher than the details

The halftime show has collected Emmys in recent years, according to the announcement. Bad Bunny's performance in February won a record seven Emmys, including best variety special (live), while Kendrick Lamar's show last year won for music direction.

The awards raise expectations for the production, but they do not show how Jay-Z's recent guest-heavy concerts will translate to a Super Bowl stage.

For fans, the announcement has settled the artist, producer and director. The repertoire, guests and creative premise remain open before Feb. 14. Those choices will show whether Jay-Z's return produces a distinct event or simply extends the guest-heavy format of his recent concerts.