Super Bowl LIII is a year away, but it is never to soon to speculate who could perform during the halftime show.
To headline the biggest music event of the year you must have a few qualities. First you have to be very well-known. An artist needs to regularly perform in arenas and stadiums to have enough clout for the show.
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Secondly, you have to have enough popular material. Artists who have played the show since producers began a streak of solo acts have always had a stacked setlist of high-profile hits.
Finally, you also need be accessible/family-friendly enough for millions for people across the U.S. to be pleased with your show.
Keep in mind that performers that have headlined solo halftime shows in recent years are more than likely not going to return. This includes Justin Timberlake, Beyoncé, Lady Gaga, Bruno Mars, Katy Perry and Coldplay.
Scroll through to see our full list of selections.
Taylor Swift
The most likely headliner for the Super LIII halftime show seems to be Taylor Swift.
Aside from maybe Beyoncé, Swift is the biggest pop artist performing today. She has a catalog of songs that were/are widely popular (“Shake It Off,” “Bad Blood,” “Love Story,” “Look what You Made Me Do”). Plus her origins as a country artist could help qualm the growing sentiment that the genre should see some kind of representation at the halftime show.
Furthermore, there were rumors that she would headline the College Football National Championship halftime show in January, which turned out to be false. The show ended up being a more low-key affair featuring Kendrick Lamar, so perhaps Swift is was holding out for a grander stage.
She’s also touring stadiums throughout the year, which would clearly show her clout to producers. Her tour schedule for 2018 is also open, meaning she would be free to put together the show.
Britney Spears
If Super Bowl producers want to go with a pop queen with a bit more history behind her than Swift, Britney Spears is the first name that comes to mind.
Spears has been lying low in recent years, focusing on international touring and a Las Vegas show. If she was looking to make a U.S. resurgence, the Super Bowl would be the place to begin.
Spears has the catalog of hits that are sure to please younger fans as well as those who had already reached adult during Spears reign at the top of the charts. Plus hits like “…Baby One More Time,” “Toxic” and “Oops!…I Did It Again” never go out of style and would be crowdpleasers.
Pink
Another pop star that fits the same description as Spears would be Pink.
While Spears has been keeping things low-key, Pink has remained in the spotlight for the better part of two decades. She has the older hits to fill the show (“Just Give Me a Reason,” “So What” and “Get the Party Started”) as well as newer material, like “What About Us,” that is resonating with massive amounts of fans.
She also fought the flu to sing the national anthem before Super Bowl LII, which proves she can handle the high-pressure of the performance.
Jay-Z
One of the recent complaints about the halftime show is the lack of hip-hop.
Hip-hop has dominated charts for the past decades, but — not counting Black Eyed Peas’ 2011 show or Missy Elliot’s 2015 cameo — there has not been a high profile hip-hop performance since P. Diddy and Nelly’s appearances in 2004.
If Super Bowl producers wanted to right this slight, Jay-Z would be the leading canidate for the spot. He has decades of hits (“99 Problems,” “Empire State of Mind,” “Encore”), name recognition and the touring schedule to pull it off.
Plus he’s known for his corporate-friendly background, which would help quell fears he would derail the show á la Kanye West.
Eminem
If Jay-Z does not headline, Eminem is the next most likely option (Sorry, Kanye).
Like Jay, he has the hits (“Without Me,” “Love the Way You Lie,” “Lose Yourself”) and the clout to back it up.
Furthermore, he has been planning out a year of huge festival performances in 2017. A Super Bowl show would cap off that run plus tee him up to announce a more thorough tour for 2018.
Rihanna
Another mega pop star that is often overlooked in the Super Bowl halftime conversation is Rihanna.
She’s clearly big enough and has more than a decade’s worth of albums that are stacked with hits. The only hesitance is that some of her songs/imagery are a bit too heavy-handed with sexuality for the family-friendly broadcast. However, if Lady Gaga and Madonna can tone things down for the Super Bowl, so can Rihanna.
It’s just strange that the singer behind some of the decade’s biggest solo songs (“Stay,” “Umbrella,” “Work”) and the biggest collaborations (Calvin Harris’ “We Found Love,” Eminem’s “Love the Way You Lie,” T.I.’s “Live Your Life”) has not already headlined the show.
Justin Bieber
Another big time pop performer that could headline is Justin Bieber.
While he is a somewhat divisive personality, Bieber has million of fans across the country and has built up some credibility with his last few hits (“Love Yourself,” “What Do You Mean?” “Sorry”).
He has the showmanship abilities à la Justin Timberlake, plus a long enough string of hits to provide a flashy fun show that younger audiences would definitely gravitate towards.
Maroon 5
Another big time pop act that could fit the bill as a headliner is Maroon 5.
While they’re far from the most exciting choice, they’re a safe options that would provide a string of hits that viewers old and young could get into. Their early 2000s material, like “This Love” and “She Will Be Loved,” is pretty undeniable, and their more recent hits, such as “Sugar” and “Animals” have been fairly inescapable.
Plus, lead singer Adam Levine could always convince some of his fellow Voice judges to drop by for an all-star show.
Bon Jovi / Elton John
It is pretty clear that the Super Bowl has grown past their love of classic rock. After the notorious Janet Jackson incident in 2004, producers opted for safe rockers including Paul McCartney, Bruce Springsteen, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Prince and The Who.
They went pop in 2011 with no signs of turning back. However, if they did go back, either Bon Jovi or Elton John would be ideal.
Bon Jovi were rumored to headline during that classic rock streak, but never got the shot. Elton John is preparing to retire from live performances, so a Super Bowl appearance would be coming at an ideal time for him.
Both the acts have too many hits to mention, so they are definitely at the top of any classic rock listener’s wishlist.
