Bruno Mars is reportedly being tapped to perform at the Super Bowl halftime show. The news was leaked a day before the NFL is expected to make it official.
A source for the Associated Press said that the “When I Was Your Man” singer is expected to perform songs during Super Bowl XLVIII on Feb. 2 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The NFL is expected to make the news official at a press conference in Times Square on Sunday.
The LA Times reports that the NFL would not comment on Saturday. A spokesperson jokingly said that Janet Jackson and Miley Cyrus are definitely not going to perform.
Mars is currently touring to promote his second album, Unorthodox Jukebox, which includes the hit “Locked Out Of Heaven.”
In recent years, the NFL has gone with relatively safe pop stars, but has shown a willingness to attract younger stars. Beyonce performed during this year’s Super Bowl in New Orleans. Of course, New Jersey fans would probably have liked to see Bruce Springsteen or another native rocker, but The Boss already performed a Super Bowl halftime show recently.
Mars previous album, Doo-Wops & Hooligans, catapulted him to fame in 2010 with the hits “Grenade” and “Just The Way You Are.”
The NFL’s 2013 season started on Thursday with the Broncos’ win over the Ravens. The full full slate of games starts Sunday.