America’s Pop superstar, Rihanna will headline the half-time show at February’s 2023 Super Bowl in Arizona, the NFL has announced.
The nine-time Grammy winner broke the news by posting a photo of an NFL-branded football on her Twitter page.
Organisers called the 34-year-old a “generational talent” in a press release issued on Sunday night.
“Rihanna is a once-in-a-generation artist who has been a cultural force throughout her career,” the NFL’s head of Music Seth Dudowsky said.
The show is one of the most coveted slots in music, with this year’s 14-minute spectacle drawing in more than 120 million viewers, the NFL said.
And Jay-Z, whose Roc Nation entertainment company will help organise the performance, called the star 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,” he added.
The all-star lineup included Dr Dre, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Mary J Blige and Kendrick Lamar. The show earned an Emmy Award for Outstanding Variety Special (Live).
Earlier last week, US media reported that Taylor Swift had turned down an offer to headline the show, choosing instead to continue re-recording several albums.
Swift announced plans last year to re-release her first six albums to have complete control over her music. The move followed the 2019 acquisition of her master recordings by music mogul Scooter Braun and his subsequent sale of them to an investment fund.
— Rihanna (@rihanna) September 25, 2022