Why Taylor Swift didn’t perform at Super Bowl Halftime Show

Legendary musicians have performed during the Super Bowl Halftime Show. Past singers with huge back catalogs of undeniable successes that may combine for a powerful 13-minute medley include Michael Jackson, Rihanna, Beyoncé, Madonna, Prince, and Beyoncé. Nearly as crucial as deciding which two football teams will play in the yearly Super Bowl is the matter of who will perform there.

Taylor Swift has been a major part of the conversation leading up to the Super Bowl this year—not because she will play during the halftime show (Usher will!), but rather because her boyfriend, tight end Travis Kelce of the Kansas City Chiefs, will be playing in the game against the San Francisco 49ers.

Swift’s looks during Kelce’s game would be amazing, but it’s unlikely that the pop sensation will perform during the Super Bowl halftime show anytime soon. Swift is said to have turned down the gig for years since she signed a “long-term partnership” with Coca-Cola, the competitor of Pepsi, the Super Bowl halftime sponsor. There were reports that she was offered the job when Apple Music became the official sponsor in 2022. According to TMZ, she was offered, but she turned it down as she was working on rerecording her album at the time.

Swift’s packed schedule might be another obstacle. She is re-recording her first six albums, four of which have already been released: Fearless (Taylor’s Version), Red (Taylor’s Version), Speak Now (Taylor’s Version), and 1989 (Taylor’s Version). She released her album Midnights in October 2022, which recently won two Grammy awards, including a historic fourth Album of the Year award for Swift. She still has Taylor’s versions of Lover and Reputation to come out. Additionally, she recently revealed that The Tortured Poets Department, her brand-new album, will be available on April 19.

Beginning in March 2023, the singer went on the enormously popular Eras Tour, which wrapped up its first leg in November 2023. After taking a break for the holidays, Swift resumed her tour yesterday for four days in Tokyo. Although it’s uncertain if and when she’ll perform during the Super Bowl, she has a ton of popular songs to pick from. But a Swiftie Super Bowl may not appear in the cards anytime soon, what with her Eras Tour, re-recorded records, and upcoming new album.