By Megan Riedlinger
2:43pm PST, Feb 11, 2024
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Who says no to the Super Bowl? These guys!
Some stars have turned down the opportunity to perform during football's biggest game of the year. Among them? Dolly Parton!
The country music icon confirmed that she's turned down the high-profile gig several times — in fact, she seems to have lost count of how many times she's passed. "I couldn't do it because of other things, or I just didn't think I was big enough to do it — to do that big of a production," she told The Hollywood Reporter in November 2023. "When you think about those shows, those are big, big productions. I've never done anything with that big of a production." She added, "I don't know if I could have. I think, at the time, that's what I was thinking."
Keep reading for more stars from the music world who've turned down the Super Bowl halftime show spotlight…
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In his song "Apes***" with wife Beyonce, JAY-Z confirmed that he said no to the Super Bowl: He raps on the track, "I said no to the Super Bowl: You need me, I don't need you / Every night we in the end zone, tell the NFL we in stadiums too."
The Source reported that Jay said no to the 2018 halftime show, which Justin Timberlake ultimately headlined. In 2019, Jay sparked criticism when he and his company Roc Nation inked a deal to team up with the NFL for a multiyear partnership intended to "enhance the NFL's live game experiences and to amplify the league's social justice efforts." The move meant Jay would play a role in selecting which artists perform at future NFL events including the Super Bowl.
MORE: Most memorable Super Bowl halftime show performances
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There were rumors back in 2019 that Cardi B requested a million dollars to join Maroon 5 on stage during the Super Bowl halftime show that year — which made sense considering she rapped on their song "Girls Like You." But according to Page Six, "there was never a firm offer to begin with for a performance." It was later reported that Cardi chose to abstain from the halftime show as a show of support for controversial former quarterback Colin Kaepernick and his movement to take a knee during the national anthem as a means of peacefully protesting police brutality and systemic racism against Black people in America.
MORE: Cardi B's best style moments
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Could you picture Metallica performing at the Super Bowl? Yeah, we can't either. The band's frontman, James Hetfield, sounded off on the topic back in 2016 on Nikki Sixx's "Sixx Sense" radio show, explaining, "I can't dance, I can't jump around, I'm not an acrobat, I'm not a variety show, you know? We're artists. We're a band. We love playing songs… We're not gonna fly through the air on a sparkly star with a unicorn."
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The 2017 Super Bowl wasn't for Adele. The superstar singer addressed rumors she was set to perform at the NFL's big game during one of her concerts, telling the audience, "First of all, I'm not doing the Super Bowl. I mean, come on, that show is not about music. And I don't really — I can't dance or anything like that. They were very kind, they did ask me, but I did say no."
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Outkast was once in the running to perform during a Super Bowl halftime show. In 2015, Big Boi spilled the tea on ESPN's "The Dan LeBatard Show," sharing that he and André 3000 were invited to perform a medley of their hits like "The Way You Move" and "Hey Ya!" but Dré refused to trim down their tracks, forcing them to turn down the gig.
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Maroon 5 reportedly asked Mary J. Blige to join them on stage during the 2019 Super Bowl halftime show. The singer declined — allegedly due to a scheduling conflict. A few years later, during the 2022 Super Bowl halftime show, she performed her hits "Family Affair" and "No More Drama" as part of a hip-hop medley including fellow superstars Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, 50 Cent, Eminem and Kendrick Lamar.
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Maroon 5 and Usher? The "Yeah!" singer was reportedly in talks to join the pop-rock band during the 2019 halftime show, but it's been claimed he said no because he just wasn't into it. Instead, he held out a few years to headline his very own Super Bowl halftime show in 2024.
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There were also talks of Nicki Minaj joining Maroon 5 on stage during the 2019 Super Bowl halftime show. Like Cardi B, Usher and Mary J. Blige, she said no. (She previously joined Madonna on stage during the 2012 Super Bowl halftime show.)
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There were also rumors that Maroon 5 reached out to Lauryn Hill to join them on stage for the 2019 Super Bowl halftime show, but like the others, she declined.
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Pink was reportedly in the running for both the 2019 and 2020 halftime shows, but we haven't heard any of her catchy tunes on Super Bowl Sunday yet. She did, however, sing the national anthem at the 2018 Super Bowl. Apparently that's enough for the famously acrobatic pop star for now…
