Rihanna confirmed to headline Super Bowl 57 Halftime Show
The international pop icon will return to the stage for the first time in five years for the event; the first halftime show under the N.F.L.’s new sponsorship deal with Apple Music.
Date published: 26th Sep 2022
The Superbowl LVII halftime show in Glendale, Arizona has disclosed to dizzying reception that Rihanna will be headlining the iconic Halftime show, for what will be her first live performance in over five years.
The pop princess had previously turned down offers to headline the show in 2018 and 2019, in support of 49ers Quarterback Colin Kaepernick after he accused the NFL of blackballing him after he kneeled during the national anthem to protest police brutality toward Black people in America.
But, since the production of the show was taken over by Jay-Zs Roc Nation (who Rihanna has been signed to since 2014) in 2020, and has since been headlined by The Weeknd (2020) and Dr Dres 'West Coast Takeover'(2021), it seems that she's had a change of heart and is ready to smash the biggest 15-minute slot in world music.
The superstar announced the show via her social media channels by posting a picture of her hand holding an American football, without any caption.
The show announcement has also stoked many fires amongst her fanbase as to the release of new music. Rihanna has not released anything since 2016s 'Antics' and the show will cause many to think that her ninth studio album is right around the corner.
The 2023 Super Bowl halftime show is also the first sponsored by Apple Music, who signed a new multi-year partnership with the NFL after Pepsi’s 10-year sponsorship ended. For us, this can only mean one thing, it's going to be an absolute spectacle, with a lot of money behind it; as if there wasn't already...
The Super Bowl will take place in Glendale, Arizona on February 12th 2023, and will be Rihanna's first show since appearing at the Grammys in 2018 with DJ Khaled to perform 'Wild Thoughts.' We for one can't wait to see what she pulls out.
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Header image credit: Rihanna on Facebook