Jay-Z Returns to Super Bowl Stage

The NFL, Apple Music, and Roc Nation announced on Monday night that Jay-Z will perform at the Super Bowl halftime show. The event is scheduled for Feb. 14 at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California. The release featured a short video of the artist seated in the stadium surrounded by goats, accompanied by the text "GOAT's out of the bag."

This performance marks a shift from Jay-Z's previous role as a behind-the-scenes advisor. His company, Roc Nation, has partnered with the NFL since 2019 to help produce the league's entertainment presentations. When the partnership began, Jay-Z told NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell that if the goal was for him to perform, they could end the conversation. Seven years later, he has accepted the invitation to take the stage.

The announcement follows days of speculation and comes shortly after Jay-Z concluded his "Jay-Z 30" concert tour. That run began with three shows at Yankee Stadium in New York, continued in London, and ended in Southern California over the weekend. He is set to return to the same venue where that tour concluded.

Since the Roc Nation partnership began, other headlining performers have included Shakira, Jennifer Lopez, Rihanna, Kendrick Lamar, and The Weeknd. The upcoming show will be the 61st Super Bowl. Jay-Z, born Shawn Carter, brings a catalog that includes the albums "Reasonable Doubt," "The Blueprint," and "The Black Album." His hit songs include "Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem)," "99 Problems," and "Empire State of Mind."

His career has extended beyond recording into music publishing, artist management, and sports. He co-founded Roc-A-Fella Records and established Roc Nation in 2008. The company now works with artists and athletes. In 2017, he became the first rapper inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame. He joined the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2021. His 1996 debut album, "Reasonable Doubt," was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame last year.

Jay-Z has won 25 Grammy Awards and received 89 nominations. That total is the second-most in history, behind his wife, Beyoncé, who has performed at two Super Bowls. The announcement follows a recent surge in streaming data for performers who headline the event. For example, the previous year's performer held the top six spots on Spotify's Top 50 U.S. chart the morning after the game. Eleven other songs from that artist also ranked in the Top 50 at that time.