- 5 minutes ago
The Super Bowl Halftime Show has become one of the most watched and culturally iconic stages in live entertainment— now it's time to find out what it really takes to make it happen. Marketing executive Bozoma Saint John joins Kristin Robinson on Billboard On The Record to pull back the curtain on the Super Bowl Halftime Show, from booking superstar talent like Beyoncé and negotiating with artists and brands to coordinating with the NFL and Roc Nation. Saint John shares how she convinced Beyoncé to take the stage and reflects on her experience blending music, sports and culture to create unforgettable moments. She breaks down the logistics and precision required to deliver those 13 unforgettable minutes—from rehearsals and stage builds to balancing sponsorships and artist priorities — offering a rare inside look at what it takes to make the Super Bowl Halftime show a spectacle of music, culture and strategy.
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00:00What does it take to book a Super Bowl halftime show?
00:03Every year, superstar talent has taken the stage during the 30-minute break in the middle of the big game,
00:08and it's seen as the crowning achievement in an artist's career.
00:12And every year, it feels like the spectacle seems to get bigger and better than ever.
00:17So in this special episode of the podcast, we'll be talking about all things music in the Super Bowl,
00:23from the planning of the halftime show to getting music placed in the biggest ads of the entire year.
00:30Bozema St. John, thank you so much for coming to On The Record.
00:36Yay! I'm glad to be here. I'm great. I'm really good.
00:39Well, thank you for coming, because this is our very special Super Bowl episode,
00:43and I felt like you were the perfect person to ask,
00:47because it's widely reported that you're one of the people who convinced Beyoncé
00:51to do the Super Bowl halftime show once upon a time.
00:53Once upon a time.
00:54And on top of that, you've worked at so many different iconic brands
00:58who have had ties to the Super Bowl in some way or another over time.
01:01You've worked at Pepsi, Uber, Apple Music, Beats, Endeavor, etc., etc., etc.
01:08So thanks for coming and doing this.
01:10Yeah, this is so exciting.
01:12I mean, first of all, I love sports, and I love music.
01:16And so it's like the perfect culmination of those two things.
01:19Yeah, and I feel like recently, like at Billboard, my co-workers and I have been leaning more
01:24into covering the intersection of sports and music, because I feel like it only increases over time.
01:29Yes, yes, yes.
01:30But that's actually one thing that I wanted to talk to you about before we get into Super Bowl stuff.
01:35I mean, you worked at Beats, and when I think of a company that did the sports and music thing right,
01:39I think of Beats.
01:41Yeah, yeah.
01:41How many iconic photos have you seen of an athlete walking into the locker room with the Beats headphones on?
01:45Yes, yes, yes.
01:47So I'm kind of wondering, like, what was y'all's goal at Beats at the time?
01:52And how did you start the outreach for athletes and musicians?
01:56So here's the thing, is that when I got to Beats, that strategy was already well underway.
02:02You know, the intersection of sports and music for that company really stemmed from Dr. Dre and Jimmy Ivey.
02:09You know, and they had begun that walk a long time before I got there.
02:14When I arrived, we were beginning to create Beats music, which then became Apple music, right?
02:21And so it just became a more synergistic way to look at the electronics plus streaming music as one entity.
02:30So that, for me, was the creation of, like, this incredible now, you know, strategy around what it means to have athletes involved in music and music personalities who show up in the sports arena.
02:48You know, I just think that, like, with pop culture, it's the beauty of, like, melding all of those things.
02:54That they don't have to be separate and apart from each other.
02:56That the more they intersect, the better for all of us.
03:00Yeah, yeah, absolutely.
03:02And obviously, you did play a very heavy hand in the Beyonce Super Bowl halftime show.
03:07But I'll say, apart from Beyonce, do you have any personal favorite Super Bowl halftime shows?
03:12Oh, yeah.
03:13I mean, my God, I don't even know where to start.
03:15I mean, look, before my time, Michael Jackson, for sure, you know, was the one.
03:20Can't go wrong.
03:21Yeah, I mean, he's the one who started the whole chaos of the Super Bowl halftime show, you know, because before him, it wasn't like there were pop stars who were, you know, entertaining us during the halftime.
03:33It was, you know, a little music interlude.
03:35A munching band.
03:36Yes, exactly.
03:37And then he drops into the stadium where actually I think he rose into the top of the stadium and he's standing there and the crowd is screaming their heads off, you know.
03:49And it's like, oh, my gosh, are they here for the game or they're here for Michael?
03:53Like, which one is it?
03:54You know what I mean?
03:55And I think that that actually has become now a funny thing in pop culture where, you know, people are like, oh, I'm just here for the halftime show.
04:03You know what I mean?
04:03Versus like I'm here for the game.
04:05But that's what I'm saying is that I think there's an opportunity for both.
04:08So one of my beyond be like besides Beyonce.
04:13So, you know, let's just put her to the side.
04:18Is that so I'm a I grew up in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
04:21So I'm a huge Denver Broncos fan.
04:23OK.
04:23And in 2014, the Super Bowl was played in New York City, which is where I was living at the time.
04:31The Broncos were in the Super Bowl.
04:34And I also was the one who orchestrated Bruno Mars for the halftime show performance.
04:40I mean, it was like it was nirvana.
04:42Like I was like, oh, everything has come together.
04:46And I'm now in peace.
04:47Wow.
04:47Except that my Broncos lost so terribly.
04:50And actually, you know, I have a beef.
04:52Actually, I have a beef.
04:53Billboard tweeted at me.
04:55Oh, no.
04:56Yes.
04:57What year was this?
04:58I wasn't there.
04:582014.
04:59I wasn't there.
04:59OK.
05:00I just remembered this.
05:01Hold on.
05:01Hold on.
05:02I have serious beef.
05:03I need to talk to the manager.
05:05OK.
05:05Because Billboard tweeted at me and said, I think I have it in my phone.
05:09I'll show you.
05:11And the tweet says something like, like, I wonder how, you know, Boze is feeling.
05:17Yeah.
05:17Watching her Broncos lose and cheering on Bruno Mars.
05:22Who was the social media manager at the time?
05:24Yo, I don't know.
05:25We need to find that person.
05:26I'll track them down.
05:27Because the way that just, like, like, struck me in the heart, I was like, oh, damn it.
05:32But it was true.
05:33Wow.
05:34OK.
05:35So that clearly shows that at that time, everyone knew that you were watching intently on that
05:41game.
05:42Very much so.
05:42Oh, my God.
05:43I wonder who that social media manager was.
05:45That is hilarious.
05:46I just literally just remember that now.
05:48But I definitely have a screenshot of it because I was like, I'm going to find this person.
05:51OK.
05:51We're going to find it.
05:52And we're going to overlay it on this.
05:54Yeah.
05:55Wow.
05:56That's crazy.
05:57I know Bruno did two Super Bowls in the 2010s.
06:00Yes.
06:00Yes.
06:00He did one alone.
06:01Yes.
06:01That was the first one.
