Jay-Z was officially announced as the headliner for the Apple Music Super Bowl LXI Halftime Show in February on Monday night.
The confirmation followed weeks of speculation that the 56-year-old rapper had chosen himself to perform at the NFL’s biggest game. ESPN, which will broadcast this season’s Super Bowl, confirmed that Jay-Z will take the stage.
A brief black-and-white video aired during halftime of Monday night’s game between the Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles. It showed the artist sitting in the stands, alongside the words, ‘Goat’s out of the bag.’
Jay-Z and his Roc Nation entertainment company signed a $5 million-a-year agreement with the NFL to oversee the Super Bowl Halftime Show in 2019. The partnership was renewed in 2024.
Since taking on that role, the rap superstar has helped select performers including Rihanna, Kendrick Lamar and Bad Bunny. This time, he will step into the spotlight himself for the NFL spectacle, which is scheduled to take place at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles on Valentine’s Day.
‘From Reasonable Doubt to standing on the Super Bowl Halftime stage, this has been a journey,’ Jay-Z said in a statement released shortly after the announcement. ‘Thirty years of music, work, and culture on the world’s biggest stage. This run continues to be a dream come true.’
Jay-Z has officially been named the halftime headliner for this season’s Super Bowl
ESPN revealed the news in a short video broadcast during Monday night’s game
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell welcomed the decision and said Jay-Z’s Super Bowl performance had been years in the making.
‘For several years, we’ve had the privilege of working closely with Jay-Z and Roc Nation, and I’ve seen the extraordinary impact he has had on the Super Bowl Halftime Show,’ Goodell said.
‘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. 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.’
Our News Outlet first reported on September 18 that Jay-Z, who is married to Beyonce and shares three children with her, was considering himself for the Halftime Show. Roc Nation and the NFL strongly denied the report at the time.
When the 99 Problems hitmaker was initially linked to this season’s Super Bowl Halftime Show, he faced a wave of mockery from football fans online.
Critics flooded social media with taunts, negative comments and memes aimed at his reported decision to choose himself as the performer.
Jay-Z appeared to respond to the backlash during an unusual rant about artificial intelligence at the weekend.
During his concert at SoFi Stadium on Saturday, the same venue scheduled to host February’s NFL finale, he blamed A.I. while addressing the controversy.
Jay-Z went on an AI rant after facing backlash over earlier speculation that he would perform
The rap superstar has selected performers including Rihanna, Kendrick Lamar and Bad Bunny in recent years
‘People will tell you that nobody was in here tonight, but you got eyes,’ he began.
‘You can see. People will tell you that the music wasn’t great, but you got ears. You gotta understand, you gotta question everything. It’s been this world of AI and everything.’
‘I mean, it’s been going on forever, right? We called it propaganda before, but now with the technology, it’s caught up. It’s a beautiful trick. A lot of tricknology. It’s called artificial intelligence ’cause it’s been against you guys.
‘It’s been against us. We got real intelligence, not artificial intelligence. We feel, right? This concert tonight, we felt. When Stupid Drake came out, we felt that s***, correct?
‘Make sure you question everything you feel. Machines are learning you. You tell them your swag, you tell them your name, you tell them anything, and then it mimics you. Can’t be you.’
Rumors had previously suggested Jay-Z and Roc Nation were considering Miley Cyrus, Justin Bieber and Harry Styles for one of America’s most iconic gigs.
While Jay-Z has never performed at the Super Bowl, wife Beyonce did so at the 2013 Super Bowl in New Orleans. She also returned as a special guest with Bruno Mars during Coldplay’s performance in 2016 in Santa Clara.
Jay-Z hasn’t released an album since ‘4:44’ in 2017, which went double-platinum.
The rap icon’s wife Beyonce (center) previously performed during the 2013 halftime show
Jay-Z and Roc Nation are responsible for producing the Super Bowl halftime show
Born Shawn Carter, he has won 25 Grammy Awards and received 89 nominations, the second most in history behind his wife, Beyonce.
His catalog includes the albums ‘Reasonable Doubt,’ ‘The Blueprint’ and ‘The Black Album,’ and hit songs such as ‘Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem),’ ’99 Problems’ and ‘Empire State of Mind,’ his collaboration with Alicia Keys.
His 1996 debut, ‘Reasonable Doubt,’ was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame last year.
Jay-Z’s career has extended into music publishing, artist management and sports. He co-founded Roc-A-Fella Records and founded Roc Nation in 2008, building it into an entertainment company that works with artists and athletes.
Last year’s Bad Bunny halftime show, the first not performed in English, generated huge debate and controversy which led to Jay-Z discussing the process behind choosing each act.
‘I think everyone should experience music in its totality,’ he told GQ.
Justin Bieber and Harry Styles had been among the artists rumored to be in the running
‘And for a lot of years, it was only one side of music that was being represented. We got the opportunity to create a more balanced idea of what popular music is today.
‘I’m not going out on a limb, this is the most famous people in the world. I didn’t pick, like, the indie artist that I really like from Portland – It’s the number one most streamed artist in the world. Him!’
Despite the backlash, the Bad Bunny show set global viewership and social media records but fell short of the most viewed show of all-time on US television ratings.
