It doesn't look like Taylor Swift is going to be in her Super Bowl era this February. The music mega-star has reportedly turned down an offer to headline the halftime show, which will take place between the South American and Asian legs of her Eras World Tour.
No name in the music industry is bigger than Taylor Swift right now. Between her smash-hit Midnights album released last October, the re-releases of her previous work, complete with never-before released songs "from the vault," and her economy-altering Eras tour, the spotlight is all hers. But she won't be performing on the NFL's biggest stage, as she appears to have received an invitation to play the Super Bowl halftime show, but decided to shake it off and decline.
Performers aren't paid for the approximately 20 minute performance, so it's all for publicity. Swift doesn't exactly need any, as she currently has seven albums charting in the Billboard Top 20, including four in the top 10, headlined by Speak Now (Taylor's Version) at No. 4. She is also in the midst of an enormous World tour, which is selling out multiple nights at every single stop.
Taylor Swift has declined the 2024 Super Bowl halftime show, HITS Daily Double reports. pic.twitter.com/l0c8IxjCy8
— Pop Base (@PopBase) August 16, 2023
It's understandable if she wants a bit of a break, but with her hometown Philadelphia Eagles looking like heavy favorites to make it to the Super Bowl at Allegiant Stadium- where Swift was recently the first female headliner- the timing may never be better.
With Swift out of the picture, attention has shifted to figuring out who might do the show instead. Ed Sheeran is a name that had been floated, but stated that his show lacks the "pizzazz" needed for the NFL stage, despite the fact that he owns the attendance records at multiple team venues thanks to his wildly successful Mathematics tour.
Four favorites have emerged, and they're wildly varied; Miley Cyrus, Harry Styles, Jack Harlow, and Bad Bunny. Styles appears to be leading the chase after being in the mix a year ago, but Cyrus would be an incredible fit for the occasion, while Bad Bunny has one of the biggest followings of any artist on Earth.
But why stop there? With the diversity of musical styles we've seen headlining the show in recent years, there's a wide array of artists who would make sense for the Super Bowl. If the league wants a throwback act with wide appeal, Billy Joel could be an option- the legendary Long Island pianist/singer/songwriter is still performing, but throughout his extremely long tenure, has somehow never appeared at the Super Bowl.
We've seen some great performances where the stage has been shared by artists who are tied together by a certain theme. One act in this vein could be a showcase of some of the greatest female voices of all time, between Ariana Grande, Kelly Clarkson, and Carrie Underwood, who has been connected to the league for quite some time through her iconic Sunday Night Football theme song performances.
In terms of individual acts, now would be a great time to pick Travis Scott, as he recently released an absolutely outstanding new album, or Luke Combs, who is one of the biggest names in country music today and notorious for putting on an outstanding show. Even with Taylor Swift leaving a blank space in Super Bowl Sunday by turning down the league's offer, there's plenty of huge names who could give us a great halftime performance this February.