06:02OK.
06:03The one he did alone was his first one.
06:04And then he did one with Beyonce.
06:06Another time.
06:07That was pretty iconic.
06:08I know.
06:08To get to come back twice.
06:09Oh, my God.
06:10Fantastic.
06:10It's like you never really get to do it once.
06:13But if you get to do it twice.
06:14I mean.
06:15Yeah.
06:15Then you're on the Mount Rushmore.
06:17Yes.
06:17Of Super Bowl.
06:18You know what I'm saying?
06:19Yes.
06:19Yeah.
06:19I mean, I have to say, I think my fave.
06:22I know that it's probably recency bias.
06:24But Kendrick last year.
06:26Oh, Kendrick.
06:26I mean.
06:28Iconic performance.
06:29Yeah.
06:29And an iconic album.
06:32Iconic album.
06:33Yeah.
06:33Great moment.
06:34He was on the high of the biggest single of his career.
06:36Yes.
06:37Not like us.
06:38But also, I love the fact that, you know, sports is all about competition.
06:42Right?
06:43And Kendrick's moment at that time was about competition also.
06:47Right?
06:47It was head to head with Drake.
06:49And so, I'm like, hey, look.
06:51At some point, like that kind of mastery of like, okay, we're here on the gridiron.
06:57You've got two teams battling each other.
06:59And during the halftime show, you've got one clear winner.
07:03Sorry, Drake fans.
07:04Who is battling somebody.
07:06I mean, come on.
07:07It was fantastic.
07:09Best TV you can dream of.
07:10Oh, my God.
07:11Really.
07:11Amazing TV.
07:12Yeah.
07:12And I was tuned in.
07:14I was sat in front of the TV waiting to see if he'd say the line or not.
07:18And then?
07:19And then?
07:21The rest is history.
07:22But, okay, okay, okay.
07:23Let's jump to Beyonce now.
07:25Yes.
07:25I want to talk about the process of booking a superstar.
07:30So, like, what are the conversations that go into that?
07:33Right.
07:33You were at Pepsi at the time, right?
07:35Yes, that's right.
07:35Yeah.
07:35I was head of music and entertainment marketing.
07:37Okay.
07:38Yeah.
07:38So did you reach out to her in a professional capacity or more of a personal capacity?
07:42Well, here's the real back story is that I had already worked with Beyonce a few times
07:47before that moment.
07:48When I was a very young marketer working at Spike Lee's advertising agency, he had asked everybody in the office who their superstar would be to get the iconic drink shot as the pitch.
08:06And people were actually looking up on billboard charts and picking, you know, the top performers and this and that.
08:13And I had just watched Beyonce do Carmen, the hip opera on MTV.
08:18It was a TV movie.
08:19It was a TV movie.
08:20Yeah.
08:20Critics panned it.
08:21They said it was terrible.
08:23But I was like, oh, my God.
08:25Like, what?
08:26We have opera and hip hop together.
08:29But Kai Pfeiffer was the lead.
08:31And Beyonce was out here like, oh, there's Carmen and with the rose.
08:35Girl, I thought it was brilliant.
08:36And so I was in the office.
08:38And like I said, I was the for sure the youngest on the totem pole.
08:43And when I suggested Beyonce, people were snickering because at the time she was also leaving Destiny's Child.
08:48She wants to be an actress.
08:50And so and people were like, oh, she's she's not going to win because, you know, like there's no successful solo artists coming out of girl groups except for Diana Ross.
09:00Yeah.
09:00And so the general feeling was that she wasn't going to amount to anything.
09:06But I saw that and I was like, this girl is amazing.
09:12And so I told Spike that and he had a meeting with her and then cast her as Carmen in this pitch to Pepsi.
09:18So that and by the way, that's how I actually got the job at Pepsi, because they were like, oh, who was the one who came up with this idea?
09:26Yeah.
09:26And I was like, wow, that's actually how I got my job.
09:30So by the time I had risen through the ranks at PepsiCo, I'd actually left and came back to run music and entertainment, which was really the center of excellence for all of the things entertainment within PepsiCo.
09:43So every brand would bring their brief and then it would be me and my team's job to identify which artists or athletes or movie stars or whatever to place in their campaign so that it could connect with pop culture.
09:58So when we were doing the deal with the NFL, one of the, I think, actually quite impressive opportunities was that the NFL was open to our suggestion on who the halftime performer should be.
10:13Because I think what people don't realize is that it's a 360 deal.
10:18You know, it's not just that you're the artist is performing on the Super Bowl halftime show, but they're also in your commercials.
10:24They're promoting your, you know, whatever product it is you have.
10:28They're doing the off the field entertainment.
10:32They're doing meet and greets.
10:33You know, it's a very huge, huge, huge commitment.
10:36They're doing other TV commercials, billboards.
10:39I mean, it's so much on top of the fact that we also put her face on a billion cans of Pepsi that year.
10:45And so there's there was so much to coordinate.
10:51Yeah.
10:51And obviously, I can't take all the credit because there were so there were hundreds of people working on this campaign.
10:57But for sure, I think my understanding of pop culture, of course, the relationship I already had with her and her mom and her team was very helpful.
11:06But I also realized at the time that, you know, we were facing an uphill battle.
11:13A thing, again, I think people take very much for granted is that there hadn't been a black woman perform on that stage since Janet Jackson.
11:21And that's been 10 years.
11:23Wow.
11:23And, you know, I don't think I realized that.
11:25I don't think I put those pieces together.
11:27Let me tell you, man, because the pushback was, you know, Janet had had her wardrobe malfunction, which we all know was not just her fault.
11:34So let's just say that justice for Janet, justice for Janet.
11:37We're completely team Janet.
11:39We stand on it.
11:40Yeah.
11:40But, you know, in the rooms, you have to be a professional.
11:43And when the pushback is like, oh, we've already had the wardrobe malfunction, it's just like, well, not all black women are going to be out here with their nipples out.
11:51Like, what are you talking about?
11:52You know what I mean?
11:52There was real concern that also that she wouldn't connect to the football audience, which, of course, today you look back and you're just like, are you kidding me?
12:02But that was a real conversation and a real concern.
12:05The other thing that has been forgotten in history is that she actually sang at Barack Obama's inauguration right before the Super Bowl.
12:15Oh, wow.
12:16OK, yeah.
12:17Just within a few weeks.
12:18Yes.
12:18And it was outdoor and she used a backing track, you know, because when you sing outdoor in that kind of weather, it's like you've got to have something.
12:27And the critics said that she used a backing track because she can't sing.
12:31I mean, and so there was all this controversy.
12:36First, we had the pushback from, you know, just the NFL saying that, like, she's not going to connect to audiences.
12:41Then we got the controversy with the inauguration and people saying she can't sing.
12:46So by the time it was Super Bowl week and we arrive at the press event, everybody is on it.
12:53I for sure think I'm going to lose my job.
12:55You know what I mean?
12:55Yeah, because you're like, I stuck my neck out for this.
