Picture Credit: Twitter
Rihanna is set to perform at the Super Bowl half-time show in February 2023. The Barbados-born singer had declined the chance to perform in the 2019 Super Bowl as a means of protest in support of Ex-NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick. The announcement was made on Sunday by the NFL. Rihanna posted an image on Instagram of an outstretched arm holding an NFL football.
The Super Bowl will be hosted by State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, on 12 February. The half-time show also marks the end of Pepsi’s sponsorship with the NFL as the upcoming event will be sponsored by Apple Music.
“Rihanna is a generational talent, a woman of humble beginnings who has surpassed expectations at every turn,” said Jay-Z in a statement by Roc Nation, who will also be an executive producer of the half-time show. “A person born on the small island of Barbados who became one of the most prominent artists ever. Self-made in business and entertainment.”
Apple’s vice president of Apple Music and Beats, Oliver Schusser also expressed excitement about working with NFL and Rihanna. He said, “Rihanna is an incredible recording artist who is a favourite 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.”
The ‘Umbrella’ singer said she turned down the opportunity to headline the 2019 Super Bowl, which was ultimately headlined by Maroon 5. At the time, many artists raised their voices in support of Kaepernick, the former San Francisco 49ers quarterback who protested police brutality against African-Americans and minorities by kneeling during the national anthem in 2016.
“I couldn’t dare do that. For what?” Rihanna told Vogue in 2019. “Who gains from that? Not my people. I just couldn’t be a sellout. I couldn’t be an enabler. 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,” she said of the league.