Jay-Z has picked himself as the Super Bowl 2027 halftime show headliner. Puck’s Dave Brooks broke the news. His sources called the move “inevitable” and “more compelling” than Miley Cyrus or Justin Bieber, who were both under consideration. Jay-Z has a hand in picking the act, and he is touring stadiums this year. Still, not everyone is thrilled. Here are three artists who would make the 2027 halftime show feel fresher than a 56-year-old rapper replaying his hits.
Why Miley Cyrus is a better choice than Jay-Z
Jay-Z has the momentum. His stadium run across North America marks 30 years of Reasonable Doubt and 25 years of The Blueprint, and the dates have sold out. But a halftime crowd is not a tour crowd. It is bigger and far less nostalgic.
Cyrus was reportedly in the mix too, and she would be a first-time halftime performer with a catalog built for a stadium. Her new album, Bass Persuades, is out, and a crowd that wants to dance would rather hear “Flowers” and “Party in the U.S.A.” than a hip-hop throwback. The second song also happens to suit Los Angeles.
She is also fresh off a comeback. Cyrus returned to the stage at the Hollywood Bowl earlier this month, four years after her last major concert.
And she can slow things down. During her sold-out Los Angeles shows, she sang Dolly Parton’s “Jolene” as a tribute to her late godmother. “Me and Dolly, we are eternal. Nothing in this life could tear us apart,” Cyrus said through tears. A halftime show needs a moment like that between the big singalongs.
Harry Styles suits the stage and the city
Styles is another mainstream pick, and that is partly the point. Hip-hop has had plenty of halftime time already, so a pop star with wide appeal is a fair swing. He has moved through several sounds since One Direction. His third album won a Grammy. His latest, Kiss All the Time. Disco, Occasionally, leans on electronica and is not his most convincing work.
Still, the songs travel well. “As It Was,” “Watermelon Sugar” and “Adore You” are made for a crowd. Add “American Girls” and “Kiwi” and you have a set that moves. A February night in Los Angeles would have suited him.
The bigger question is timing. Styles will get a call eventually. This year just happened to go to Jay-Z.
Kelly Clarkson has the voice and the buzz
Clarkson is the best pure singer of the three. That voice turned “Since U Been Gone,” “Because of You,” “Breakaway” and “Miss Independent” into hits in the early 2000s, and “Stronger (What Doesn’t Kill You)” still gets a room shouting.
She is also in the news right now, though not for music. Clarkson has been in a high-profile feud with Art of Play, a Brooklyn toy shop, and The New York Times covered it earlier this month. Her fans, known as Kellebrities, would not need convincing either.
None of these three is getting the call this February. Jay-Z picked himself, and that settles it. Whether SoFi Stadium sings along is the real test.