JAŸ-Z is set to headline the 2027 Super Bowl halftime show, taking on a high-profile performance that some of music’s biggest stars have turned down.
JAŸ-Z has spent decades building his reputation as one of hip-hop’s biggest names, but since 2019, the rapper and music mogul has also played a powerful role behind the scenes at the Super Bowl, helping the NFL select some of the world’s biggest stars for its halftime show.
Now, the 56-year-old “GOAT” is stepping into the spotlight himself, headlining the Super Bowl LXI halftime Show on Feb. 14 at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, following a joint announcement from Roc Nation, the NFL and Apple Music on Oct. 26.
Referencing his 1996 debut solo album, the Grammy-winning artist said in a statement shared by the NFL: “From Reasonable Doubt to standing on the Super Bowl halftime stage, this has been a journey.”
He added: “30 years of music, work, and culture on the world’s biggest stage. This run continues to be a dream come true.”
JAŸ-Z will now join an impressive lineup of music legends who have graced the halftime stage, including his wife Beyoncé, Paul McCartney, Lady Gaga, Prince, Tom Petty and Michael Jackson. But despite the show’s prestige, several major stars have turned down the opportunity, E! News reports.
Stars who have turned down the event
- Rihanna declined the show in solidarity with Colin Kaepernick, the former NFL player who took the knee during the US national anthem to protest racial injustice and police brutality, sparking controversy in the league. In a 2019 interview with Vogue, Rihanna explained, “I couldn’t dare do that,” adding, “I just couldn’t be a sellout.” She eventually headlined in 2023, revealing her second pregnancy during the performance.
- Pink performed the national anthem at the 2018 Super Bowl but later expressed reservations about headlining the halftime show, citing the criticism performers often face. “Everybody that does it gets so persecuted,” she told Billboard in 2019, adding, “I’d probably take a knee and get carried out.”
- Adele claimed she rejected the 2017 show because it’s “not about music.” “I can’t dance or anything like that. They were very kind, they did ask me, but I said no,” she said, according to E! News. However, the NFL denied formally offering her the position, which eventually went to Lady Gaga.
- Taylor Swift, who’s married to NFL star Travis Kelce, has never headlined the halftime show, despite years of speculation. Her previous Diet Coke partnership and later commitments to rerecording albums have been cited as possible obstacles, although she hasn’t publicly confirmed rejecting an official offer.
- Dolly Parton, who died in August 2026 at 80, revealed she had declined invitations several times. Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter in 2023, she admitted, “I just didn’t think I was big enough to do it – to do that big of a production.” “Those are big, big productions. I’ve never done anything with that big of a production,” the icon said.
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