Beyoncé to Headline Super Bowl Halftime Show The halftime performance at the next Super Bowl, the ultimate star turn for pop divas, will go to Beyoncé, the National Football League confirmed on Twitter on Tuesday. The official announcement came after The Associated Press reported earlier in the day that Beyoncé, the Houston-born R&B singer, was this season's pick for the job. At 31, she is certainly at the top of the music game. She has won 16 Grammy Awards and produced a string of pop and R&B hits, including "Crazy in Love," "Irreplaceable," and "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It) ." This would not be her first appearance at a Super Bowl; she sang the national anthem in 2004 when the New England Patriots defeated the Carolina Panthers to win the championship in her hometown. This season's Super Bowl will be held on Feb. 3, in New Orleans. In the past, the NFL has made the announcement during a televised football game. This year, however, Beyoncé leaked the news herself on her Tumblr blog, posting a picture of herself with the date of the Super Bowl written on her face inside eye black. A headline above the photo reads "Countdown to Touchdown," a reference to a popular song off her last album "4" (Columbia). Lawrence Randall, the director of programming for the NFL, said the league had spoken to Beyoncé in the past about doing the show, which will be sponsored by Pepsi this season, but those talks had never led to an agreement because of scheduling conflicts and other issues. "This year all the stars aligned," he said. He said the league sees Beyoncé as the perfect kind of performer to carry the show: a global pop icon who can appeal to all ages. "All her songs are great for stadium play," he said. He added that the planning for the concert was still in the early stages, and details like the set list and the guest performers were still being worked out. Madonna performed at halftime at the last Super Bowl in February, when the New York Giants beat the New England Patriots. Her performance was seen by 114 million people, a slightly higher average than the game itself, according to the Nielsen Co. That show was marred when one of the guest performers, the singer and rapper M.I.A., made a rude gesture with her middle finger at the cameras.