12:57I stuck my neck out.
12:58And she came out and before she took a single question, she sang the National Anthem a cappella.
13:07And I'm telling you, I don't know that besides Whitney Houston, I don't think there's been a more beautiful rendition that I've ever heard in my life.
13:17Wow.
13:17It was so powerful.
13:18But that was all before the theatrics of the Super Bowl halftime show for which she won an Emmy.
13:24Man, I love that you pointed out all the criticisms that were kind of against her, both at the start of her career as a solo artist and then leading up to the Super Bowl.
13:34Because I think it's easy to forget because she is such a phenomenon and such a cultural force and will always be at this point.
13:40Yes.
13:41It was not always guaranteed.
13:42It was never guaranteed.
13:43And also, I think it's a huge lesson.
13:46It was certainly a huge lesson for me personally and in my career.
13:50But I think all of us can draw inspiration from that.
13:53You know, you're going to have critics.
13:54Even though you prove the fact that you are an excellent performer or that you are a phenomenal talent or that you are breaking down, people are still going to criticize you.
14:06And you've got to prove yourself again and again and again and again.
14:09And guess what?
14:10Just keep doing it.
14:11Keep shutting them down.
14:12Because guess what?
14:13When she showed up on that halftime show stage and the flares went up.
14:18And then also, I think we forget, there was also the blackout because the power went out in New Orleans right after she left the stage.
14:25And that was a whole nother controversy because they were like, oh, Beyonce ruins the Super Bowl.
14:30Oh, my God.
14:31So many things happened that year.
14:34Wow.
14:35Man, another thing that you brought up in that story was that it's not just doing the halftime show when you get this opportunity.
14:42You have to agree to do a lot of other things, a lot of advertising, a lot of promotion.
14:47Yeah.
14:47I think that's very interesting because I don't think that people really understand that.
14:52Yeah.
14:52What are some of the negotiations that people, besides that, that people might not know about for the Super Bowl halftime performer?
15:00Well, I mean, look, I think every negotiation is a little bit of a push and pull, right?
15:04It's like, what do you want and what do I want?
15:06And so a lot of times what artists will also do is make sure that a project or something that they are trying to push is coming out around the same time because it's such an engine.
15:16Yeah.
15:16You know, so the thing is, of course, your halftime show performance is probably about 13 minutes long, you know, 12 and a half, depending.
15:23Um, and while you're on stage, yes, of course, people are watching, et cetera, but you've got to depend on that marketing engine of the brand to push whatever else it is that you want.
15:34And so the negotiation ahead of time is both about what the brand is looking for, because they got to get their money's worth out of, you know, having you as a spokesperson.
15:43And then on top of it, the artist needs to also have what they need coming out of the out of the event, because, you know, promotion is nothing if you don't have anything to promote.
15:54Yes.
15:54Well, also something that a lot of people don't know is that you don't get a typical payment if you do the halftime show.
15:59You get paid like whatever the minimum union payment is, which is exactly.
16:03It's a couple grand.
16:04Yeah, it's nothing.
16:05Which is nothing when you're Beyonce.
16:07In the grand scheme of things.
16:08In the grand scheme of things and the amount of work and effort that goes into planning something like that, it's nothing.
16:13What they do pay for, though, is a lot of the production costs.
16:16Yes.
16:17Somewhere between 10 to 20 million is something that I've seen before.
16:20But what I think is also really interesting is in recent years, we've heard artists like The Weeknd admit that they're putting in some of their own money.
16:28Yeah.
16:28To make the stage.
16:29Why do you think that is?
16:31Because, I mean, a 10 to 20 million dollar budget seems high to me.
16:34Yes, it is.
16:35It is.
16:35But you also got to consider that this is probably one of the largest broadcast stages that exists.
16:43Yeah.
16:43Yeah.
16:43Certainly in America.
16:44Because, oh, and globally, because now we also have the opportunity of social media, right?
16:50And so the performance is cut and shared everywhere.
16:55And so what you're thinking is that you have the largest broadcast stage, the opportunity to reach millions and millions and millions of people around the world.
17:05You want it to be your best effort.
17:08And like I said, you know, you probably have some sort of project that you're also trying to promote.
17:12So this is really like, it's a Super Bowl for the teams, but it's a Super Bowl for you.
17:17Totally.
17:17You know, and so if the budget caps and, you know, you want all kind of other pyro and you want 300 dancers instead of 100 dancers, yeah, you're going to have to put in some of your money and you're going to do it willingly.
17:30Yeah.
17:30And I mean, after the Super Bowl, obviously the exposure is really good.
17:34Yeah.
17:35It's one of the biggest stages.
17:36But is it, does it give enough of like a boost in sales and streams and stuff afterwards that it makes it worth it for the artist?
17:42Yeah, what, what, from a marketing standpoint, what you think about this is a long tail, you know, so yes, you're going to have the immediate boost of, you know, record streaming or, you know, somebody purchases the thing that you're trying to sell.
17:56But it is the long tail influence of your performance and your presence on that stage that actually pays out the dividends.
18:05And so all of the deals you can do afterwards and the ways that people will think of you, you know, increases your prominence.
18:17And therefore, that's really what the benefit is of doing the performance and making sure it is literally the best performance of your life.
18:24Yeah.
18:24I mean, it's one of those things that I feel like will be brought up at your funeral.
18:27Like, yes, yes, for sure.
18:30Yes.
18:30Importance in an artist's career.
18:32Yeah.
18:32I'm also wondering, because you've worked at Pepsi, which was once the title sponsor of the Super Bowl halftime show, and then Apple Music is now the title sponsor, which you were also there at one point.
18:43Yes.
18:43So I'm curious, from the title sponsor perspective, not the artist's perspective, you know, tell me about what it takes to become the title sponsor, what is involved, what obligations you have as a brand to support the halftime show and the NFL.
19:00Yeah.
19:00Tell me more about that.
19:01Well, so first of all, these are long-term deals.
19:04You know, it's not like you get the sponsorship and you're in for one year.
19:07You know, when we did it at Pepsi, it was a 10-year deal with options to renew, and, you know, sometimes after 10 years, a lot of leadership has changed.
19:16Maybe the product has changed, and therefore, people don't see the value in continuing the relationship, which is what happened in the case of Pepsi.
19:23Now, I was no longer there.
19:25I probably would have fought, you know, like, I would have fought like hell to keep it.
19:29But, you know, people make different decisions.
19:32I was ecstatic when Apple Music became the halftime show sponsor.
19:39It feels like a good fit.
19:40It's a great fit.
19:41Oh, it's a great—you couldn't ask for a better fit for a music streaming service.
19:45I mean, come on, are you kidding me?
19:47The funny thing is, though, I wasn't at Apple Music when they won that bid, but I was the global head of marketing at Netflix.
19:52And little known, I also wanted it when I was at Netflix.
19:57I was like, I'm going to be the first executive to have the Super Bowl halftime show at one company and then move to another company, and then I'm going to get it there, too.
