Could Jay-Z be angling for a Collision Course-style spectacle with his Apple Music Super Bowl LXI Halftime Show next February, or should fans expect a strictly solo affair?
Both options seem plausible, particularly in light of the guests-heavy approach HOV took with his run of anniversary-celebrating shows in key cities around the globe this year. Those performances, unanimously acclaimed and rife with surprise guests, could, in theory, have been rough drafts for what the 25-time Grammy winner is cooking up for SoFi Stadium. Alternatively, Jay could be looking to shrewdly buck such expectations by stripping things down for the 12 or so minutes he’ll have on the Super Bowl stage come February.
An announcement video shared by Apple Music, Roc Nation, and the NFL on Monday (Oct. 26) saw HOV hanging out in the stands while flanked by a sedate group of goats. By my count, the total number of goats comes to 11, which, again in theory, could be a hint that Jay is somehow planning to fit 11 special guests into a decidedly tight runtime. The goats could also mean no such thing.
As speculation builds, we’re taking a closer look at the possibilities here.
Who might Jay-Z bring out for his Super Bowl performance?
Complex’s Jordan Rose has already laid out a slew of potential guests, starting with the most surefire of the bunch: Beyoncé. Even if Jay keeps things largely solo for his SoFi set, it seems all but guaranteed that Beyoncé will play a part.
We could see Linkin Park joining HOV, perhaps for a track off their joint Collision Course project. The move would make a lot of sense given the pairing’s cross-genre appeal. Sadly missing from the proceedings, however, would be the late Chester Bennington.
Rihanna, who helmed her own Halftime Show back in 2023, is another likely guest should Jay go the supergroup route. Justin Timberlake, Alicia Keys, Swizz Beatz, Pharrell, Nas, Eminem, and Mary J. Blige are also all on the roster of potential surprises. For obvious reasons, another particularly compelling choice would be Lil Wayne.
Though Jay had some high praise for the artist formerly known as Kanye West in his recently released HBO series with Rick Rubin, it’s unfortunately hard to imagine Ye being called to the stage next February. If this halftime performance had happened even half a decade sooner, Ye would have been a shoe-in.
Still, we’ll probably get some Ye-produced hits during Jay’s performance, albeit without Ye himself.
Who do you think Jay-Z will bring out?
Is a new album coming?
That’s a hard question to answer, but we gave it our best shot.
