
The cat is out of the bag: Rihanna has been named Super Bowl LVII’s halftime show performer!
The singer announced the exciting news just before 3 p.m. on Sunday (Sept. 25). The good news came hours after TMZ reported she was in talks to take on the gig. Next year’s game will be held on Feb. 12 at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona.
According to the outlet, Rihanna was one of two artists rumored to be in the running for the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. The source said an announcement could come as early as Sunday afternoon, and they were right! The beauty mogul dropped a single photo of her tatted right hand holding an official NFL regulation football along with “.” as her caption.
The Fenty founder was previously asked to perform at the 2019 halftime show, but she declined the gig. “I couldn’t dare do that. For what? 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 told Vogue, at the time.
The “Rude Boy” singer has been promising new music is on the way since circa 2018. Her last album, Anti, was released in 2016. To fans’ surprise, she managed to welcome her first child with boyfriend A$AP Rocky before dropping a new single. Still, this past February she reassured her legion of followers, who she affectionately refers to as The Navy, that she had not forgotten about them.
See her clever Super Bowl announcement below.
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“Yes, you’re still going to get music from me. My fans would kill me if they waited this long for a lullaby,” she told “Entertainment Tonight.” Well, as it turns out, new tunes may, in fact, be on the way. Her fans are crossing their fingers that, at the very least, a snippet of a new record will make her halftime show setlist.
At best, it is safe to say that more than a few people are letting out sighs of relief after learning they get to witness Rihanna back in her element. Get into some of their relatable reactions below.
rihanna for halftime ?? yasss 😭😭😭😭💗💗💗💗💗💗
— Halle (@HalleBailey) September 25, 2022
Apparently there’s gonna be a football game during the Rihanna concert in February
— David Dennis Jr. (@DavidDTSS) September 25, 2022
🚨🚨 BREAKING: #Rihanna hints that she will be performing at the #SuperBowl chileeeeeee!😩🙌🏾 || 🎥 @rihanna pic.twitter.com/QKAc3wiMee
— BET (@BET) September 25, 2022
rihanna didn't stop the music after all pic.twitter.com/qMHYtTWULd
— pop culture moments (@notgwendalupe) September 25, 2022
rihanna is performing at the super bowl.. I REPEAT RIHANNA IS PERFORMING AT THE MF SUPER BOWL
— zel (@denzeldion) September 25, 2022
rihanna is the IDEAL superbowl performer, the catalogue of hits is crazy pic.twitter.com/d0Up7ur6Gb
— pop culture moments (@notgwendalupe) September 25, 2022
When Rihanna performs a song from each year of her discography thoroughout the entire halftime show and ends with a NEW SINGLE that we haven’t heard before pic.twitter.com/rB9sZjzPOo
— jordan • they/them (@jd_occasionally) September 25, 2022
rihanna leaving the super bowl stage after explaining all the new fenty products coming in 2024 pic.twitter.com/yhPtNWL9Qm
— tia (@cursedhive) September 25, 2022
HOLY SHIT!!!! Rihanna is doing the super bowl halftime show!!?!?? ☠️☠️ pic.twitter.com/Km2IJg8ZNN
— Jarett Wieselman (@JarettSays) September 25, 2022
You doing the Super Bowl? Omg you remembered your a singer sis pic.twitter.com/qwSy971iEx
— ᴊ (@dontesfaye_) September 25, 2022
When Rihanna starts the show with a all her old music to show her growth then previews of her new song at the end of the show pic.twitter.com/2AnvzG5eTF
— Nicolas is in renaissance (@niggaolas) September 25, 2022
WE SURVIVED THE RIHANNA DROUGHT pic.twitter.com/pPa7JoV7bI
— kimberly. (@problemsthots) September 25, 2022
Imagine staying away from music for 6 years and announcing your comeback through Super Bowl??!!. Rihanna is my favorite superstar please pic.twitter.com/by56GrbY1V
— 🌻 (@BaddieClaire) September 25, 2022
Rihanna fans after her Super Bowl halftime show announcement: pic.twitter.com/IUzjnLsgv5
— ۟ (@neverfenty) September 25, 2022
EVERYONE WAKE UP RIHANNA IS HEADLINING THE HALFTIME SHOW pic.twitter.com/7cEL4ASuHh
— liv (@lovelyrinas) September 25, 2022