20:05If you just ignored the years on your resume, where you were at the company, that did happen, I guess.
20:10I mean, truth.
20:12And it could still happen.
20:13But it's—yes, it could still happen.
20:15But it was really—I mean, it just made better sense for Apple Music.
20:20I mean, they're a music streaming service.
20:23They can promote, you know, the music the way that it needs to be promoted.
20:28There's obviously other artists that they can also attach to that project so that it lifts more than one person.
20:34It just makes total sense.
20:36And, I mean, Apple is an enormous global marketer.
20:39And so, to me, it's kind of a no-brainer.
20:43So does Apple Music or Pepsi or whoever the title sponsor is, do they have to be responsible for the advertisements for the halftime show?
20:49Because I've noticed, like, Bad Bunny is coming up, and he does a lot of these ads that feel very Apple-branded to me.
20:57No, you're only responsible for your own ads inside of the Super Bowl, right?
21:01And so—and, by the way, as a title sponsor, you do have a bank of ads that you can run.
21:06Oh, okay.
21:06I think one year when I was at Apple—or, I'm sorry, at Pepsi—getting my company's mixed up—when I was at Pepsi, I think we had, like, 90 seconds, maybe, of TV.
21:18And so we put it all together and made, like, one master commercial, like a 90-second spot that led up into the halftime show, which was spectacular.
21:27Yeah, I really enjoyed that.
21:30I imagine that slot right before the halftime show is one of the more expensive—I imagine, like, the ads throughout the show, do they vary in price based on proximity to big events?
21:39But you know what?
21:40When you're spending, like, $6 million, I mean, for 30 seconds, then who—I mean, what does it matter?
21:45It's, like, 5.3 or 7.1?
21:47I mean, it's, like, at that point, you know, it's kind of all a wash.
21:51If you're going to spend that much money, you're not worried about a few hundred thousand dollars here or there.
21:55And so do the title sponsors have a big role in picking who the artists are?
22:00Oh, yes.
22:00Yes, yes, yes, yes.
22:01They're almost entirely responsible.
22:03Okay.
22:04Because at the end of the day, you know, you paid your money to promote your brand at that moment.
22:11And so you have to have a big voice in who it is that's going to be there.
22:14I mean, I can't imagine that an artist, you know, is assigned to you and they don't match your brand values or aren't interested in your product or they use—God forbid, they use a competitive product, you know?
22:26Oh, gosh.
22:26And so, yeah, and so you—yeah, as a brand sponsor of the Super Bowl Halftime Show, you have an enormous influence on who performs.
22:35Yeah, and so, like, in that room where you're deciding who to put the offer out to, is it executives from the NFL, from the title sponsor?
22:44And then also, I mean, we now have in the mix Rock Nation.
22:47Yes, right.
22:47This is the seventh year that they've had a deal to—I mean, it seems like to help pick the Halftime Show, but I don't really know how that all intertwines.
22:56Yeah, yeah.
22:56How does that offer go up?
22:57I believe the NFL works with Rock Nation as a producer of the Super Bowl Halftime Show, which is great.
23:04I mean, again, you know, you have Jay Brown and Jay-Z at the helm of it, and they are masters, you know, at this.
23:12And so it only helps, I believe, the performance.
23:16It helps the show itself.
23:17And so, you know, working in concert with everybody shouldn't be too much of a conflict because at the end of the day, everybody wants the same thing.
23:25You want to retain viewers.
23:27You want to entertain them.
23:28And you want them to stick around for the last half of the game.
23:30And so everybody's working towards that end.
23:35So it's a very little conflict, even though there seem to be so many players.
23:39Yeah.
23:39I remember that a few years ago, right before Rock Nation signed on—I think they signed on in 2019.
23:46Right before that, there were reports coming out that there are quite a few artists that were saying no to the Super Bowl Halftime Show.
23:52I remember one was Rihanna.
23:54For a while, she was, you know, deciding not to participate because she disagreed with the NFL, like politically speaking.
24:02Yeah.
24:03And I think it was interesting for them to pair up with Rock Nation.
24:08I think it gave them a lot of credibility in music again.
24:11Yeah.
24:11Do you think that that partnership has been effective to bringing musicians back to the Super Bowl Halftime Show, if they ever went away?
24:19It was a brilliant strategic move by the NFL to partner with Rock Nation at the time because, I mean, they were—I mean, everybody was protesting.
24:26We were all protesting.
24:26Yeah.
24:27You know, it's like, hey, look, we want—we're not on the field, but we support the players.
24:32We support Black Lives Matter.
24:34We want to make sure that this entity, which has a majority of a minority playing the sport, is respecting them and has their back.
24:44Yeah.
24:44And that was not happening.
24:45Yeah.
24:46And so the protests were absolutely warranted.
24:48I mean, I had many meetings with Colin Kaepernick at the start of his protests, and certainly even by the time I got to Uber, I mean, years later, you know, still worked with him.
25:00But what ended up happening with Rock Nation was a brilliant strategic move by the NFL and also by Rock Nation to bridge the gap.
25:08Because then it's like, hey, look, like, we don't want you just, you know, you sitting up there in your, you know, glass house and, you know, like top of the mountain telling us what to do.
25:20We want some of our people up in there, you know, who are going to determine what entertainment is going to look like, how people are going to be promoted, and all of that.
25:28And so I actually don't think it was a—like a bad move.
25:32I think it was actually a very smart move for the NFL and for Rock Nation.
25:35Yeah, and I mean, just in general, it feels that the NFL has always been seen as a very conservative organization.
25:41They've, you know, made some bad PR moves over the years.
25:46Certainly.
25:46You know, I'm wondering, you know, does music play a role in refreshing their image for a new generation and, you know, helping the brand?
25:55I mean, music always does.
25:57You know, music has always played a huge part in refreshing every brand, you know?
26:02That's the importance of this particular platform and industry.
26:08You know, it's like, think about every jingle that is an earworm, you know, that you remember.
26:15Like, if you heard it, you would remember it from your childhood, you know?
26:19Or an artist that was associated with a film, you know, like a lead song in a film that underscores, you know, that action.
26:28Like, music is just such a visceral, beautiful way to evoke emotion that you have to use it, you know, as a way to move people either to inspiration or fear or happiness or sadness.
26:44I mean, music is so powerful.
26:46So I don't think that as a brand, whether you're NFL or you're Pepsi or you're whomever that's embattled, that you would choose any other powerful platform than music to connect to people.
27:01And I guess going back to the title sponsor and the importance that they play in the halftime show, what's a ballpark for how much a title sponsorship costs at that stage?
27:11Well, you know, here's the thing. It really varies because really what you're buying is the time.
27:18And so if like, you know, the Super Bowl is like six and a half million for 30 seconds, just do the math, you know, on how much it costs to have 13 minutes.
27:27Yeah. You know, and then on top of that, you know, you're you have additional slots in the in the show itself.
