After years of deciding who gets the Super Bowl halftime stage spotlight, Jay-Z is ready to take it for himself.
This February, he’s ready to “Run This Town.”
The National Football League, Roc Nation and Apple Music announced Oct. 26 that the 25-time Grammy Award winner will headline the Super Bowl LXI halftime show Feb. 14 at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood. The performance will be Jay-Z’s first time headlining the halftime stage. Roc Nation has partnered with the NFL since 2019 and curated performances from Rihanna and Kendrick Lamar.
Read on for the Daily Bruin Arts contributors’ picks for their “Holy Grail” halftime show, spanning 20 years.
“Prince” (2007)
Prince literally brought “Purple Rain” to Super Bowl XLI.
The legendary entertainer rocked Miami’s Dolphin Stadium in 2007, dancing atop a massive neon stage shaped like his classic “Love Symbol” logo – inspired by a fusion of the Mars-male and Venus-female symbols. Prince showcased his showmanship, even in less-than-ideal weather conditions. Kicking off the set with his feel-good “Let’s Go Crazy,” the performer rose out of the darkness and bright fireworks as rain poured. The performance – now considered one of the greatest Super Bowl halftime shows of all time – featured multiple covers, including “Proud Mary” by Creedence Clearwater Revival and Bob Dylan’s “All Along the Watchtower.”
Pulling off an entertaining halftime performance at the Super Bowl as a solo artist – and without any support from a musical guest – is a feat in itself. With strong vocals, a stacked setlist and the Florida A&M University Marching 100 Band, the singer made sure to go above and beyond to bring the iconic show to life. Prince closed out his set with a dramatic finale of “Purple Rain,” as rain continued pounding down and fireworks soared above the stadium.
Years later, Prince’s show proves that even in difficult conditions, dedicated artistry is what sends a Super Bowl halftime show to the top of the rankings.
– Kai Echeverria
“Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band” (2009)
Bruce Springsteen proved age is just a number at the 43rd annual Super Bowl.
From the moment pianist Roy Bittan hit the opening tune to “Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out,” Springsteen and the E Street Band transformed what would be a stressful game for Steelers and Cardinals fans into a high energy, rock and roll party. Springsteen set the tone for the 2009 extravaganza at Raymond James Stadium in the first few seconds, announcing, “I want you to step back from the guacamole dip, I want you to put the chicken fingers down and turn your television all the way up!” At 59, Springsteen showed no sign of slowing down as he jumped onto the piano, slid across the stage and feverishly swung his guitar.
Ripping through well-known tracks such as “Born to Run” and “Glory Days,” Springsteen was constantly interacting with the on-field crowd, showing rawness and authenticity. While production was minimal – no backup dancers, field-consuming massive set pieces or flashy costumes – Springsteen’s consistent energy and tight-knit, well-rehearsed band throughout the 13-minute set displayed how minimalism can craft a compelling performance.
While many recent halftime shows seemed to have maximized the possibilities of production, Springsteen’s performance showed that, sometimes, all an artist needs is a small stage and to captivate an audience.
– Michaela Lyons
[Related: 20 years of feeling 22: Ranking the Taylor Swift albums that will live evermore]
“Katy Perry” (2015)
It only takes one look at a clip of Katy Perry’s recent music to know she’s fallen off.
But to fall off, one must have a peak. Katy Perry’s was the 2015 Super Bowl.
No halftime show opening is more iconic than the singer riding into the then-University of Phoenix Stadium on a 1,600-pound mechanical tiger. After performing “Roar,” she quickly set a standard of over-the-top performance matched by a swarm of backflipping backup dancers during “Dark Horse.” Just when audiences settled down to expect 12 minutes of pop, Lenny Kravitz’s rock ’n’ roll spin on “I Kissed a Girl” freshened the mood. Kravitz’s performance, along with a later appearance by hip-hop legend Missy Elliott, gave this halftime show a breadth of genres that left something for everyone.
Perry was not the most seasoned singer or performer to take the Super Bowl stage, but she created a moment. A haywire backup dancer, later known as “left shark,” ascended to internet virality in a way that felt almost deliberately absurd. Beyond the good fun, she delivered a ferocious performance topped with a beautifully superfluous display of fireworks as she flew through the stadium on a shooting star.
Katy Perry set a high bar for preceding halftime shows – 50 feet in the air, to be exact.
– Julian Duaybis
“Lady Gaga” (2017)
Lady Gaga was born to perform at the Super Bowl halftime show.
Like any good halftime show, the set list and theatrics of Gaga’s 2017 performance captured the spirit of her artistry. It was easy to forget there was a football game going on in the first place. Gaga dove off the roof of NRG Stadium, now known as Reliant Stadium, and proceeded to dance and sing her way around the field – doing all this, of course, in sparkly heeled silver boots.
While Gaga’s No. 1 hits of “Poker Face,” “Born This Way” and “Just Dance” were always bound to get the crowd singing along, the thesis of her performance came with her opening cover of Woody Guthrie’s “This Land Is Your Land.” As the first Super Bowl halftime show performer since President Donald Trump took office, the singer-songwriter let her music speak for itself. Onstage at the most-watched sporting event in the country, Gaga declared, “No matter gay, straight, or bi, lesbian, transgender life / I’m on the right track, baby / I was born to survive.”
There are a “hundred million reasons” why the Super Bowl halftime show remains a staple of American culture, but the return to the performance delivered by Lady Gaga is proof enough.
– Kiara Mack
[Related: Second Take: The World Cup needs Shakira more than Lionel Messi]
“Bad Bunny” (2026)
In the middle of a football game, Bad Bunny managed to transport his entire audience to “NUEVAYoL” for one of the greatest halftime shows to date.
The Puerto Rican singer headlined the 2026 show at Levi’s Stadium, transforming the football turf into a sugarcane field. The performance featured over 300 dancers and performers along with a real wedding, a testament to the size and scale of the show. Bad Bunny performed a range of hits, from “Tití Me Preguntó” to numerous songs from his most recent album “DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS,” which won Album of the Year at the Grammy Awards this past spring.
What makes Bad Bunny’s show so special, however, is the celebration of joy and culture that is at the forefront of the performance. From highlighting food stands to salsa dance montages with special guest Lady Gaga, the show felt like a commemoration of Latin culture, a message that came at a politically fraught time due to national debates surrounding immigration and violence from Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Rather than criticizing the current political climate, however, Bad Bunny used his stage to remind people of the beauty of Latin culture as he lifted spirits and created one of the most memorable shows to date.
Bad Bunny certainly put on a “BAILE INoLVIDABLE” – an unforgettable dance.
– Vishnu Potharaju
Comments are closed.