15 musicians we'd love to see perform the Super Bowl halftime show
- Super Bowl LV will be held on February 7, 2021.
- The Weeknd will headline the highly anticipated halftime show at Miami's Hard Rock Stadium.
- While he's a solid choice, we've picked 15 other acts that could also do an amazing job in the future.
The Super Bowl halftime show is part of the most-watched TV event of the year.
Sometimes it's viewed more than the game itself, which is why the choice of performer is important: It's the biggest stage in the country - and after the year we all had, we deserve an amazing show.
This year, The Weeknd was chosen to perform at Tampa Bay's Raymond James Stadium. He's never appeared at the Super Bowl before - and after all the drama that the "Blinding Lights" singer had with the Grammys, we're sure the show will be legendary.
While this year's show is sure to be iconic, we have some suggestions for performers for the next couple of years, from Stevie Wonder to Pink.
Ariana Grande has released back-to-back-to-back successful albums - and she always brings the vocals.
Grande has six albums worth of hits, including "The Way," "Problem," "Thank U Next," "Into You," "Everyday," "Positions" ... the list goes on. Many of her hits include collaborations with other giant stars, like Nicki Minaj, Lizzo, Childish Gambino, Future, Jessie J, Zedd, and Missy Elliot — which would make for a great halftime show.
The Super Bowl halftime show is just the next logical step in her quest for world domination, and we're here for it.
Read more: The 20 best albums of 2020, ranked
After his explosive opening performance at the 2019 Grammys, Kendrick Lamar proved there's no stage too big for him.
Kendrick Lamar's most recent album "DAMN." was a smash success — the lead single "Humble" was the second most-searched song on Google in 2017. Playing at the biggest show in the world could be a perfect set-up for his comeback.
Lamar would have been a great choice for the Super Bowl, though he most likely would have referenced the #TakeAKnee movement.
#TakeAKnee dominated the football conversation in 2017 after Colin Kaepernick chose to kneel during the "Star Spangled Banner" at games in response to police brutality in the US. Many players and famous figures chose to support him, while others chastised him for disrespecting the flag, including President Trump.
The NFL most likely wants to avoid any trouble — but, come on, Lamar is a legend.
It's surprising that Taylor Swift, arguably the biggest musical artist in the US, has never headlined the halftime show.
Everyone knows Taylor Swift can put on a show, whether you love her or hate her. Her star-studded "1989" tour was an endless parade of her famous friends and fellow performers. Just imagine what guests she'd be able to get on a Super Bowl stage with her.
Swift is also known for her cross-genre music — she could perform songs that appeal to everyone.
Jay-Z and Beyoncé released their collaborative album in 2018, and they've proven their ability to put on a show as a duo with two joint tours.
First of all, we're looking for any excuse to get Beyoncé back on the Super Bowl stage. Her performances in the past have been nothing short of iconic. Both Carters have decades worth of material to pull from, including their recent joint album, "Everything Is Love."
The Super Bowl's never had a husband and wife perform on stage together, and we can think of no better couple to be the first.
Gwen Stefani and Blake Shelton are one of America's favorite celebrity couples, so a joint performance would appeal to everyone.
The former Sexiest Man Alive country singer performing alongside his former-ska-star-turned-pop-star fiancée? A dream come true.
Everyone loves these two, and they already proved they could rock a duet with "Go Ahead and Break My Heart," and their recent Grammys duet, "Nobody But You."
"Bohemian Rhapsody" proved that we're all still obsessed with Queen, who are currently touring with Adam Lambert as the lead singer.
The NFL loves a classic rock performance, as evidenced by past performers such as The Who, the Rolling Stones, Tom Petty, and more. But Queen, arguably one of the most theatrical rock bands of all time, has never taken the stage.
Lambert has been touring with Queen for years, and even performed with them at the 2019 Oscars, so clearly, he is fan-approved as the band's lead singer. Just picture an entire stadium stomping along to "We Will Rock You" — it's a guaranteed good time.
Stevie Wonder shared the stage in 1999, but is long overdue for his own show.
At Super Bowl XXXIII, Stevie Wonder performed with Gloria Estefan and Big Bad Voodoo Daddy. But he only got to sing a few songs, and Wonder is an artist with enough No. 1 hits to fill a 20-track album.
The Super Bowl hasn't had a more "classic" headliner since The Who in 2010. Wonder would be a solid return to form.