27:34So that's one cost. The second cost then becomes actually sponsoring the the artist, because just because they are assigned to do the Super Bowl where they're getting paid, you know, a minimal amount of money doesn't mean they're going to stand there and hold your product for free.
27:48You know, and so now you've got to do a separate deal with the artist in order to get them to do whatever else accoutrement you need for your brand.
27:56Yeah. And I also am so fascinated by the Super Bowl because it is a really tough thing to play.
28:03Yeah. You're in a stadium, tons of people. You have to set up and break down the stage within, I don't even know, like probably three minutes.
28:12It's a very stressful. Yeah. So like what is it like to because I imagine you had a front row seat to watch many times the stages being built and taken apart.
28:22Um, tell me about that experience watching it all happen. I know you just said now I'm like throw up a little bit, you know, it's it's so stressful.
28:31It is so stressful because, of course, you know, you've done months of rehearsal on sound stages somewhere and then you get like three days, you know, before the game in order to rehearse in the stadium itself.
28:44So it's, um, the coordination of production is, is a really, really tough one because to that point, you know, you can't build it two days before and let the artist practice.
28:56You know, it's like when they rehearse on site, they're not rehearsing on the actual stage. There's no way.
29:02And so maybe you get one shot at it, you know, to actually build it, rehearse it, and then go about your business.
29:08Um, and so the precision of the coordination is something that can't be taken lightly.
29:14You know, it's like even now, you know, like when I'm watching it, I'm sitting there like nervously biting my nails, you know, just like, oh, please make it, please make it, please.
29:23Oh, thank God they made it, you know?
29:25Um, but as, as the executive who was, uh, especially with Beyonce, um, I mean, that stadium in New Orleans, I mean, I remember I was running all around the stadium, you know?
29:39Uh, I think I have, there's photos in my phone from, from standing at the very top, like nosebleed and watching and then down in the tunnel watching, you know, like I, I was all over that stadium when the, when she was done and she came off the stage.
29:53And we're all like, oh, thank God.
29:55And then the stadium goes black and we're like, uh, is that us?
30:00Was that our fault?
30:01You know, somebody turn on the lights, you know?
30:03And so the stress of that, it's like every little tiny thing.
30:06So it's not even just like, oh, get all the dancers on, get all the dancers off, get the, you know, the stage built, get the stage off.
30:11You know, it's every single little thing that you are managing and, and trying to just keep on track.
30:19Wow.
30:20Yeah.
30:20It's probably the most stressful 13 minutes of your life.
30:23Yeah.
30:24Undoubtedly.
30:25I mean, every person in America is watching basically.
30:29And then people around the world.
30:30And you mentioned a really good point about how now with social media, the, the reach of the Superbowl halftime show is so much greater.
30:37I mean, there are probably people who are just watching clips of it on Tik TOK all around the world that don't care about the game at all.
30:43And don't know anything about anything about the game.
30:46Don't, don't understand the game, but they understand the music though.
30:49Totally.
30:49And they, and they want to see that.
30:51And so that's why the, the Superbowl halftime show, in my opinion, is bigger than even the Superbowl.
30:58The Superbowl is a huge platform.
31:00And for sure, it's like, okay, you have a show within the show, but that show that's within the show expands.
31:05It expands and becomes larger, like over time.
31:09Yeah.
31:10I mean, it's like the cultural ambassador basically of the game itself.
31:13Yeah.
31:14Um, and I know like the NFL has tried really hard to expand the audience for the games.
31:19They've tried expanding it globally.
31:20They've tried expanding it to more women.
31:23I, I know it's been a huge boon for them.
31:25And I, I don't, I mean, I guess it's actually provoked a lot of conspiracy theories that Taylor Swift and Travis Kelsey are like truly the perfect couple for them.
31:32And that now all of these women, all these Swifties are watching games that they never would have watched before.
31:38Right, right, right, right, right.
31:39I saw all these like funny things online where people were like, do you think the NFL paid Taylor Swift to date?
31:44Oh my God.
31:44I'm like, okay, I don't think she needs the money, y'all.
31:46Okay, the marriage of like music and sport is a very long documented, right?
31:52Like there is no conspiracy there.
31:54And I'm like, why are they leaving Cardi B and Stefan Diggs out of the conversation?
31:57Oh, so true.
31:57You know what I'm saying?
31:58Like, why are they not the perfect couple?
31:59I know, they are doing the perfect couple.
32:01Come on.
32:02It's true.
32:02I actually don't think.
32:03Give Cardi her props.
32:04I know.
32:05I know.
32:05We need more Cardi clips going viral on social media at the games.
32:10But yeah, it really does feel like music is a cultural ambassador.
32:13And I mean, another thing that I think spotlights the Super Bowl on a global stage beyond just
32:18the game itself is the advertisements.
32:20Ooh, yes.
32:21And I mean, of course, as you were saying before, music is like the tone set for a lot, for everything.
32:29Yeah.
32:30And so, I mean, these music spots, the ads themselves are millions of dollars, as we've talked about.
32:35Yes, to produce and to put on.
32:37Yeah.
32:37So, I mean, from an advertiser perspective, where does music sit in their mind, in levels
32:43of importance when they're spending this much money?
32:45Is this like kind of the final thing that they're working on, where they can cut budget
32:49when they need to?
32:50Or is it the first thing they start with?
32:52Tell me about that process.
32:53You know what?
32:54Like, okay.
32:54So, consecutively, I can probably estimate that, aside from producing the Super Bowl halftime
33:03show, I was an advertiser in the Super Bowl for probably 15 years.
33:07So, I have lots and lots of experience being an advertiser inside of the show, regardless
33:12of if it was on the show or not.
33:14Yes.
33:14Or, I'm sorry, whether or not the Super Bowl halftime show was mine or not.
33:18I was also an advertiser.
33:19Yeah, yeah, yeah.
33:20The idea of a Super Bowl commercial for every brand is the biggest thing on the advertising
33:26calendar.
33:27There is no competition.
33:29Full stop.
33:30Full stop.
33:30And so, you're beginning to plan for Super Bowl, I would say, in like an April for the
33:36next year.
33:37You know, already starting to concept, like, what is the product that is going to be your
33:41hero?
33:42What agency is going to pitch, you know, the ideas?
33:47Are you going to have a celebrity as a spokesperson inside of it?
33:51What music are you going to license for the spot itself?
33:55How long should it be?
33:57Are you trying to do an epic or are you trying to do like a 15 second?
34:00And there are so many decisions to be made and each one of them is huge.
34:05And so, I can't say that music is the end all be all or it's like the final touch that
34:10puts it all together.
34:12But when you're thinking about the gravity of all of those decisions together, they really
34:17do have to work in concert in order for it to work.
34:19Because if you have a funny commercial, you can't have some like, you know, big like
34:25Baz Luhrmann, like, you know, like song, like, you know, it's coming out of the speaker.
34:32You can't do that.
34:33And so, the music is going to be decided after, of course, you've chosen what the commercial
34:39is and what product is going to be the hero and perhaps even who is going to be in it.
