We need some twang in the big game.
It was previously announced that Usher will be performing the Super Bowl Halftime Show in Las Vegas this February. The Super Bowl hasn’t exactly been known to choose the most popular artist of the day, and although Usher once dominated the charts, he hasn’t had a top ten hit since 2012.
I’m not asking for the halftime performer to be a popularity contest each year, but choosing someone that is a bit more tied into the pulse of the nation would go a long way. The halftime show has held an obsession with past their prime R&B acts in recent years, including Rihanna, Jennifer Lopez, and Maroon 5, at a time when these artists are long gone from the public’ attention.
Meanwhile, country music is in the middle of its biggest mainstream moment perhaps ever. Earlier this year, country songs occupied the top two spots on the Billboard Hot 100 for the first time in 42 years, and on multiple occasions occupied the top three spots for the first time ever.
Virtual unknowns like Oliver Anthony are tearing up the charts with little to no previous success. Morgan Wallen’s Last Night was the number one streamed song on Spotify this summer regardless of genre. It seems like every week we’re seeing a new streaming or radio record broken. Country is the sound of popular music today, in a way that it never really has been before.
And yet, the last time we saw a fully country halftime was way back in 1994, when Clint Black headlined. In the 30 years since, the closest we’ve come was when Shania Twain co-headlined with No Doubt in 2003. In recent times country artists have been relegated to the national anthem, having performed the last three. Chris Stapleton sung the anthem last year, and his rendition is already considered one of the best of all time.
Part of the resistance to elevate country artists to the main stage is undoubtedly due to the level of spectacle the halftime show has become in recent years. At this point the shows are less about being a concert and more about being as loud, flashy, and in your face as possible. Obviously stripped down singers like Stapleton are more suited for the anthem than a huge choreographed production, but there are plenty of artists capable of putting on an entertaining performance.
Another option would be something similar to what we saw with Shania in 2003, with a country star sharing the stage with a pop or rap artist. A byproduct of country’s current popularity in the mainstream is that a lot of new fans also listen to and enjoy other genres, meaning you could easily bring in an outside artist to pair with a country singer to create a show that appeals to a larger national audience.
Morgan Wallen has the deep discography and crossover hits to pull it off, but my pick would be for Luke Combs. He has the name recognition to justify the selection, and most of his hits are upbeat songs that would fit in perfectly with what we have come to expect from a halftime performance. Just picture Luke rocking out to Beer Never Broke My Heart with pyrotechnics lighting up the sky behind him. You could even bring Tracy Chapman in for a duet of Fast Car, something the pair has hinted at in the past.
Although we won’t see a country act headline the Super Bowl this year, Reba is set to carry on the countrytradition with a performance of the National Anthem. With the rise in popularity of country music in the mainstream, it should be only a matter of time before we get a country halftime show. My guess? The Tennessee Titans are slated to open a new $2 Billion stadium just outside Nashville in 2026. The NFL likes to host Super Bowls at new stadiums, and it would make perfect sense to bring in a country performer for a Super Bowl in the Music City.
Here’s to hoping we don’t have to wait that long.