Jay-Zis completely at ease after picking himself to perform the Super Bowl halftime show ... and he's not letting any outside noise put him under pressure.
We got Hov in New York City on Tuesday, and our photog asked him if he felt any pressure to deliver a top-notch performance at Super Bowl 61 when the big game rolls around in February.
GOAT’s out of the bag. @sc #AppleMusicHalftime #SBLXI https://t.co/GrIurjDM9L
@NFL
Jay smiled, laughed, and told us there's no pressure involved ... even though millions of folks across the world will be tuning in.
Jay-Z has officially been named the Super Bowl 61 halftime show performer.
GOAT’s out of the bag. @sc #AppleMusicHalftime #SBLXI https://t.co/GrIurjDM9L
@NFL
The music mogul released a statement confirming the news. He said, "Thirty years of music, work, and culture on the world’s biggest stage. This run continues to be a dream come true.”
As TMZ first reported ... Justin Bieber and Harry Styles were being considered for the halftime show, but neither were interested in the gig.
Jay-Z -- the key decision-maker on who performs each year at the Super Bowl -- has reportedly made his choice for this year's big game, and it's none other than himself!
According to Puck News ... the rap mogul thought about who would take the stage for weeks at the biggest sports event, and then ultimately decided that he would be the perfect pick.
Multiple sources tell the media outlet that Jay choosing Jay was a "more compelling" idea than picking Miley Cyrus and Justin Bieber, both of whom were believed to be frontrunners for Super Bowl LXI.This year's Super Bowl will take place at SoFi Stadium on Feb. 14, 2027.
Despite the report, there has been no official announcement on the Super Bowl. TMZ has reached out to Roc Nation, but no word back. Sources previously told TMZ Jay-Z was considering himself at least a month ago.
In 2019, Jay's Roc Nation reportedly secured a $5 million-a-year deal to produce the halftime show performance -- and the company re-upped the deal in 2024 for another 5 years.
Barbie Ferreira admits she doesn't know much about football ... but she knows exactly who she wants performing at halftime when the Super Bowl rolls around.
We got the "Euphoria" star at LAX Wednesday and our photog asked about our report that Justin Bieber and Harry Styles are under consideration for the Super Bowl LXI halftime show.
Barbie's reaction was immediate ... saying her 2013 self would've been giddy to see either of the two pop stars on that stage.
The folks who call the shots for the Super Bowl halftime show have two megastars at the top of their list for the 2027 event ... Justin Bieber and Harry Styles.
Sources tell us both singers are high on Roc Nation's short list. Jay-Z and his company are partnered with the NFL, and as the league's "live music entertainment strategist," Jay has final say on the halftime performer.
We're told Justin and Harry have not been approached about the show yet ... and sources tell us Justin and Harry are both unlikely to take the gig if they are finally approached.
Bruce Buffer has announced some of the biggest events on the planet -- from The White House to the World Cup (and that's just this summer) -- but there’s still one missing from his résumé.
The legendary "Veteran Voice of the Octagon" stopped by TMZ on Wednesday ... and told Michael J. Babcock the one gig he's still dying to land.
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"I think the bucket list now is, I've had the Super Bowl commercial. I did the Budweiser Super Bowl commercial. I did Super Bowl week introducing the 49ers and the Kansas City Chiefs a couple years ago in Vegas at the big event they had at Allegiant [Stadium], but I haven't been on the field for the Super Bowl yet."
6/2/2026 3:19 PM -- Rep. Ogles has since deleted the X post.
Senator Ted Cruz is publicly pushing back on a member of his own party ... splitting with Rep. Andy Oglesover homosexuality's place in America, generally, and specifically, Pride Month celebrations.
Our guy Jacobgot Ted on Capitol Hill reacting to Congressman Ogles eyebrow-raising X post going after the LGBTQ community ... and he didn't hesitate to distance himself, saying, "the behavior of consenting adults is their business."
If ya missed Ogles' social media shot Tuesday morning, the U.S. Rep from Tennessee posted ... "Homosexuality has no place in America. Happy Nuclear Family Month."
Rep. Ogles' X post comes on the second day of June, which is nationally recognized as Pride Month ... though governors in Tennessee and Indiana have alternately declared June as Nuclear Family Month.
Mike Vrabel and Dianna Russini kept it pretty professional in front of their NFL peers at a post-awards show party before the 2022 Super Bowl ... and TMZ has photos from the event.
The two were spotted hugging at a VIP party at The Forum in Los Angeles before Super Bowl LVI ... with Russini leaning in close to talk to the head coach.