34:45Yeah, yeah, absolutely.
34:47And so, you're saying that the advertising conversations start happening basically right
34:51after the Super Bowl, maybe a month or two after.
34:54Is that the same case for the halftime show?
34:57Yes.
34:57Okay.
34:58Yes.
34:59I'm almost certain that Apple Music has a pretty short list for who's next on the Super Bowl halftime
35:07show.
35:07I mean, there's only so many people who can do it and please the audience, I feel like.
35:12But that's the thing.
35:13I think that also, if you're, you know, a marketer worth your salt, that's an opportunity.
35:20You know, I mean, look, people, like I said already, people talked a lot of crap, I'll
35:25keep it clean, about Beyonce.
35:28Yeah.
35:28Okay.
35:28Before we did it.
35:30And when we did it, it was kind of like, we told you, you know.
35:34Um, Bruno Mars had the same thing.
35:38Really?
35:38Oh my God.
35:39Yes.
35:39He's like just so mainstream pop to me.
35:41But that's now.
35:43Yeah.
35:43You know, at the time, he performed in 2014.
35:46Yeah.
35:46At the time, he did have a few hits, but again, the NFL, all of the focus groups said that
35:53he wouldn't connect and that he needed the Red Heart Chili Peppers to be with him.
35:58But guess what?
35:59Also, another rebel, because that first opening sequence of the performance was Bruno by himself
36:06on the drums.
36:08And it was magical.
36:10Because he was like, oh yeah, you think I can entertain this audience?
36:14And then they're like, da, da, da, da, da.
36:16You know what I mean?
36:16It was so brilliant and wonderful.
36:19Um, and so I, I do think that if, you know, you have a, a love of music, you're an executive
36:26who is in the music business, you have an artist who has the potential, then you, you
36:33must find somebody to take the risk and put them on.
36:36Yeah.
36:37Yeah.
36:37And going back to, to the advertising part of the Superbowl, do you have any Superbowl
36:44ads that you worked on that come to mind that you're really proud of?
36:49Oh gosh.
36:50I know that's a tough question with all your years of experience.
36:52Yeah.
36:52It's like choosing your life's favorite baby.
36:54You know what I'm saying?
36:55Gosh, there's so many.
36:57God, I'm trying to think.
36:58I mean.
37:00It doesn't have to be your favorite.
37:01Just one of, one of.
37:02Well, one of the most outlandish ones was actually at my time at Netflix.
37:07Um, it was such a crazy idea.
37:10And essentially we built like these aliens, you know, um, who were downloading all of the
37:21content, you know, from the world and trying to learn about earth.
37:25And so it was just a bunch of like Netflix content that was like populating their screens
37:31and they're digesting and you can see them like flying through space and coming to the
37:35planet, you know?
37:36And it was like, it was such a weird little commercial.
37:39Wow.
37:39And I loved it.
37:41I loved it.
37:41I'm going to have to look it up after this.
37:42Yeah.
37:43Well, the thing is that the Superbowl is also the opportunity to do some just outlandish
37:48stuff, you know?
37:49It's like.
37:49Try it out.
37:50Yeah.
37:50It's like, you know, it's a lot of money.
37:52It's certainly a lot of risk.
37:53You're probably going to get fired if it doesn't win the ad meter.
37:56But you know, this, I mean, that's where the greats are made.
38:00Go big or go home.
38:01Yeah.
38:01So you got to, you got to go for it.
38:03Do some weird stuff.
38:04Yeah.
38:04And what I'm really looking forward to this year, because I'm really not that much of
38:08a sports person, to be honest, is I'm just looking forward to Bad Bunny at the halftime
38:13show.
38:13That's why I'm watching.
38:15He's going to crush.
38:16He's going to crush.
38:17I cannot wait.
38:19Yeah.
38:19There's obviously been so much controversy around booking him because he speaks Spanish
38:23and he's not from the contiguous 48 United States.
38:27Isn't that the most insane thing you've ever heard in your life?
38:29I know.
38:29I'm like, okay.
38:29But realistically, he is one of the biggest artists on the planet and one of the best
38:34performers.
38:35Yeah.
38:35So who else do you want them to pick?
38:36And also, I'm just like, what are you talking about?
38:38Yes.
38:39Football is an American sport.
38:40But do you know how many non-Americans have performed during the Super Bowl halftime show?
38:44Yeah.
38:44And he's from Puerto Rico.
38:45Hello, British people.
38:47They're like, every other year, they're on the stage.
38:49So I think that the argument is based in racism and nothing else.
38:55Full stop.
38:55We don't need to make an excuse for it.
38:57We don't need to be like, oh, well, he's just...
38:58No.
38:59You're just racist.
39:00Sit down.
39:01Yeah.
39:01You know, and let the man perform.
39:03We have an incredible opportunity for an artist who's going to be around for a very long time
39:09to see them at this moment in time, to stamp them in history and let him do it and enjoy
39:16it, by the way.
39:17Yeah.
39:18And Bad Bunny just went on one of the biggest tours of 2025, and he decided...
39:23This is very interesting.
39:24He decided during his tour that he was not going to come to the U.S. specifically because
39:28he said that he was worried about ice raids at his shows.
39:31Yeah, at his concerts.
39:32Yeah.
39:32Yeah.
39:32And so him deciding to do the Super Bowl in the United States after making that stance,
39:37I think, was shocking for a lot of people.
39:39I'm wondering, what message do you think that he's trying to send with his Super Bowl halftime
39:43performance?
39:44Well, first of all, let's...
39:46Again, let's just be real, okay?
39:47Do you know how much of the tickets cost to go to the Super Bowl?
39:50I can't even doubt.
39:51A lot of money.
39:51A lot of money.
39:52Okay?
39:52Yeah.
39:53If ice comes there to raid, it will be lawsuits everywhere.
39:58These are people who have means, who have access.
40:03Right now, what is happening is that Bad Bunny was, of course, concerned about ice raids
40:08at his concerts because he knows there's low-hanging fruit.
40:12It's like people who may not have access to hundreds of thousands of dollars to defend themselves
40:17should they be picked up.
40:18And so it made absolute sense that he was like, hey, look, I want to protect my people,
40:23my audience from unnecessary harassment.
40:26But at the Super Bowl itself, it's going to be a pretty tough situation for anyone to come
40:32in there and pick anybody off.
40:34And so I think it's the perfect place for him to make a wildly political statement, knowing
40:39that his fans are safe from the hands of tyranny.
40:44Yeah.
40:44I mean, I'm really interested to see what kind of messages he works into his show.
40:48I think he certainly will.
40:50I think he will take this opportunity.
40:51Yeah.
40:51And I feel like, I mean, Kendrick last year also took the opportunity as well.
40:55I think we're definitely seeing people take that moment on the stage, despite the fact
41:00that the NFL is typically not seen as a very progressive organization, to use that moment
41:05to spread the messages that they'd like to spread.
41:09For sure.
41:09So I'm very curious to see what happens there.
