Morgan Wallen – Country artists are not particularly the first choice for the Super Bowl halftime show, but Morgan Wallen would be the near perfect artist to keep people engaged. The biggest problem with Usher being the selection this year is how long ago he was a relevant artist. That’s where Wallen separates himself: by having one of the most successful years of any artist across all genres in 2023. He was honored with the most streamed song and album on Spotify in the U.S. with “Last Night” and “One Thing at a Time.” His more popular songs aren’t the traditional tractor-driving country music either, so it wouldn’t force Super Bowl viewers to walk away from the screen immediately. I’m all for making each year’s performance someone who is relevant, and who is a better option than Morgan Wallen in 2024?
Justin Bieber – As a former “Belieber,” this would be a childhood dream come true for me. When they announced that Usher would be performing at this year’s Super Bowl, it didn’t exactly go well among the fans, and rightfully so. If you look at Usher’s discography, you will notice that many of the songs he’s on aren’t even his; he’s only a featured artist. Just like Rihanna’s concert last year, if Justin Bieber performed at the Super Bowl, he would put on quite the show, giving viewers the blast of nostalgia they need. With songs like “Baby,” “Beauty and a Beat,” and “Eenie Meenie,” it would be a halftime show for the ages. There have been some rumors going around, though, that Justin Bieber will make an appearance in Usher’s halftime show this year, so we’ll keep our fingers crossed.
Drake – It’s a typical answer, but the list of collaborators that Drake has in his catalog is incredibly numerous and iconic. That means that there could be plenty of potential surprise guests in this performance, which would add to the incredible list of possible tunes that the rap legend could perform. At the bare minimum, Drake is still dropping bangers to this day and while he certainly wouldn’t need any publicity from the event, it’s one of the few things he hasn’t done in his career. If Drake headlined this year’s show, the Super Bowl would return to what made the Super Bowl halftime show such a commercial success in the first place by getting one of the most popular artists to perform.
Metallica – Similar to Sean’s statement about country artists, rock bands that originated in the 1980s usually are not the most popular pick for a halftime show either. But Metallica is not any other rock band. Since their formation in 1981, Metallica’s track record includes over 1,600 shows, including a 1991 performance attended by 1.6 million people, being the only musical group in history to perform on all seven continents and some of the most iconic songs of all time, regardless of genre. They also don’t seem to be stopping anytime soon. The band released their latest album, “72 Seasons,” in April 2023, and kicked off a world tour that wraps up in late 2024. They even won a Grammy this year! Unfortunately, the band has been continually passed on for the Big Game, even when it was played in their hometown of San Francisco, which surprised a lot of people at the time. This is disappointing because one of the biggest artists of all time has been essentially shut out from the world’s biggest stage.
Fall Out Boy – They performed at the Pro Bowl halftime show in 2014, but I would love to see the band named after Radioactive Man’s sidekick light the Super Bowl crowd ablaze. It is not because they released a modernized cover of Billy Joel’s “We Didn’t Start the Fire” last summer. Fall Out Boy has several hits they could play that would garner incredible reviews from the fans after seeing it all go down. From “My Songs Know What You Did in the Dark” to “Centuries,” there are several “Irresistible” hits that would bring people who are around my age back to their middle school years. As was the case in Super Bowls 50, LIV and LVI, however, I want more than just one halftime performer. Add Imagine Dragons to that halftime show as a special guest (a la Red Hot Chili Peppers at Super Bowl XLVIII), and I will not hesitate to spend a fortune on Super Bowl tickets. Should I end up watching the Super Bowl on TV, I will not want to leave my seat.
A$AP Rocky – The NFL had the opportunity to book the best artist for its annual concert, and they missed it: A$AP Rocky. In case you are living under a rock, Rihanna put on one of the greatest halftime shows ever last year, and as a result, her brand as an artist grew larger, if that was even possible. However, A$AP Rocky fans have been left in the dark for the past eight years, yearning for new content, settling for the occasional single and feature. However, with Rocky’s popularity, the possible A-list features are endless. From Tyler, The Creator to Lana Del Rey, the NFL could have broken the internet for a week. With such a diverse platter of artists he has worked with over the years, fans of every genre could have been pleased with this show. Rocky is also married to Rihanna, and the duo doesn’t have any songs released together. Imagine if they collaborated on the biggest stage. That would be earth-shattering, and people would talk about it for years.
Dua Lipa – When you think about people who have several hits and could excite the crowd, there aren’t too many options better than Dua Lipa. The pop star brings a great mix of novelty and sustained success, with top 100 hits dating back to 2017. She has five top 10 hits, which is a great number given that Super Bowl shows average 8.99 songs, per SportingNews. Dua Lipa could feature all her signature songs as recent as “Dance the Night,” which was part of the “Barbie” movie soundtrack, or dating back to “New Rules,” her first big hit. Even though she may not have the richest set of songs because she hasn’t been around forever, her current popularity gives her a considerable edge over Usher, who hasn’t been relevant lately.
Fleetwood Mac/The Beach Boys – It’s tough to say who the halftime performer of the Big Game should be, since there are so many different folks watching who all have different musical preferences. In recent years, the decision to host pop and other niche artists has been interesting, but I would like to see a group like Fleetwood Mac or maybe the Beach Boys in conjunction with some other well-known artists from the past. Classic rock would be a great morale booster, and I’m sure they’d be happy to get back on stage. I know many people wish the Band Geeks from SpongeBob will also make a halftime appearance, but I wouldn’t hold my breath underwater for that. No matter who is chosen, the spectacular choreography and production of the show is a sight to behold.