Rihanna has revealed that she will headline the Super Bowl halftime show in February next year.
The 34-year-old pop supersinger posted a photo of an NFL-branded football on her social media, hinting that she would be performing during the NFL event in Arizona in 2023.
The photo showed what appeared to be the Umbrella singer’s hand holding the ball. However, she didn’t caption the picture and only wrote one period
Roc Nation, the entertainment company that will help put on the show, posted the same image on its Instagram account and wrote “Let’s GO,” tagging Rihanna and the NFL with the hashtag #SBLVII.
In a statement issued Sunday night, show organizers described Rihanna as “a generational talent.”
The Super Bowl halftime show is one of the most coveted slots in music.
Last year, the 14-minute show – which featured rap stars Dr. Dre, Eminem, Snoop Dogg, Kendrick Lamar, and Mary J Blige – drew more than 120 million viewers, according to the NFL.
The halftime show made history by winning an Emmy Award for Outstanding Live Variety Special.
NFL Music Chief Seth Dudowsky welcomed the music icon to the Apple Music Super Bowl Halftime Show stage.
Mr. Dudowsky added that Rihanna was a “once-in-a-generation artist who has been a cultural force throughout her career.”
“We look forward to collaborating with Rihanna, Roc Nation and Apple Music to bring fans another historic Halftime Show performance,” he went on.
Jay-Z, who runs Roc Nation, called the Diamonds singer 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.
Rihanna had turned down an offer to headline the show in 2019 after controversy surrounding NFL star Colin Kaepernick.
The star said he would stand in solidarity with the former San Francisco 49ers starting quarterback, who hasn’t played in the league since 2016, after kneeling during the pregame national anthem, an act that sparked a global anti-racism movement.
The singer’s announcement comes after US media confirmed that superstar Taylor Swift had turned down an offer to headline the show.
