Bruce Springsteen Slated for Soulful ‘Tonight Show’ Takeover

The Boss is promoting his new covers album, “Only The Strong Survive,” for four nights on Jimmy Fallon's show.

Bruce Springsteen on "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon" in December 2020
Bruce Springsteen last appeared on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon in December 2020. Photo courtesy of Andrew Lipovsky/NBC

Late-night television is about to get soulful, thanks to the Garden State’s biggest rockstar.

Starting Monday, November 14, Bruce Springsteen will be a lead guest and perform several times on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, NBC announced. The Boss’s “takeover” will continue on November 15 and 16, as he debuts four songs from his new album of soul covers, Only The Strong Survive.

The record, Springsteen’s 21st studio album and first since 2020′s Letter to You, comes out this Friday, November 11.

“It’s all music that I chose based upon my voice and getting my voice out front,” Springsteen recently told radio star Howard Stern of the album, which celebrates the work of Aretha Franklin, Gamble and Huff, Motown, Stax and others. “Just being able to sing some other great songs right now is a lot of fun for me.”

In addition to three consecutive appearances next week, Springsteen will perform again on The Tonight Show’s Thanksgiving special on November 24.

Springsteen, 73, has not appeared on Fallon’s show since 2020. Other music icons have taken over The Tonight Show in the past, including Demi Lovato, Ariana Grande, BTS, Miley Cyrus and Cher.

Only The Strong Survive and Springsteen’s Tonight Show takeover precede what is sure to be a busy year for the rock ‘n’ roll legend. Springsteen and the E Street Band are kicking off a world tour in February, their first in six years. They will play at Newark’s Prudential Center on April 14, which will be their first New Jersey concert in roughly seven years.

“After six years, I’m looking forward to seeing our great and loyal fans next year. And I’m looking forward to once again sharing the stage with the legendary E Street Band,” Springsteen said in a statement upon announcing the tour in May. “See you out there, next year—and beyond.”