With rumors swirling recently about who the Super Bowl Halftime 2023 performer would be for this year’s show, an announcement has arrived that Rihanna will take the stage!
Earlier on Sunday, it was reported that the 34-year-old singer might perform at the NFL’s halftime show for the game, as her management company Roc Nation and the NFL were “in talks.” However, now things have been confirmed.
In a social media announcement via the NFL this past week, Apple Music revealed itself as the new sponsor for the 2023 halftime show, replacing Pepsi. On Sunday, the NFL and Rihanna took to social media to confirm she was performing at the show.
The news comes after many believed Taylor Swift might be the headline performer, based on various clues, including the show’s sponsor. However, once reports speculated that she might headline, sources close to the matter indicated Swift isn’t a halftime show performer.
However, it now appears Rihanna is headlining the 2023 event as at least one of the musical performers. The singer previously turned down an opportunity to perform at the show several years ago due to a controversy involving the league.
Based on the latest reports, she’ll follow in the footsteps of other pop stars who have done the halftime show, including Beyonce, Justin Timberlake, Jennifer Lopez, Shakira, Michael Jackson, and Lady Gaga.
Rihanna to perform at 2023 Super Bowl halftime show
According to TMZ’s updated report on Sunday, NFL sources have told them that singer Rihanna “is in” as far as the performer for the 2023 Super Bowl Halftime show.
The singer took to her official Instagram, where she posted a photo of her outstretched arm holding an NFL football up. The NFL and Apple Music also shared the same image in an IG post (below) with a message tagging the singer, among others.
“Let’s GO – @badgalriri @rocnation #SBLVII @applemusic @nflonfox,” their caption said on the post.
The league also made the big announcement that Rihanna will take the stage for the biggest NFL game’s halftime show in an official press release.
The popular singer is known for a catalog of big hits extending back to 2005’s Pon de Replay. Among her other chart-topping tracks are SOS, Umbrella featuring Jay-Z, and We Found Love featuring Calvin Harris.
She’s also an artist with Roc Nation, the entertainment company that Shawn “Jay-Z” Carter founded in 2008. In 2019, Jay-Z’s Roc Nation entered a partnership with the NFL to advise on the selection of performers for the Super Bowl halftime show, among other things.
As of this report, there has been no indication of who else might perform along with Rihanna at the show. Rumors may begin swirling over a few artists associated with the singer who collaborated with her, notably Jay-Z and Drake, both of whom could potentially make appearances.
“Rihanna is a generational talent, a woman of humble beginnings who has surpassed expectations at every turn. A person born on the small island of Barbados who became one of the most prominent artists ever. Self-made in business and entertainment,” Jay-Z said in the NFL’s press release about the 2023 halftime show.
Rihanna turned NFL down for halftime show before
The announcement that Rihanna is a halftime show performer comes several years after she turned down an opportunity to perform. The singer decided against the 2020 Super Bowl halftime show due to disagreeing with how the NFL handled the Colin Kaepernick situation.
Kaepernick, formerly the quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers, kneeled on the field during the playing of the national anthem before his team’s games in 2016. The NFL star kneeled as a way to protest police brutality and racial inequality in the United States.
Kaepernick’s decision to kneel rather than stand led to much controversy and heated debates. The talented quarterback ultimately found himself out of the league once he opted out of his contract with the 49ers to become a free agent in 2017.
This past year’s Super Bowl halftime show took place in Los Angeles, California, at SoFi Stadium, home of the NFL’s Los Angeles Rams. The show featured a hip-hop ensemble that included Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Kendrick Lamar, Mary J. Blige, and 50 Cent.
During part of his performance during the show, Eminem took a knee on stage as a tribute to Kaepernick.
The 2023 Super Bowl arrives on Sunday, February 12, from State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, with Fox providing the live telecast.