Following Kendrick Lamar’s recent Super Bowl LIX halftime show, many fans believe singer Carrie Underwood should headline the next show.
Lamar performed at halftime of the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles championship game, with mixed reactions from viewers.
He featured various songs from his catalog during his set, emphasizing his Drake diss record, Not Like Us, and multiple tracks from his 2024 studio album, GNX.
In addition to Lamar, SZA joined him on stage for several songs, including their duet Luther and All the Stars.
Several of this year’s halftime show moments went viral, including Serena Williams performing a crip walk dance on stage.
Get updates on the latest posts and more from Monsters and Critics straight to your inbox.
Now that the show is over, Underwood’s fans believe she’d be perfect as headliner for the 2026 Super Bowl due to her association with the NBC network.
Fans suggest Underwood as the next Super Bowl headline act
Soon after Fox’s Super Bowl coverage concluded, NBC revealed on X that they’ll host the party next year.
Super Bowl LX will officially air on NBC and stream on Peacock on Sunday, February 8, 2026, with the big game in Santa Clara, California.
Underwood sings NBC’s Sunday Night Football theme song, Waiting All Day for Sunday Night, an adaptation of Joan Jett and the Blackhearts’s I Hate Myself for Loving You.
Underwood’s music video plays before primetime Sunday night games throughout the NFL season. NBC has used this as their SNF intro theme since 2013.
X commenters expressed their interest in changing things up for the halftime show by bringing in the former American Idol winner.
“Carrie fans been asking NFL to have Carrie to sing at the Super Bowl Halftime for 20 years so it’s time for them to stop ignoring us,” a fan wrote.
Another fan suggested that Underwood could bring other acts on stage with her, including Guns N’ Roses, Keith Urban, and Ludacris.
“A halftime that unites genres & people. Something for everyone! Welcome to the Jungle (or Paradise City), The Fighter, The Champion, & SNF Theme all in ONE setlist??” the fan wrote.
“Superbowl halftime headliner material. @carrieunderwood @NFL let’s make it happen for 2026!” another commenter wrote on X.
Several individuals shared Underwood GIFs and requests like “Can Carrie Underwood perform the Super Bowl halftime show next year?”
“C’mon @NFL!” a commenter wrote along with his GIF of Underwood singing.
Several other Idol judges have headlined a Super Bowl halftime show
While Underwood is associated with NBC due to her singing the SNF theme song, she’ll now be working as part of ABC’s American Idol. The singer, who won Season 4 of the show, returns to the show as a judge when it premieres in March.
Underwood officially replaced Katy Perry, who departed for her upcoming worldwide The Lifetimes tour. In 2015, Perry performed as the headline act for Super Bowl XLIX in Glendale, Arizona.
Her performance featured Lenny Kravitz, Missy Elliott, and the Sun Devil Marching Band. An infamous dancing shark also made waves on stage.
Jennifer Lopez, who appeared as an American Idol judge for five seasons, co-headlined Super Bowl LIV in 2020 with singer Shakira.
Two-season Idol judge Steven Tyler is best known as the lead singer for Aerosmith. The rock band performed as co-headliners with NSYNC at 2001’s Super Bowl XXXV.
Underwood would become the first former American Idol winner to headline the halftime show if it were to happen.
Jay-Z’s Roc Nation continues to provide halftime show entertainment
In 2019, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell and musician Jay-Z revealed a multiyear partnership with Roc Nation involving the Super Bowl halftime show.
The entertainment company, founded and owned by Jay-Z, serves as the NFL’s live music entertainment strategist as a part of the NFL’s Inspire Change social justice initiative.
According to USA Today, they extended the partnership last year, but the deal’s specifics are unknown.
Under the arrangement, some Super Bowl halftime shows featured headline acts The Weeknd, Rihanna, Usher, and co-headliners J.Lo and Shakira.
American Idol Season 23 premieres Sunday, March 9 at 8/7c on ABC.