41:12And also, the songs are just bangers.
41:14Well, yes, that too.
41:15But that's the thing.
41:16I mean, oh gosh, I can't remember who said it.
41:18But somebody said it, that, you know, it's like artists are our mirror, you know, to
41:25our time, whether they're visual or music or otherwise.
41:29And so, again, this isn't the first time that artists have made political statements
41:35using their art or athletes, you know?
41:38And so I think we have a bigger opportunity besides Bad Bunny to hopefully see somebody
41:45stand up for what is happening.
41:47Yeah.
41:47And I mean, so this has been so interesting.
41:51I want to ask you a few, like, bigger picture questions about marketing and advertising.
41:56I'm wondering, when you look back on all the different campaigns that you did, what do
42:00you really think separates your good ideas from the truly iconic great ones?
42:06How can you differentiate?
42:07Gosh.
42:10I don't know.
42:12You don't know what's going to resonate.
42:16You know, it's like...
42:18Even at your level, it's still a guess.
42:20You don't know.
42:21It's still a guess.
42:22The only thing you can do is go with your complete gut, you know, because the thing you
42:30love may land and everybody says it sucks, but you loved it.
42:33That's why you're in the job.
42:34That's why you're in the seat, you know?
42:36And that's why it makes it a tough job because you have to make the call on what is actually
42:41going to go.
42:41I mean, you're going to see hundreds of ideas, hundreds.
42:45And out of them, you're going to pick one.
42:46And it's your choice on what you're picking.
42:49And then hopefully it lands.
42:51And so I think that there are...
42:53I mean, certainly in my career, there have been moments when commercials, you know, were
43:02like something I loved, but I didn't think were going to impact culture the way they did.
43:06You know, like when I was at Apple Music, I did a very...
43:09What was supposed to be a very small commercial with Mary J. Blige, Taraji P. Henson, and Kerry
43:14Washington, shot by Ava DuVernay, by the way.
43:16How was that ever going to be small, though?
43:18Those are the most iconic names.
43:20Well, because we didn't have a lot of money.
43:21Okay.
43:22We spent all the money on Drake and Taylor Swift.
43:24Okay.
43:24To be very honest, okay?
43:27God.
43:28And of course, I mean, those are two of the biggest pop stars at the time.
43:33So that's where you spend your money.
43:34That's where you make the big production.
43:35Um, but the strategy at the time was also that we had to get all kind of cohorts of
43:41people, right?
43:42Including what we called Gatekeeper Mom.
43:44Uh, the woman who's about 35 to 55.
43:48She has the credit card on iTunes.
43:50She's the one who's going to pay for Apple Music.
43:52You know, that person is who we need to get to because when her kid comes and says, I
43:56need $9.99 a month, she needs to be able to know what the hell they're talking about.
44:00Wow.
44:00And so I decided that, and, and by the way, that mom is mostly of color, the most powerful
44:08in the homes.
44:09And so I decided to make a commercial with the three of them to explain what Apple Music
44:15was because at the time, nobody understood streaming.
44:17We were introducing it for the first time.
44:19Um, and in fact, fun fact, uh, the playlist that Mary, Carrie, and Taraji play and react
44:28to in the commercial is mine.
44:30It, it was made for me by one of the music editors, Carl Cherry at Apple Music for my
44:35birthday.
44:36Oh, wow.
44:36And we use that and it had the Phil Collins in there.
44:39Dun, dun, dun, dun, dun, dun, you know what I mean?
44:42In the air tonight, of course.
44:44I mean, come on, who doesn't play the air drums when that comes on, you know?
44:48Um, but it was, it was such a, a beautiful moment because at the time that I released the
44:57commercial, it was also the first time in the Emmys where five black women were nominated
45:04for acting awards and so I bought a little tiny 30 second commercial in the Emmys and
45:10put that commercial in it and it went bananas.
45:15Wow.
45:15I mean, it was like the next morning, it was like freaking the Today Show and Good Morning
45:19America, CBS This Morning.
45:21Everybody's like, oh, we want to be in Mary J. Blige's living room playing air guitar and
45:26air drums.
45:27And I was like, wow, you know?
45:29And the funny thing is that that night I was actually sitting in the audience of the Emmys
45:33when the commercial went live and I was sitting there thinking again, I mean, look, I'm always
45:38thinking I'm going to get fired.
45:39And so I was sitting there and I was just like, I was like, man, if this tanks, like,
45:43oh, that's the end of this.
45:45And then my phone starts like boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom.
45:48And I get an email from Tim Cook, who's the CEO of Apple, copied a bunch of people and he
45:56said, who's responsible for this ad?
45:57And I was like, oh, well, let me grab my purse.
46:01Where's my 401k?
46:02You know what I mean?
46:03And I, oh man, I remember like swallowing hard, you know, and I was still sitting in
46:09my seat at the show and I swallowed hard and I reply all.
46:14And I was like, good evening, Tim.
46:16Mr. Cook.
46:17Exactly.
46:18I'm responsible for the commercial on the Emmys tonight.
46:23And he, and he responded, he was just like, well done.
46:27We should do more of those.
46:28I was like, somebody give me a raise.
46:30We're a matter of fact, put me in charge of everything.
46:32Wow.
46:33So it was great.
46:34Oh my goodness.
46:34But yeah.
46:35But you know, it's like, I don't think that as an executive in this space, you ever know
46:39how these things are going to land.
46:40You're going to, you think it's great.
46:42You know, that's why you make it.
46:44You make it from here, you know, but sometimes it, it sucks and it takes and people hate it.
46:50And then your job is in jeopardy.
46:54We have a lot of people that listen to the show that are in the music industry.
46:57We have a lot of marketers like those and a lot of young people.
47:01A lot of people were hoping to have the kind of level of impact that you've been able to
47:05have to work on things that are as big as the Superbowl.
47:09So I'm wondering as like a parting piece of advice, what do you think a young person who's
47:15in a, you know, kind of lower tier marketing role could be doing now to set them up for
47:20that?
47:20Oh my God.
47:21It's my favorite.
47:21It's like my favorite, you know, because that moment in time, like you shouldn't take
47:28for granted.
47:29You know, it is the most magical of times, you know, you, you have enough naivete that
47:37you don't know all of the terrible things that could go wrong, you know, and it's, it's
47:41such a beautiful thing.
47:43You know, they say that youth is wasted on the young because you don't realize that it
47:48is the most free you will ever be.
47:50And that's when you should take the big swing.
47:52That's when you should be bold with your ideas, you know, not try to people please and follow
48:00the brief to the letter, you know, come up with some weird concepts, you know, something
48:05that feels to you like, oh, you know what?
48:07Let me see.
48:08Where's the wind blowing?
48:09You know, let me go with that idea because that's what's going to make you iconic.
48:13And by the way, that kind of practice is what's going to make you bold later on.
48:17Like you don't make it to the C-suite and then all of a sudden you become bold.
48:22If you are timid and people pleasing at the beginning, you're going to be worse when you
48:27get into that room.
