LOS ANGELES — Jay-Z will headline the Super Bowl LXI halftime show on Feb. 14, 2027, at SoFi Stadium, the NFL, Apple Music and Roc Nation confirmed — a choice that landed with instant backlash from fans accusing the mogul of booking himself.

The announcement came via an Apple Music ad that aired during halftime of Monday Night Football's Eagles-Cowboys game on Oct. 26, with a black-and-white spot reading "Goat's Out Of The Bag." The timing followed Jay-Z's own pair of shows at SoFi Stadium closing out a yearlong tour marking the 30th anniversary of his debut album, Reasonable Doubt.

A role he once turned down

Roc Nation has partnered with the NFL on its entertainment programming since 2019, with commissioner Roger Goodell reportedly telling Jay-Z the slot was his whenever the moment felt right. Jay-Z had previously declined a Super Bowl halftime booking in 2017. Roc Nation will executive produce the February show, with Hamish Hamilton directing; the NFL has not said whether Jay-Z will perform solo or alongside other acts.

GOAT'S OUT OF THE BAG

The reaction online was swift. Because Roc Nation has controlled halftime show selection since 2019, social media quickly filled with complaints that Jay-Z had effectively chosen himself for hip-hop's biggest stage.

Not his first halftime controversy

This is far from the first time Jay-Z's halftime choices have drawn fire. Fans blamed him after Kendrick Lamar's 2025 performance underwhelmed some viewers, with critics like Nicki Minaj publicly arguing a different artist should have gotten the slot. A year later, Jay-Z found himself defending Bad Bunny's booking amid a different wave of criticism, telling critics "they love him, don't let them fool you," while Goodell confirmed the league would not swap out the Puerto Rican superstar.

Whether this latest controversy fades the way those did — or sticks to Jay-Z himself as the performer under scrutiny — will likely play out over the roughly three months before kickoff.