The consequences of the Ed Sheeran-Macklemore ‘Free Palestine’ scandal have now stretched as far as the Super Bowl, leaving Jay-Z with a huge dilemma ahead of his big halftime show.
Jay-Z’s Roc Nation are the annual organizers of the biggest concert of the year, with recent performances from the likes of Bad Bunny, Kendrick Lamar and Usher.
Fans are still waiting with bated breath to find out the 2027 performer at Los Angeles’ SoFi Stadium, but the Daily Mail can reveal that behind the scenes, it has not been an easy week for the decision makers.
A source close to Jay-Z and the NFL has told us: ‘The likelihood of this year’s Super Bowl halftime show having more than one person is very high, because Jay-Z and the NFL are having a hard time locking anyone down.
‘So much so that Jay-Z might do it himself and bring some friends along with him to get things over the hump.
‘Recently speaking, with Bad Bunny getting so much heat for doing it last year and Kendrick the year before, nobody wants the burden to do the show, because they aren’t getting paid for it, nor do they want to be involved in any controversy.
Jay-Z is currently on a world tour – but could he soon be bringing his talents to the Super Bowl?
The Ed Sheeran-Macklemore ‘Free Palestine’ scandal has left A-listers wary of performing
‘It’s almost a waste of time for most of the performers being asked because they don’t want the ridicule.’
The Daily Mail has reached out to Roc Nation and the NFL for comment.
Jay-Z performing the show himself would come as a huge surprise, given he has been in the role of choosing the artists since 2019, always opting for someone other than himself.
He has, though, been practicing if it came down to that, with the rap legend recently beginning his Jay-Z 30 Tour, celebrating the 30th anniversary of his debut album Reasonable Doubt.
This week has seen some of the biggest stars in the music industry front and center of a fierce political debate, after Macklemore used his support slot at an Ed Sheeran show to share his ‘Free Palestine’ message.
In the days that followed, Robert Kraft – with a host of other NFL owners in his corner – offered Sheeran an ultimatum for his upcoming dates at their stadiums: Macklemore goes, or you’re not performing.
Kendrick Lamar’s controversial halftime show drew an average audience of 133.5million people
Bad Bunny performed at this year’s game, but no decision has yet been made on 2027
Sheeran got rid of Macklemore, and in the process has now lost his own band and every other support act that was slated to perform on his Loop Tour.
It has been radio silence from the English singer since his initial statement, but his next show – at the Philadelphia Eagles’ Lincoln Financial Field – is still slated for Saturday night.
All of that controversy, though, has got the rest of the music industry very worried about putting themselves in the firing line.
Our source explains: ‘Just look at the recent happenings with the Macklemore controversy, if anyone is going to do the halftime show and has any political statement, or if Trump hates the pick… the never-ending talk, getting panned for your performance. Who wants that?
Jay-Z and his company, Roc Nation, is responsible for producing the Super Bowl halftime show
Ed Sheeran ticket prices have fallen consistently after Macklemore was dropped from the tour
‘It is becoming less of an honor to do the show because there is so much baggage attached. And that is why nobody wants to lock themselves down but also the reason that Jay-Z is throwing his name in the mix, because if he does it, it shows that others should be OK with it.
‘They want to make the announcement by the end of the month, but without having someone set in stone, we might have to wait till November for the announcement to come through.’
The Super Bowl famously does not pay a traditional, high-dollar appearance fee to its halftime performer, with the lure instead coming from the huge amount of viewers and the marketing value of performing on the biggest stage.
The Sheeran scandal, though, could be tipping the scale away from its usual position, and it remains to be seen whether Jay-Z can tie down an A-lister for what has typically been the easiest booking on the calendar.
Roc Nation, which produces the halftime show, and Apple Music, which sponsors the performance, begin to whittle down their top choices around May or June as they start to approach their targeted artists, insiders have told the Daily Mail.
Next year’s Super Bowl is set for SoFi Stadium on February 14, while Mercedes-Benz Stadium, the home of the Atlanta Falcons, is slated to host in 2028.
Las Vegas’ Allegiant Stadium, the site of the Chiefs’ 2024 victory, will host in 2029 before it’s Tennessee’s turn the following year.
Taylor Swift has been among the league’s most sought after acts for years, especially as her ties to the NFL have deepened following her marriage to Kansas City Chiefs star Travis Kelce.
But a source previously admitted that it could be a serious challenge securing her, explaining: ‘Taylor also doesn’t need to do it, but she knows that it would be a great thing for her legacy that is already concrete.’
