Big Super Bowl Halftime Gets

The NFL has announced that Usher will headline the Super Bowl halftime show this season.  Rihanna was gonna be a tough act to follow regardless of the artist, but I was still a little surprised by the selection.  The Super Bowl's in Las Vegas, where so many musical acts have residencies that they literally could've asked pretty much anyone they wanted and that artist could conceivably do both Super Bowl halftime and their Vegas residency on that Sunday night.  I'm not disappointed or saying Usher was a bad selection.  He's just not the name I was expecting to hear as the headliner.

There's one name that's been circulating as a potential halftime headliner for several years, and if the NFL were ever to get her, it would be their biggest get since Beyonce literally made the lights go out in New Orleans.  Maybe even bigger.  I'm, of course, talking about the woman who sold out NFL stadiums all summer and is now generating a whole new round of buzz because of her possible relationship with Travis Kelce.  (There are people who've never even heard of Travis Kelce buying #87 Chiefs jerseys.)

If the NFL can get Taylor Swift, it would be HUGE!  And, if you can get Taylor Swift, you get Taylor Swift.  She's a global superstar who would get non-football fans to watch (even if it's only for the halftime show).  You just know it would be an amazing show, too.

Although, there was a discussion about that possibility on sports talk radio last week, and, I must say, good points were made on both sides.  You know the second Taylor Swift's announced as the halftime act, the Swifties will gobble up every available ticket.  (Tickets to her shows were so expensive that they'll make the cost of a Super Bowl ticket seem like nothing.)  And a lot of them probably couldn't care less about football.  Not all, but enough.  Is that what you want for the Super Bowl?  It's a championship game, not a concert!  Fans should be there for the game, not the halftime act.

Now, there are also plenty of people who are fans of both football and Taylor Swift.  That would be the best of both worlds.  And, even if they aren't necessarily "fans," they'll at least be familiar with her and her music.  That's always the challenge with Super Bowl halftime.  Finding someone mainstream enough to appeal to such a wide audience.  Taylor Swift certainly fits that bill.  Which is why I say, if you can do it, do it.  Just think about the amount of buzz it would generate, too.  It would be the biggest Super Bowl halftime show since Michael Jackson changed it forever 30 years ago.

Taylor Swift isn't the only major star who's never performed at halftime of the Super Bowl.  Not by a long shot.  And, while she's probably at the top of the list (especially now that Rihanna's off the board), she isn't the only performer who'd put on a great show while appealing to a broad enough fanbase.  There are plenty of other artists who fit that bill.  Artists like...

Bon Jovi: Frankly, it's shocking that Bon Jovi hasn't played Super Bowl halftime yet.  They had the perfect opportunity when the game was in New Jersey, but they went with Bruno Mars instead that year.  It's especially crazy when you consider Jon Bon Jovi owned a team in the arena league (the Philadelphia Soul) for many years.

Kelly Clarkson: She's hosted NFL Honors and is not shy about how big of a Dallas Cowboys fan she is.  She has fans going all the way back to American Idol, but just as many know her from The Voice and her talk show.  That's a pretty wide net, and you know she's a football fan.

Carrie Underwood: We've been hearing Carrie Underwood singing the Sunday Night Football anthem for the better part of a decade, so this one only seems natural.  Her fanbase goes way beyond football fans, too.  She's one of the most popular artists in all of country music.  I'd imagine that if she were to do halftime, she'd do it in a year when NBC has the Super Bowl.  Their next is Super Bowl LX in February 2026.

Miley Cyrus: This was obviously the Summer of Taylor, but Miley was probably a close second.  She's as popular as ever right now, and I think this would be nearly as big of a get for the NFL.  Miley isn't a fan of touring, so doing the Super Bowl halftime show with millions of people watching seems perfect for her, too.  If you've ever seen one of her New Year's Eve specials, you know she can command a stage.

The Jonas Brothers: Don't be surprised if they get a call about Super Bowl halftime sooner or later.  Maybe even next year, assuming their tour is over.  They've already performed at halftime at another one of the NFL's showcases--last year's Thanksgiving game in Dallas.  They've released a new album, gone on tour and seemingly gotten more popular since then, so this one seems like a no-brainer eventually.

P!nk: From everything I've heard and seen, P!nk is an amazing live performer.  And she's one of those sneaky artists where you "don't know any songs" until they start singing and you know every word to every song.  Frankly, I think she's right up the NFL's alley.

Luke Bryan/Kenny Chesney: Once the Titans finish building their new stadium, it seems pretty likely that they'll be given a Super Bowl.  And if the Super Bowl's gonna be in Nashville, that halftime show better be country!  Just think of the amazing concert they could put on in country music's backyard!  Luke Bryan and Kenny Chesney are two of the biggest names in country right now, so why not have them be the headliners?

Ed Sheeran: I'll be the first to admit that Ed Sheeran isn't the right type of artist for Super Bowl halftime.  It's like that year Coldplay did it.  I'm sure their fans loved it.  But their style of music just didn't fit the occasion.  It would be a similar situation with Ed Sheeran.  That doesn't change the fact it would be a massive get for the NFL.

Drake: That celebration of hip hop last year in LA, with all of those legends on stage together. was very well received.  Not just by fans of the genre, but music fans in general.  The biggest name in hip hop currently is Drake, of course.  Every college sports team's pregame playlist features at least one Drake song, usually more.  He's a well-known basketball fan who regularly sits courtside at NBA games, but I don't know how much interest in football he has.  I'm also not sure how much people who don't listen to hip hop would like/appreciate him.  He might have enough fans to make it worth the risk, though.

Adele: Much like T-Swift, Adele is up there in her own stratosphere.  She's the type of artist that people who aren't familiar with her might question at first.  And I do concede that she seems like an odd fit for the Super Bowl.  But every time Adele performs, she brings it.  And not all of her songs are sad.  I just have a feeling that people would go in not knowing what to expect and end up loving it.