48:28And by the way, you'll be a total failure and you won't make any impact.
48:32You probably won't even get there.
48:33Well, girl, yeah.
48:34Well, you know, somebody might slide you a little favor, but you know what I mean?
48:37Yeah.
48:38Like if you get there, you're not going to make impact.
48:41There's, you know, we won't name them, but there are plenty of CMOs who are in their jobs
48:45who aren't making impact.
48:46They're just over here pushing paper around, you know, keeping the boat steady.
48:49And they're going to keep their dash a little while because, you know, nobody wants to rock
48:54the boat.
48:54Everybody wants the stock price to be high.
48:56But if you want to impact culture, if you want to move it ahead, if you want to become
49:00iconic, then you got to take the risk.
49:02And the only way to do that is to be true to self.
49:05You know, again, I think that a lot of times we think that everything has to become vanilla
49:11in order for us all to understand, you know, take the current political climate, take any
49:17situation in society, we think that, oh, we must all agree in order for it to be peaceful,
49:24in order for everybody to get along, in order for this idea to win.
49:28And that is not the truth.
49:30You know, it's like the beauty of humanity is our differences and the ways in which we
49:35contribute our unique experiences to an idea.
49:38And so it's like, if you're a young person who is trying to make impact, who wants a sharp
49:43career, who wants to be remembered, then you must bring your full self.
49:48You must bring the weird ideas that you're concepting in your mind.
49:51You must bring your obsession of the boo-boos, you know, to the boardroom.
49:57You must do it.
49:58And I don't know that without my complete obsession with Carmen the hip-hopera, which other people
50:09panned, which the people in the office snickered when I suggested it, that I'd be sitting here
50:15today if I didn't have the courage to say it.
50:17And so I plead with anyone who is at the beginning of their career to use it, to use this moment,
50:24to take advantage of your youth, to make sure that you are fearless in the confidence of
50:30yourself and bring that.
50:32The people above you, they don't know any better than you.
50:35You know, so bring your ideas.
50:37It's probably better anyway.
50:38I think that's great advice, especially what you said about how you're not suddenly going
50:43to become bold and courageous once you reach the C-suite if you weren't bold and courageous
50:47at the beginning.
50:49Because I think that being bold and being courageous is a muscle and it's something that has to
50:53be exercised.
50:55That's exactly right.
50:56And I think those are great parting words.
50:59But before we head off, I have a couple little fun game things.
51:04Yes, let's do it.
51:05I love games.
51:06Okay.
51:06So this one is, I'm just kind of calling it like your dream lineup for the Super Bowl.
51:12So this is just like, it's like fantasy football, but for the music part of it.
51:17So I'm wondering, who would you like to see do the Super Bowl halftime show who hasn't
51:22done it yet?
51:22Who hasn't done it yet?
51:25Oh my God.
51:26Adele.
51:27Okay.
51:28Who would be a special guest at Adele's Super Bowl?
51:31Hmm.
51:33Davido.
51:34Ooh.
51:34Okay.
51:35I love that.
51:36Who would sing the national anthem?
51:38Ooh.
51:40There's some pipes that I really, who has not sung it yet and has not performed.
51:45If you want to bring someone back, you can.
51:48I'll allow it in this fantasy.
51:49I know, right?
51:50Exactly.
51:51Made up game.
51:51I think, I mean, she's not American, but it would be so amazing to hear Celine Dion sing
51:56the national anthem.
51:57That would be amazing.
51:58I mean, she's kind of at the end of her career with her illness and everything.
52:03So it would be wonderful.
52:05That would be a great send off.
52:06Yeah.
52:06Um, what song would you like to see be used in an ad and what would the company be who
52:12is doing the ad?
52:14Ooh.
52:14What song would I like in an ad and what would the company be?
52:18Hmm.
52:19You know, God, this is a hard one.
52:23Um, I'm trying to think of something I have not worked on.
52:30That's the hard part.
52:31I'm like, okay, let's go auto because I'm like, I've never worked in the auto industry.
52:37So how about Porsche?
52:40And, ooh, it feels like it needs to be like the boss, like one of his songs.
52:49Hmm.
52:50Okay.
52:50I love that.
52:51And if you were on the team, what would you be playing in the locker room to pump everyone
52:56up before the game?
52:57Hmm.
52:58Tupac.
52:59Oh, I love that call.
53:01That's perfect.
53:03That's perfect.
53:04Okay.
53:04Um, and then at the end of every show, we always do the segment called make me a playlist.
53:09Okay.
53:09Um, where we have, you pick three songs and we'll add it to a playlist along with all of
53:13our other guests.
53:14So the prompts are always the same.
53:16Okay.
53:17Um, the first is what's a song that you can no longer gatekeep.
53:20So a song that's either a deep cut on one of your favorite artists projects or a song
53:26that, or an artist that people just don't know yet.
53:29Tupac Machiavelli.
53:30Oh, great.
53:31Deep cut.
53:31Great.
53:32Yeah.
53:32Um, a favorite throwback.
53:33Um, Evelyn Champagne King.
53:37Mm.
53:37Uh, yeah.
53:39Perfect.
53:39And what is a guilty pleasure?
53:42A guilty pleasure song?
53:43Yes.
53:44Oh, God.
53:46Um, Ice Ice Baby Vanilla Ice.
53:49That's great.
53:50Okay.
53:51And that concludes our show.
53:52Boz, thank you so much for coming to On The Record.
53:56I appreciate it.
53:56That was fun.
53:58All right.
53:58Thank you so much to Bozema St. John for joining me to talk about the big Super Bowl half
54:03time show ahead.
54:05Now it's time to dive into our charts roundup to learn more about this week's biggest movers
54:09and shakers.
54:10Here is the Hot 100 Top 10 for the week dated February 7th.
54:16Coming in at number 10, it's Opalite by Taylor Swift.
54:22Nine is Folded by Kehlani.
54:24In the eighth position, it's Back to Friends by Sombra.
54:32Seven is Ordinary by Alex Warren.
54:38I Just Might by Bruno Mars comes in at six.
54:43Number five this week is The Fate of Ophelia by Taylor Swift.
54:47Fourth is Golden by Huntrix.
54:55Man I Need by Olivia Dean comes in third.
55:01Number two this week is Choose in Texas by Ella Langley.
55:07And finally, number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart for the week of February 7th,
55:12it's Aperture by Harry Styles in its first week at number one.
55:16Thanks so much for listening to this week's episode of On The Record.
55:20If you liked today's show, please give us a follow on Instagram at BillboardOnTheRecord,
55:25where you can find new clips of the show every single week.
55:28We'd also appreciate it if you could rate our show on your favorite podcast platform,
55:31because all of these kind of things help On The Record grow bigger and better and to
55:35reach new people.
55:37Again, I'm your host, Kristen Robinson, and tune in next week for another peek behind the
55:41curtain of the music business.
55:43I'll see you then.
55:46I'll see you then.
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