Check out the photo ... Russini's hand is on Vrabel's back as she speaks into her ear -- though it could just be she needed to cut through the noise as the band Kings of Leon performed.
Bad Bunny's Super Bowl halftime performance pulled 128.2 million viewers -- but also garnered some intense backlash from people pissed off about the content of the performance.
TMZ obtained more than 2,000 complaints sent to the FCC following February's Super Bowl LX .... and more than 100 involved messages that the Puerto Rican superstar's performance was raunchy, full of dirty sex-talk, and all-around inappropriate.
Just check out some of the complaints in our gallery -- many people protested about his alleged gyrating ... with one viewer claiming they felt they were "forced to see a man's penis and balls." Others were peeved he grabbed his crotch, while another person complained dancers allegedly grabbed each other's breasts.
Alix Earle has a heavyweight in her corner amid her feud with Alex Cooper ... 'cause Carl’s Jr. is standing firmly behind its Super Bowl star, TMZ has learned.
A Carl's Jr. spokesperson tells TMZ ..."While there seems to be plenty of beef circulating online lately, we promise ours is the juiciest. Alix’s authentic style was the perfect fit for our campaign. She is the best in the business at post-game recovery, so it was a natural fit."
The star burger company adds to the quippy statement ... "The campaign, which was focused on giving away our Hangover Burger as the post-big game recovery cure, delivered record-breaking results."
Alix lit up her Super Bowl ad with the beef-loving company last year, which sparked rumors that Alex Cooper initially wanted a bite of the brand ... but Dave Portnoy took to his social media to deny Cooper had any interest in doing the commercial and claims she told him, “If I had a gun to my head and 10 million dollars in a bag, I would not have done that Carl's Jr. ad."
Lewis Hamilton went for a spin in a super expensive and rare Ferrari while in Japan ... and he brought his girl Kim Kardashian along for the wild ride -- and the shared footage marks the first time she's graced his Instagram page.
The F1 superstar posted the third installment of his classic "Tokyo Drift" series on Monday ... showing him cruising around in a Ferrari F40 at the Daikoku Parking Area, a well-known car meet location in the city.
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In the clip, Hamilton is spotted cruising throughout the streets, drifting and doing donuts ... and as soon as the smoke clears up -- there she is!!
Rams star PukaNacua is learning the hard way that life in the spotlight moves fast -- and two-time Super Bowl champ RickyProehl has some advice.
Proehl -- a 17-year NFL vet and current head coach of the UFL’s St. Louis Battlehawks -- tells TMZSports the biggest challenge for young stars today isn’t just what happens on Sundays … it’s everything that comes with the spotlight the rest of the week.
“Man, it’s a different era,” the former St. Louis Ram said. “With cell phones and everything, you say something, it gets caught, taken out of context … and it’s everywhere.”
The former wideout made it clear the concern isn’t football, because Nacua’s already proving he’s the real deal.
Could the most popular boy band in the world someday grace music's biggest stage?? If it were up to BTS member J-Hope, the answer would be a resounding "yes."
The K-pop rapper, singer and writer opened up on his goals in an interview with Kany Diabaté this week ... when he was asked to share his "dream stage."
Hobi didn't hesitate ... saying it's always been the Super Bowl, and he can only imagine what it would feel like to perform the halftime show.
Jay-Z is finally setting the record straight on claims he tapped Kendrick Lamarfor the Super Bowl LIX halftime show as a way to take a dig at Drake ... claiming that just ain't the case in a new interview, saying K-Dot was simply the hottest artist around!
Hov, in aGQ interview with Frazier Tharpe this week, addressed allegations that selecting Lamar for the 2025 Super Bowl halftime show was a move against Drizzy, who was in the middle of an intense feud with Kendrick at the time.
Jay-Z insisted picking the "Not Like Us" rapper wasn't about taking sides, but because Kendrick was killin' it.
"I chose the guy that was having a monster year. I think it was the right choice," Jay-Z said. "It wasn't in some sort of alliance to a battle. What I care about them two guys battling? What’s that got to do with me? Have at it. Have fun."
Miley Cyrus is weighing in on being the betting favorite for the 2027 Super Bowl halftime show ... and let’s just say, she’s not exactly sprinting toward the stage.
In a chat with Variety, Miley admitted the whole thing feels like a pressure cooker -- the kind where you’d have to mentally block out the fact it’s, well, the Super Bowl.
She basically said the nerves would be unavoidable -- you can’t ignore that it’s the most-watched event on the planet with millions tuned in to watch, live ...
