10 Artists Who Need To Headline The Super Bowl Halftime Show

Take some notes, Roc Nation

The countdown to the Super Bowl has begun. Since Michael Jackson’s 1993 performance, the highly anticipated show has become an annual iconic concert in the middle of a football game. Roc Nation has chosen Usher to bless us with around 15 minutes of R&B hits this year.

Music fans and football lovers have lauded the Usher pick and expect the legendary artist to grace the stage with his fantastic breakdance moves and smooth vocals. His announcement video received great attention online and featured the likes of Odel Beckham Jr and Kim Kardashian. Usher’s video also featured an intimate moment between himself and his younger self in a simultaneously funny and touching exchange.

While I can’t wait to see Usher rise to the occasion on stage, I also want to see more from Roc Nation when selecting the Halftime show performer. Usher is a highly talented artist with momentum from his Las Vegas residency and dozens of viral moments over the past two years. However, Roc Nation seems to be restricting themselves to older acts whose greatest hits were before 2010. Besides Rihanna (who also had pre-2010 but sang some post-2010 hits during her halftime show performance), the last 4/5 have felt dated despite the diverse pool of artists selected. In short, since Roc Nation’s tenure as the NFL’s Live Music Entertainment Strategists, they have focused on the past when selecting artists instead of aiming toward the future.

Many outstanding young artists today have the fanbase size, hits, and modern relevancy to shine on the Super Bowl Halftime Show stage. Below, I’ve selected ten artists who should all eventually perform at the halftime show. For each artist, I have made the case as to why they should be chosen to perform and shared a standout live performance video from their careers.

The Artists

Taylor Swift

The Super Bowl is Taylor’s whenever she wants it. Outlets have reported that Taylor’s been a top candidate for the gig for the past couple of years. Her latest Eras tour caused a scheduling conflict with this year’s February main event. I am sure Swift will take on the fun challenge of performing shortly.

Soon, Swifties, soon.

Ed Sheeran

Although Sheeran has reservations about performing, he is more than ready for the job. His ongoing stadium tour proves he could command a massive audience and huge stage all on his own. Sheeran could add some theatrics if the acoustic pop star is nervous. Still, hopefully, soon, he’ll grow confident enough in himself to light up the stage with just his voice and a guitar.

The people want it.

Bad Bunny

Fortunately, Bad Bunny has previous experience performing at the Super Bowl with Shakira and Jennifer Lopez in 2020. His electrifying and bombastic stage performance would bring any audience to their knees. If people want to see what a Bad Bunny Super Bowl would look like, I encourage them to watch and explore his 2023 Coachella performance. The last couple of years have proven that Bad Bunny is the global artist of the moment. A Super Bowl performance would be the proper coronation he deserves.

Drake

How has Drake NOT hosted a Super Bowl halftime show before? I don’t want to name names, but there are a good handful of performers Drake could have replaced in the last ten years. The streaming giant has the showmanship and hits to make the Super Bowl feel like an intimate nightclub. With the lights set low and the sound on high, Drake could set a new bar for halftime show performers in the foreseeable future.

Morgan Wallen

Wallen is the true MVP of 2023. With amazing touring and album sales despite the disproportionately negative media coverage and award snubs, the country star is here to stay. The 2020s have seen country music take back the reigns in the industry, and Wallen is a massive reason for that. His jumbo-sized albums mixed with his ear for infectious choruses and catchy lines are the perfect recipe for a thrilling 2020s megastar and Super Bowl performer. Country music is also disastrously underrepresented at the halftime show, so adorers of country music would greatly appreciate this performance.

Dua Lipa

Lipa is arguably the most successful artist to pop in the 2020s. Despite having a great career before then, her 2020 project, Future Nostalgia, grew her profile exponentially. In fact, Future Nostalgia is the second best-selling album to come out after 2020 . Lipa’s strong ability to command an audience and chart-topping hits would serve her well during a legendary Super Bowl performance. Roc Nation would be a fool to skip over her for the rest of this decade.

BTS

When the boys finish their service and return to the road, the Super Bowl needs to open their doors to them immediately. For two of the last four years, the world-class K-Pop group generated the most music sales worldwide out of all musicians. They are the crusaders who finally, after many years of trial and error by huge K Pop companies like YG and JYP put the Eastern genre on the map. The crowning moment for the genre and the waves they’ve made across mainstream music could and should be at the Super Bowl Halftime Show one day.

SZA

Anytime someone rejects R&B’s current standing in popular music or believes it’s on a downward trajectory, I remind them about SZA’s recent run. The R&B enchantress has the charts and award shows in her hands since the release of her career-defining project, SOS. In fact, this year she is the most nominated artist at the Grammy’s. After a slow-going start to her career, the Jersey native blew up with 2017’s Ctrl and hasn’t looked back since. The Super Bowl Halftime Show hardly has had any R&B artists on their stage. Like country, it could use some fresh energy on there from a genre entering its new prime.

Harry Styles

The eccentric-dressing boyband-member-turned-solo-pop-star would be an obvious choice for the Super Bowl. With three cult classic albums under his belt, Styles has the discography and stage presence to make a memorable mark on the stadium stage. Within the next five years, Styles’ name will rise higher on the list of performers who people want to see.

Travis Scott

There isn’t a stadium that La Flame can’t take over and dominate. Just look at what he did in Italy this summer. The young rap icon would glow on the stage if given the chance. From his pyro techniques to charismatic performances, Scott would put on a glowing show for the world to enjoy. If there’s ever a year where the performance was lackluster or dry, Scott would be the best person to pick for the following year to crank the energy back up for everyone to sing along to.

Special Shout outs

Billie Eilish — Eilish deserves a spot at the Super Bowl Halftime Show. With one more album and perhaps a guest appearance during a Superbowl performance, she could be ready for her chance to own the stage.

Olivia Rodrigo — I want to see two more albums from the California pop-punk princess. Adding to her discography will give her more hits to pick from during her performance and greater legitimacy in the industry.

BLACKPINK — Despite the ladies’ contract troubles, the K-Pop group is well prepared and trained to perform on the biggest stage. I would maybe want one more album from them, too. Then, they’ll be more than ready.

Chris Brown — Thanks to his singing and dancing style, I imagine Brown would remind many people of Jackson’s foundational Halftime Show performance. Picking Brown will bring some controversy, but the Virginia native has all the chops to defy the haters and succeed at the career-defining show.

Carrie Underwood — This would be an oldie but goodie choice. While Underwood is on the older end of the artists I previously mentioned, she represents a lot of the country music sadly missed in the rock/pop/hip-hop-dominated Halftime Shows since the mid-2000s. Many people may forget, but Underwood has countless hits that would ground audiences and remind Americans why country music is the true American genre.

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