Music

Everything we know about Rihanna’s Super Bowl halftime performance

After five years since her last live performance, Rihanna is headlining the 2023 Super Bowl halftime show

CAITLIN O'HARAREUTERS

The highly anticipated ‘Rihturn’ has had people buzzing since it was announced back in 2022. Rihanna fans have been counting down the days until the Barbadian artist graces live audiences once more at Glendale, Arizona’s State Farm Stadium this Sunday.

Rihanna promises fans a “jam-packed show”

Rihanna recently spoke with Apple Music’s Nadeska Alexis on Thursday, outlining her plans for the show.

“The setlist was the biggest challenge. That was the hardest, hardest part, deciding how to maximize 13 minutes but also celebrate,” Rihanna explained to Alexis. “You’re trying to cram 17 years of work into 13 minutes, so it’s difficult.

“Some songs we had to lose because of that, and that’s going to be okay, but I think we did a pretty good job of narrowing it down. There are probably about 39 versions of the setlist right now.

Rumored guests for the 13-minute performance include Jay-Z whose Roc Nation is executive producing the show. Past collaborators Calvin Harris, Drake, Eminem, SZA, and DJ Khaled, as well as her partner A$AP Rocky are also speculated to potentially join Rihanna.

The artist also explained that she and her team were so focused on planning for the performance that she completely forgot about her upcoming birthday and Valentine’s Day.

Important to the artist is including her roots in the performance, which played a big part in her planning process.

“That’s a big part of why this is important for me to do this show: representation,” Rhianna said. “Representing for immigrants. Representing for Black women everywhere.

“That’s key for people to see the possibilities,” she added. “I’m really excited to have Barbados on the Super Bowl stage.

Rihanna previously turned down the NFL’s request to perform at the famous halftime show in 2019, showing solidarity with Colin Kaepernick’s stance against the NFL. Since Kaepernick retracted his statements against the football league, Rihanna changed hers as well.

Where to watch Rihanna’s halftime show performance

Fans can tune in to Rihanna’s performance on Sunday, February 12 at 6:30 PM ET/3:30 PM PT, on FOX. For those unable to tune into Fox, live TV subscription streamers Hulu, FuboTV, and YouTube TV will also be airing the game and the halftime show.

Potential tour announcement

With a performance that marks seven years since Rihanna’s last tour, fans are also looking for any hint that an upcoming tour is in the works for the star.

But this doesn’t necessarily mean a new album, as Rihanna told the Associated Press: “Super Bowl is one thing. New music is another thing. Do you hear that, fans?”

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