The Super Bowl is over, and the talk of the town isn’t Sam Darnold, Drake Maye, or even the 60 minutes of action on the field—or, in the case of this game, the lack of action.
Instead, the conversation centers on Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, better known as Bad Bunny, who delivered one of the finest halftime performances of all time.
In just 12 minutes, Bad Bunny managed to weave together Puerto Rico’s political history, contemporary politics, elite breath control, and undeniable stage presence. It wasn’t just a performance—it was a statement, the most popular global artist alive stamping his status as the best performer.
Bad Bunny is the latest artist selected under Roc Nation’s watch, which has overseen the Super Bowl halftime show since Super Bowl LIV in 2020.
But once the confetti settles, we always arrive at the same question: what’s next? Who will headline next year’s Super Bowl halftime show? The same names get tossed around—Taylor Swift, Post Malone—and it’s easy to imagine them eventually getting their turn.
Still, there are always a few wild cards in the mix, usually artists with massive catalogs who are gearing up to drop new albums. In the context of this year, Bruno Mars, BTS, and Kanye West all have projects on the horizon—though it’s safe to assume Ye won’t be getting the call—and Chris Brown is actively lobbying for the role.
For the purposes of this list, we’re taking those names out of consideration. Bruno has already headlined the Super Bowl, and BTS would likely need a massive year in the U.S. to make it happen. Chris Brown plays stadiums…but still seems unlikely.
With that in mind, here are five artists we’d like to see headline the Super Bowl halftime show in 2027.
Drake
Drake, of course, has a very fraught relationship with the Super Bowl after Kendrick annihilated him there last year. But the Super Bowl will be in Los Angeles next year—at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California—and there would be something especially juicy about Drake getting his lick back in Kendrick’s hometown.
The chances of this happening are slim. But then again, who would’ve predicted Bad Bunny performing at the Super Bowl this year?
Justin Bieber
With Swag and then Swag 2, the pop superstar is making more insular, lo-fi work now. But he could definitely make this work—especially if he embraces the breadth of his catalogue, which is rich with hits. We should also add that the Super Bowl will be on Valentine’s Day next year so this makes all the sense in the world.
Like, you saw what he did at the Grammys right? Just give Bieber the guitar and let that man cook.
Jay-Z
Jay-Z wakes up, looks in the mirror, and points his finger: “It’s your time, Hov.”
It feels like only a matter of time before he hits the stage for a legacy-defining performance. And let’s not ignore the sweater he just wore at the Super Bowl either. What did the hoody say? “The game needs me.”
Jay-Z is nothing if not calculated. The question is: could he really make “Empire State of Mind” work in L.A.?
Pharrell and Friends
One template the Super Bowl needs to experiment with more is the group-up. There’s real strength in numbers, and Dr. Dre performing with Snoop Dogg, Kendrick Lamar, Eminem, Mary J. Blige, and 50 Cent resulted in one of the most potent Super Bowl performances ever.
The only person who could realistically match something like that is Pharrell, who could bring out just about everyone who’s shaped modern pop music—from Jay-Z to The Weeknd to Playboi Carti.
Future
At first glance, it might seem like Future would be too small for the Super Bowl stage. But then you look at his catalogue. There may be no better connector than Future—he makes music everyone enjoys. How many artists can say they’ve worked with Taylor Swift, The Weeknd, Moneybagg Yo, and Joyner Lucas?