With Super Bowl LIII going down as the lowest-scoring Super Bowl ever and lowest-rated broadcast in 10 years, it looks like the NFL has some work to do if they wanna get people excited for the Big Game in 2020.
Of course, you can’t control which teams face off or how many points they rack up, but you can decide who plays the halftime show – and with 2019 being a bit of a snoozer from first kickoff to last down, the pressure is on for a performer to really bring it in 2020. And we’ve got some ideas.
If we’re talking pop queens, Taylor Swift can do country, pop and could bring out heavy-hitters from Ed Sheeran to Future. Similarly, Rihanna – who has smashes with everyone from Drake to Eminem – has an embarrassment of hits to play should she take the halftime show stage. P!nk is a natural fit too — from aerial stunts to powerhouse vocals, she’s proven herself to be a live legend. And in the realm of GOAT pop divas, Janet Jackson delivers a jaw-dropping spectacle – plus, after giving JT a second shot, they owe her.
Considering hip-hop has dominated the radio for years now, it’s crazy that Black Eyed Peas remain the only hip-hop headliners (if that even counts). So why not give the stage to Drake, a consummate showman who’s so ubiquitous even your grandma has a favorite Drake song? Kanye West is another option. Sure, he’s a lighting rod, but love him or hate him, there’s no way anyone would miss this one. On the other hand, Cardi B could put on the party to end all parties – yes, she laudably declined to perform alongside Maroon 5, but perhaps she can work out a way to be true to herself and grace the stage yet.
If we’re going international (and the halftime show audience certainly is global), Kpop titans BTS are high-energy onstage dynamos. And fellow Kpop boy band EXO proved they could command a global audience while performing at the 2018 Winter Olympics. Aside from Drake, Justin Bieber is another Canadian chart king who could easily do the halftime show justice, especially having graduated successfully from teen idol to musical force.
But if the NFL wants to return to guitar-slinging cross-generational icons, hell, it’s time Metallica get a chance – or Garth Brooks, who has sing-along crowd favorites coming out of his ears. Or Queen + Adam Lambert — after the runaway success of Bohemian Rhapsody, interest in the legendary British rock outfit hasn’t been this high in decades.
Personally, though, I’d like to see one of two things. Robbed Drag Race All Stars favorite Manila Luzon strut the stage in her menstruation-inspired dress, and/or the cast of Rent Live get a second shot at doing the Broadway show for-real live, start to finish. And bonus points if they plan on doing it live but chuck in the towel and air a pre-taped performance at the last minute anyway.
From stone-cold legends to No. 1-gobbling hitmakers to international stars, vote for which act you think deserves a chance at music’s biggest stage in 2020.
