Rihanna to headline Super Bowl LVII halftime show

The Super Bowl will take place on February 12, 2023 at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona.

Rihanna confirmed to Vogue in 2019 that she turned down the chance to appear on the global stage offered by the game.

“Absolutely,” she said. “I couldn’t dare to do that. Why? Who benefits? Not my people. I just couldn’t be sold. I couldn’t be a facilitator. There are things within this organization that I strongly disagree with, and I wasn’t about to go and do them any favors in any way.

Cardi B also turned down the offer and Maroon 5 headlined the show instead, to my criticism.

Rihanna also slammed President Donald Trump, who tore the league apart for failing to discipline players such as Kaepernick who knelt during the national anthem to protest social injustice and police brutality. Since then, spurred in large part by the murder of George Floyd, among other incidents, the NFL has moved on, with commissioner Roger Goodell saying in August 2020, “I wish we had listened sooner” to Kaepernick’s gesture and… ‘others.

Jay-Z praised Rihanna in the NFL announcement as “a generational talent, a woman from humble beginnings who exceeded expectations at every turn. A person born on the small island of Barbados who became one of the most prominent entertainers of all time. Self-taught in business and entertainment.

Roc Nation, which entered into a long-term relationship with the NFL in 2019 to advise it on shows, will serve as the strategic entertainment adviser for its performance. Although she hasn’t released an album since 2016, she hinted that new work is coming.

“We are thrilled to welcome Rihanna to the Apple Music Super Bowl Halftime Show stage,” NFL Chief Music Officer Seth Dudowsky said in the announcement. “Rihanna is a one-of-a-kind artist who has been a cultural force throughout her career. We look forward to working with Rihanna, Roc Nation and Apple Music to bring fans another historic Halftime Show performance.

Apple’s Oliver Schusser echoed this. “Rihanna is an incredible recording artist who is a favorite of millions of Apple Music customers around the world. We are thrilled to partner with Rihanna, Roc Nation and the NFL to bring music and sports fans a show memorable – what an incredible artist for the first Apple Music Super Bowl Halftime Show.

The February 2022 Super Bowl show featured a lineup of musicians including Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Mary J. Blige and Kendrick Lamar.