After Taylor Swift turned down their offer last year, the organisers of next year’s Super Bowl Halftime Show casually went out and got Rihanna to headline instead. Not a bad day’s work.
The singer comically confirmed the news by simply posting a picture of an NFl-branded football on her Instagram because Rihanna does what Rihanna wants.
The big moment is finally almost here. When Rihanna performs at the prestigious sporting event this weekend, she’ll follow in the footsteps of the likes of Shakira, Justin Timberlake, Lady Gaga, and Madonna in headlining the Halftime Show.
Usually it’s not a solo endeavour, though, with a mammoth lineup of Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Mary J. Blige, Kendrick Lamar and more putting on a classic Halftime Show earlier this year.
That got us thinking: who, if anyone, will Rihanna bring along as her guests next year? We’ve put five potential picks below, ranging from the calculated guess to the downright ridiculous.
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Jay-Z
Jay-Z and Rihanna are close friends. Jay-Z clearly values Rihanna as an artist a lot. “Rihanna is a generational talent, a woman of humble beginnings who has surpassed expectations at every turn,” he gushed when she was confirmed as the headliner.
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“A person born on the small island of Barbados who became one of the most prominent artists ever. Self-made in business and entertainment.” Was his profuse praise a big hint – to us and maybe even Rihanna – that he fancies joining her in Arizona next February?
Rihanna’s highly likely to perform their collaboration ‘Umbrella’ during her set, so wouldn’t it make sense to bring out the rapper to perform his part? That could make a Halftime Show for the ages.
Drake
You knew Drake would be on this list. The pair have collaborated on several occasions down the years, and a reunion to perform ‘Work’ or ‘What’s My Name?’ would definitely go down well with viewers. Maybe they could even throw the rapper’s ‘Take Care’ into the mix.
Drake’s also one of the biggest current artists not to have been given a Super Bowl Halftime Show yet, and it’s unclear if his ego would allow him to act as simply a support act. It is Rihanna, though.
A$AP Rocky
The most obvious pick. Rihanna and the rapper are currently dating and have a child together. Rocky’s almost certainly going to be at the stadium watching her performance anyway – why not pop down onstage for a few songs?
After all those disproved rumours about their relationship’s demise this year, a blockbuster 2023 performance together at the Super Bowl Halftime Show could be the ultimate middle finger to overly-intrusive fans.
Britney Spears
This one could break the internet. Hell, it could break the entire U.S. for a few days. Britney, freed from her conservatorship, fully back on the big stage. Rihanna acknowledging a pop superstar of the past finally able to live her life again.
Despite being a mainstream music icon in the early 2000s, Britney was never asked to be a Super Bowl Halftime Show headliner, only coming out as a guest during NSYNC’s performance in 2001. And Rihanna and Britney have collaborated previously on the remix of the former’s song ‘S&M’. It’s unlikely to happen but it would be a sensational show.
A Fenty Representative
If you’ve been anywhere online since Rihanna was announced as the headliner, the main running joke is that the singer’s simply going to use the prominent stage to promote her Fenty products. I mean, it’s she’s been much more focused on that in the last several years? Music? That’s so 2016 (the last time Rihanna released an album).
Just check out some of the best memes below. If you’ve got a thriving business and you’re given a platform like the Super Bowl Halftime Show, it makes a lot of sense to use it to your advantage…
Rihanna bout to announce Fenty Sports. Y’all not getting no album.
— 4Patz (@TopherPatt) September 25, 2022
rihanna leaving the super bowl stage after explaining all the new fenty products coming in 2024 pic.twitter.com/yhPtNWL9Qm
— tia witcher extraordinaire (@cursedhive) September 25, 2022
Rihanna leaving the superbowl halftime show after promoting fenty beauty for 12 minutes straight: https://t.co/w2A1S5oYXR
— Seddera Side (@sedderaside) September 25, 2022
Rihanna is gonna put Savage x Fenty on her halftime performers and have every mom in middle America buying her lingerie…
THIS is why Rihanna is a billionaire.
— Jarett Wieselman (@JarettSays) September 25, 2022
Rihanna gonna set up a Fenty pop up on the field for 12 minutes. pic.twitter.com/ilM8xxGdmZ
— Linduh Evangelista (@marcuslmorris) September 25, 2022