Rihanna will be the headliner at the next Super Bowl Halftime Show for Super Bowl LVII, which is set for February 12, 2023 in Glendale, AZ.
The 34-year-old Barbadian singer announced the news on Sunday 25 September by sharing a photo of her tattooed arm holding a NFL football.
The post marks Rihanna’s first social media activity since giving birth to her first child in May.
The NFL also Tweeted the big news with the same snap and the message ‘Let’s GO-#SBLVII’.
Rumors about Rihanna had been swirling since Thursday, when the NFL announced that Apple Music would become the new sponsor of the Super Bowl Halftime Show beginning in 2023.
The streaming service from Apple will be taking over from longtime sponsor Pepsi, who was behind the previous Super Bowl show headlined by Dr. Dre, Mary J. Blige, Snoop Dogg, Eminem and 50 Cent at this year’s NFL championship game at L.A.’s SoFi Stadium.
The performance drew more that 120 million viewers and earned three Emmy Awards.
It’s unclear whether Rihanna will perform alone or have other headliners alongside like this past year’s show in L.A.
Roc Nation, her management company headed by Jay-Z who is also part of organizing the massive NFL halftime showcase, retweeted it soon after. Fox, which is handling the 2023 broadcast, later confirmed it.
Roc Nation founder Shawn ‘Jay-Z’ Carter, released a statement praising the singer. It read: ‘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.”
Oliver Schusser, Apple’s vice president of Apple Music and Beats, also said, “We are thrilled to welcome Rihanna to the Apple Music Super Bowl Halftime Show stage,’ shared Seth Dudowsky who is the NFL Head of Music.
“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.”
“Rihanna is an incredible recording artist who is a favorite for many millions of Apple Music customers around the world.
“We’re excited to partner with Rihanna, Roc Nation and the NFL to bring music and sports fans a momentous show — what an incredible artist for the inaugural Apple Music Super Bowl Halftime Show.”
This comes after the singer turned down the opportunity to perform at the Super Bowl in 2019.
The superstar said she declined the invitation because of the way Colin Kaepernick had been treated.
The former San Francisco 49er refused to stand for the US national anthem at the beginning of games to protest police brutality and racial inequality. After he became a free agent, no teams signed him.
The quarterback sued the NFL in November 2017, accusing team owners of collusion in not hiring him.