After rumors and excitement swirled over the weekend, Rihanna made it official Sunday afternoon that she will return to the stage and perform several of her chart-topping hits during halftime at The Big Game.
Rihanna is the first artist to be booked under new halftime show sponsor Apple Music, in collaboration with Roc Nation. Taking place at Glendale, Arizona’s State Farm Stadium on Feb. 12, 2023, the show is sure to be the most exciting 15 minutes of the Professional Football Championship – regardless of what teams make it to the field.
It’s been quite some time since Rihanna fans have had an opportunity to see her perform live. In fact, Rihanna has turned down this very opportunity before, opting out of the 2019 show in solidarity with Colin Kaepernick. The RIAA Certified Diamond artist has spent the years since her 2016 Anti World Tour focusing on her other brands and projects, including Fenty Beauty, Fenty Skin, Savage X Fenty Lingerie…not to mention a new baby.
No word yet on if this performance marks the arrival of new music (though fan fingers are crossed!) but we’re sure we can anticipate a litany of hits, ranging from her early Music of the Sun era to her record-breaking Anti new classics.
Of course, it wouldn’t be a Halftime show without some surprises and collaborations. Here’s who we think should hit the stage with everyone’s favorite “Bad Gal” this performance.
01
A$AP Rocky
Of course, the collaborator on her most important project ever, her newborn son, should make an appearance to support the love of his life during one of the biggest performances of her career. Though the duo has yet to officially collaborate on any music, Rihanna has graced videos for the Harlem-by-way-of-The-Bronx rapper’s singles “D.M.B.” and “Fashion Killa.” Of course, there’s still time for the couple to hit the studio together and bring us the track we never knew we needed.
02
Pharrell
Rihanna’s big rap debut in N.E.R.D.’s Lemon was one of the defining tracks of 2017. With a little help from the legend that is Pharrell Williams, fans could finally get to see Rihanna perform it live for the first time since its release five years ago.
03
Calvin Harris
Rih’s collaborations with Harris have bred some of her biggest hits, “We Found Love” and “This Is What You Came For.” We’d love to see the songstress briefly step into her EDM bag in grand fashion on one of the biggest stages in entertainment.
04
Ye
Ye (Kanye West) and Rihanna have made musical magic together on tracks like “All of the Lights,” “Famous,” “FourFiveSeconds,” and “Run This Town.” We’d love to see them and bring some of that mid-2010s nostalgia to the stage after each spending so much time in other fashion and beauty-related ventures.
05
Drake
These two made one of the biggest hits of 2016 with “Work,” but that was far from their first collaboration. We’re not sure where their relationship stands these days after their brief stint of dating in 2015/2016, but with hits like “What’s my Name,” “Take Care,” and “Too Good” in their arsenal, it would only make sense for these two to let bygones be and reunite on the stage once again.
06
Jay-Z
As the head of Roc Nation and the party responsible for linking the NFL to the culture, it would only be right for Jay to grace the stage with Rih for their hits “Umbrella,” “Talk That Talk,” and “Run This Town.”
