The NFL announced Sunday along with Jay-Z’s Roc Nation and Apple Music that the singer, who turned down the 2019 Super Bowl halftime show in solidarity with Colin Kaepernick, will star in the 2023 Super Bowl. Rihanna posted a photo on Instagram of an NFL football with her arms outstretched.
“Rihanna was a generational genius, a woman of humble origins, who exceeded expectations at every turn,” said Jay-Z, whose Roc Nation is the show’s executive producer, in a statement. “A man born on the small island of Barbados who became one of the greatest artists of all time. Self-made in business and entertainment.”
The Super Bowl will take place on February 2 at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. 12. After years of sponsorship by Pepsi, the upcoming halftime show will be sponsored by Apple Music.
Rihanna said earlier that she turned down a similar chance at the 2019 Super Bowl, which ended up being headlined by Maroon 5. At the time, many artists expressed support for former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Kaepernick, who took a knee during the 2016 national anthem in protest of police brutality against blacks and minorities.
“I wouldn’t dare to do that. For what?” Rihanna told Vogue in 2019. “Who benefits from it? Not mine. I can’t be a sellout. I can’t be a facilitator. There are things within that organization that I simply disagree with and I’m not going to serve them in any way,” she said of the league. Say.
Kaepernick accused the NFL of complicity in excluding him from the league, culminating in a settlement in early 2019.
In 2019, the NFL partnered with Roc Nation (managing Rihanna) to help select Super Bowl performers and strategize for halftime shows. The critically acclaimed 2022 halftime show features Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Kendrick Lamar and Mary J. Blige.
With more than 250 million records sold worldwide, Rihanna is one of the best-selling female artists of all time. Her last album was “Anti” in 2016. Rihanna’s last public performance was at the 2018 Grammys.
In the years since, Rihanna has occasionally teased her musical comeback. Earlier this year, she had her first child with rapper ASAP Rocky.
sign up Wealth characteristics Email list so you don’t miss our biggest features, exclusive interviews and surveys.