Rihanna to headline Super Bowl LVII halftime show
Rihanna is going to headline Super Bowl LVII.
Rihanna and the NFL announced on Sunday afternoon that the singer will headline the halftime show at the Super Bowl, which will be played Feb. 12, 2023 in Glendale, Arizona.
— Rihanna (@rihanna) September 25, 2022
The halftime show will be the first under its new title sponsor Apple Music, who is replacing Pepsi at the game this season. Pepsi had been the show’s main sponsor since 2012. The show will be produced by DPS with Roc Nation.
“Rihanna is a generational talent, a woman of humble beginnings who has surpassed expectations at every turn,” Roc Nation founder and rapper Jay-Z said in a statement. “A person born on the small island of Barbados who became one of the most prominent artists ever. Self-made in business and entertainment“
Rihanna has largely stayed away from music since her last studio album in 2016. The nine-time Grammy Award winner instead has focused on launching her Fenty brands. The 34-year-old has an estimated $1.4 billion net worth, which made her this year’s youngest self-made woman billionaire in the United States, according to Forbes.
Rihanna was initially offered the headline spot for the Super Bowl in 2020 but turned it down in solidarity with former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who has essentially been blackballed from the league after his social justice protests during the national anthem.
There were reports on Friday that Taylor Swift was going to headline the show for the first time, but that deal never came to fruition.
Last year’s Super Bowl halftime show was the most-watched in five years, according to NBC Sports. The show featured Dr. Dre, Snoop Dog, Kendrick Lamar, Eminem, Mary J. Blige and 50 Cent; it averaged more than 103 million viewers, up 7 percent from Super Bowl LV.
"We are thrilled to welcome Rihanna to the Apple Music Super Bowl Halftime Show stage," NFL head of music Seth Dudowsky said in a statement.
"Rihanna is a once in a generation artist who has been a cultural force throughout her career. We look forward to collaborating with Rihanna, Roc Nation and Apple Music to bring fans another historic Halftime Show performance."