We need Rihanna to make a return to the stage as soon as possible.
Even though Rihanna's been concentrating more on Fenty, her beauty line, she still knows how to rock a stage (see: the Grammys).
Even though "Anti" came out in 2016, Rihanna has been all over the radio in recent years with songs like "Wild Thoughts" and "Royalty," and she stole the show on N.E.R.D. song "Lemon."
Even better: Imagine if RiRi announced her highly anticipated ninth album on the Super Bowl stage.
However, in October 2019, she confirmed she turned down the slot for last year's show to avoid becoming a "sellout," and in support of Colin Kaepernick.
Pink is famous for her aerial stunts while performing - just picture her hanging from the ceiling of the Hard Rock Stadium.
After her moving performance at the 2018 Grammys, Pink showed that she can do both: serious performances and high-flying spectacles.
Ove 20 years after her debut album (and still cranking out hits like "Can We Pretend" and "Walk Me Home"), Pink more than deserves her turn at the halftime show.
Britney Spears appeared alongside Justin Timberlake (in his *NYSNC days) in 2001 - and she should have headlined the show before he did.
In the words of Spears herself, she's "a put-on-a-show kind of girl." One of the most iconic live performances of all time involved Spears and a gigantic python. There's no limit to what she could do on a Super Bowl-sized budget.
Justin Bieber is currently embarking on a comeback, so he has both new songs and plenty of hits to pull from.
Bieber Fever is set to fall upon the world once again — his fifth album "Changes" was nominated for a Grammy, as was his comeback single "Yummy," and he keeps releasing bops like "Anyone" and "Holy."
Besides his jams like "What Do U Mean," "Sorry," "Where Are U Now," "Baby," and "Boyfriend," Bieber also has a solid stable of collaborators he could bring on stage with him — of course, Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee for "Despacito," but also Chance the Rapper, Quavo, DJ Khaled and Lil Wayne for "I'm the One," and "No Brainer," Post Malone for "Forever," Travis Scott for "Second Emotion," and even Halsey for the underrated duet, "The Feeling."
Read more: Post Malone lost to Patrick Mahomes in beer pong so badly the singer got a tattoo of his autograph
Drake released a mixtape in May 2020 and the halftime show could be a way to build momentum for his highly anticipated album "Certified Lover Boy."
Drake is a polarizing figure, but everyone has an opinion on him either way. It would be fun to see him perform his greatest hits, if not just to see the return of his dance moves. Plus, now that "Certified Lover Boy" has been indefinitely postponed, seeing him return to the stage to play some new tunes would be fun.
Last year, Miley Cyrus released "Plastic Hearts," her boldest music since "Bangerz," and - clearly - she knows how to put on a show.
The "Bangerz" tour will always be famous for one thing: Miley Cyrus entering through a gigantic version of her head and sliding down her tongue.
Cyrus has always known how to get people talking, starting with her pole-dancing at the VMAs during "Party in the USA" and her twerking on Robin Thicke.
After a subdued album, "Younger Now," the wilder side of her is back with a vengeance, with her eye-popping music video for "Mother's Daughter," and the heartbreak bop "Nothing Breaks Like a Heart." Her 2020 album "Plastic Hearts" was her first foray into real rock music, and — as we know — there's nothing the NFL loves more than rock 'n' roll.
Performing at the halftime show could be the perfect way to celebrate Kesha's new era.
Kesha has been through it the last few years, including a very public legal case against her former producer Dr. Luke, and a vulnerable album in 2017 called "Rainbow."
But in January 2020, she released "High Road," an album that "mark[ed] a full return to Kesha's pop roots," according to Fader. New Kesha bops, plus her most famous ones like "Tik Tok," "Your Love Is My Drug," "Die Young," and recent TikTok hit "Cannibal," sounds like a great show.
She would have also been a great choice for the NFL to demonstrate its support for women, as the league has been criticized for giving some players lenient punishments for domestic violence.
Read more: Sarah Thomas is set to become the first woman to officiate a Super Bowl game
Janet Jackson deserves to make a return and redeem herself.
Janet Jackson will forever be known as the first-ever Super Bowl victim of a wardrobe malfunction. But she's so much more than that — an amazing dancer and a talented vocalist for starters.
And she's paid for "Nipplegate" ever since — even though it wasn't her fault. According to Rolling Stone, CBS rescinded Jackson's invitation to the Grammys that year, while Timberlake attended — and won.
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