Image via Complex Original
Earlier this week, news broke that Adele turned down the NFL's request to have her perform at the Super Bowl LI halftime show in Houston in February, 2017. Shortly after word got out, the NFL and Pepsi released an official statement explaining that they never made an official offer to Adele despite ongoing conversations. This made it sound like the league was trying to save face after being denied by Adele. It also means that there's an opening for one of the most-watched concerts in the world.
Who will the NFL choose? Well, we likely won't find out for months, but we have some thoughts on who they should pick.
Rihanna
It should be a federal offense that Rihanna has yet to headline a Super Bowl halftime show. She has record-breaking hits and enough attitude to win over (or at the very least provoke) any crowd. With Adele out of the running, Rihanna should be at the top of the NFL's list for this year's show. It more than deserves your consideration, Roger Goodell.
Taylor Swift
Taylor Swift is a likely candidate to perform at a Super Bowl halftime show at some point in her career—she sells albums and isn't likely to offend the NFL's audience. Of course, we'd be more excited for Kanye West and Kim Kardashian's Twitter feeds during the show.
Jay Z
Jay Z is a legend. The Super Bowl is a moment. This needs to have happened five years ago.
Kanye West
Of course, this entire list came together because of a fan petition to get Kanye West to perform at the upcoming Super Bowl halftime show. Whether or not the NFL buys into Yeezus remains to be seen, but we all know that he would deliver a memorable performance. He understands spectacle in a way that aligns perfectly with American sports.
Justin Bieber
It's hard to believe that Justin Bieber hasn't hit the Super Bowl halftime stage before, but here we are. Bieber is a hit machine, and despite a few personal hiccups and some odd behavior recently (bring your IG back, JB), there's little doubt that Bieber wouldn't put butts in living room seats.
Drake
If the NFL does ever consider to go down the hip-hop wormhole post-Jane Jackson, Drake seems like a likely candidate. Of course, the Black Eyed Peas performed in 2011, but that's about as safe as you can get with the hip-hop label. Drake has that loveable crossover appeal and hits for days to satisfy just about everyone.
Eminem
Considering how popular Eminem is, it's sort of crazy to think that this hasn't happened yet. But then you remember how much controversy Eminem has courted in the past and it's suddenly unsurprising why the NFL is skittish. Still, with Eminem much more SFW than ever, it seems like the right time to pull this off. Plus, he could bring out Dre and 50 Cent for peak 2000s nostalgia.
Snoop Dogg & Friends
Though this might be a reach for the Super Bowl in Houston, but maybe not after federal legalization of weed?). But let's say the game goes to Los Angeles—then, Snoop Dogg and friends (Kurupt, Dre, Ice Cube, etc.) should be at the top of the list. Snoop is one of America's great uncles by now. Give him the stage.
Pharrell
Everyone loves Pharrell. Not only that, but Skateboard P has worked with just about everyone you could think of in music, which means the potential guests he could bring out during the show would be insane. Not to mention that everyone knows "Happy."
Kendrick Lamar
Kendrick Lamar is a long shot for NFL support, considering how political his music is—especially as a live performer—but that's what makes him great. The Compton rapper has delivered a number of memorable and moving performances throughout his career and the Super Bowl halftime show stage would be another chance for him to make a statement.