The rumors were true…and now it’s official…Jay-Z will headline the Super Bowl 61 Halftime Show.
He said, “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.”
And NFL Commissioner Roger 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.”
The game goes down February 14th…yes, Valentine’s Day…at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California. It’ll air on ESPN, ABC, and Disney+. So, Valentine’s Day will literally be ruined this year because of football. And please direct all of your hate emails to Roger and Jay-Z.
Jay played two shows at SoFi over the weekend, and people were expecting him to announce it there. But instead, the reveal happened on “Monday Night Football”. The timing also coincides with milestone celebrations for his career, including the 30th anniversary of his debut album “Reasonable Doubt” and the 25th anniversary of “The Blueprin”.
Now I get celebrating the anniversary of you’re work from your music career, but why pick yourself as the entertainment for the NFL’s biggest game of the year when you can pick anyone else? It’s because you obviously think highly of yourself and you could care less that there are other genres of music out there.
Country music alone is having a moment. As in it’s bigger than it’s ever been in 2026. Ella Langley’s “Choosin’ Texas” has proven that as it’s now the longest running #1 song on Billboard’s HOT 100 chart to date.
Morgan Wallen, Luke Combs and Zach Bryan can also fill up a stadium just fine too. And their digital and sales numbers are massive as well. But…yeah…let’s pick yourself to entertain people for the biggest halftime show of the year.