Rihanna, the 34-year-old singer and fashion boss, will be performing at this year's Super Bowl halftime show, taking place on Sunday, 12 February in Glendale, Arizona. The singer, who first topped the charts with "SOS" in 2006, has had a decade's worth of hits and is considered to be one of the biggest acts in pop culture.
The Super Bowl is considered to be "by far the biggest cultural event in America," and having Rihanna perform is a significant accomplishment for the NFL.
Rihanna's inclusion in the Super Bowl lineup is a notable change from her past stance on the NFL. In a 2019 interview with Vogue, she expressed her solidarity with former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick and stated that she would not perform at the Super Bowl.
"I couldn't dare do that," she said. "For what? Who gains from that? Not my people. I just couldn't be a sell-out...there's things within that organization that I do not agree with at all, and I was not about to go and be of service to them in any way."
Despite her past statements, Rihanna's performance at this year's Super Bowl halftime show is expected to be a highly anticipated event.
Super Bowl performers do not receive payment, but they do receive exposure, which can lead to increased ticket sales and a subsequent tour announcement. With 99 million Americans and another 109 million around the world watching last year's Super Bowl, the halftime show is considered to be one of the biggest stages for musicians.
While it is unclear why Rihanna has changed her stance on the NFL, her business acumen and success in the fashion industry suggest that she would not pass up the opportunity for such a significant performance.
Rihanna has accepted to perform in the NFL event but she has warned fans not to expect new music from her, telling the Associated Press, "Super Bowl is one thing. New music is another thing. Do you hear that fans?"
Nevertheless, a tour announcement seems likely, and fans are eagerly awaiting to see what Rihanna will bring to the Super Bowl stage.
Apart from Rihanna, Chris Stapleton will be singing the National Anthem, while Babyface will perform "America the Beautiful" and Philly's Abbott Elementary star Sheryl Lee Ralph will perform "Lift Every Voice and Sing." Jason Derulo and the Black Keys will be playing the NFL's TikTok Tailgate pregame show.
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