Jay-Z to headline Super Bowl LXI halftime show after record-breaking summer concerts

Jay-Z has been announced as the halftime performer for Super Bowl LXI at SoFi Stadium. The selection follows a series of sold-out shows at Yankee Stadium, where the rapper drew more than 136,000 attendees across three nights and generated an average of $14.1 million per concert, surpassing recent Super Bowl performers such as Bad Bunny, Lady Gaga and Kendrick Lamar.

The NFL confirmed that it had approached Jay-Z for a halftime appearance years ago, but critics have questioned the decision, noting his long-standing partnership with the league through Roc Nation’s music-programming role. Some observers also argued that his recent setlists lacked a sufficient number of universally recognized hits.

Supporters pointed to the summer concerts as proof of his relevance. The shows featured a 10-member band, an 18-member string section, and guest appearances by artists such as Nas, Beyoncé, and Alicia Keys. Reviewers highlighted the mix of classic tracks like “Ni**as in Paris” and “Empire State of Mind” with deeper cuts, as well as elaborate staging and pyrotechnics.

Box-office data from Touring Data showed that the three Yankee Stadium performances broke the venue’s attendance record and delivered revenue comparable to, or exceeding, that of previous Super Bowl halftime acts. The performances also marked anniversaries for Jay-Z’s albums The Blueprint and Reasonable Doubt.

"I’m on a practice field runnin’ two-a-days / So I don’t drop the ball when it’s threw my way," Jay-Z rapped on the 2009 track “Off That,” a lyric the article cites as foreshadowing his upcoming halftime role.

The upcoming halftime show will be the latest high-profile appearance for the artist, who has amassed 14 No. 1 albums, 13 platinum-certified solo studio releases and 25 Grammy Awards over a three-decade career.