Carrie Underwood Rumored to Be Super Bowl Headliner in 2015 but Music Times Tells Why It Won't Happen

The hot rumor that has recently emerged in country music media is that Carrie Underwood will be the headliner at the 2015 Super Bowl. Before you get too excited, Underwood fans, understand that all of these rumors originated at TerezOwens.com, a well-read sports blog, but yeah, a sports blog. Nevertheless, other media outlets have started to bite. We at Music Times are less than convinced. Allow us to prevent you from getting your hopes up by taking arguments presented and providing counter-arguments.

01) "We're being told this year's performer already has serious ties to the National Football League"

TerezOwens.com doesn't offer any examples that Underwood is affiliated with the NFL, but Taste Of Country picks up the slack: They point out that Underwood is entering her second season of performing for Sunday Night Football, and that she's previously sung "The Star-Spangled Banner" before the big game. The latter is a valid point, but her association with SNF isn't actually facilitated by the NFL—it's facilitated by NBC. Here's an alternative interpretation that's far more likely: Bon Jovi. Vocalist Jon Bon Jovi might not have won his bid for ownership of the Buffalo Bills but he's certainly been in talks with Roger Goodell's posse, so this might be a nice runner-up prize.

02) "A few inside sources revealed to us that Carrie Underwood most likely will be doing the super bowl halftime show this year."

We're wary of taking the word of an unnamed source for almost anything, especially the identity of the next year's Super Bowl halftime show performer. Taste of Country might heed quotes from a mystery man seriously but we don't. Plus, why would this obviously higher-up inside source talk to TerezOwens.com and not ESPN or Sports Illustrated? Doesn't quite follow any logic.

03) "Country music is more mainstream than ever."

That's a largely distorted truth. In order for that to argument to hold up, you'd have to consider Taylor Swift as strictly country, which most hardcore country fans don't. Swift is a big enough force in pop culture to hold down the headlining spot, but Underwood isn't. The Super Bowl halftime show is based heavily on advertising demands (hence its big name sponsors from year to year). Underwood's sales (and other country performers') may be great but that's thanks to country music fans, who are among the most loyal and most willing to shell out for an album. The mainstream audiences that advertisers are going for don't hold her to the same level as a Justin Timberlake, even if their album sales are equivalent. Another argument for Bon Jovi: He is a name that resonates with a huge range of demographics. Basically, if TerezOwens actually is onto anything here, we'll predict Bon Jovi as the headliner for 2015.

Again, this is no offense to Underwood, who's obviously talented enough to justify the spot. But Super Bowl science suggests this is a "nope." Come back in eight months and give us crap if she does land the gig.

Tags

Carrie Underwood, Bon Jovi