Will The Super Bowl Break Rihanna’s Musical Silence?

Written by Ciryan Achola on September 26, 2022

Apple Music yesterday announced that Rihanna will be the star of the Super Bowl Halftime Show happening on Sunday, 12 February, 2023.

IT'S ON.@rihanna will take the stage for the first ever Apple Music Super Bowl Halftime Show on 2.12.23. #SBLVII @NFL @NFLonFOX @RocNation pic.twitter.com/Kz1YY19zAA

— Apple Music (@AppleMusic) September 25, 2022

Rihanna has since confirmed by posting to her millions of followers a picture of her hand holding an NFL ball.

It’s been 5 years since Rihanna last performed at the 2018 Grammys and 7 since she released ‘Anti’, her eighth studio album.

This explains the general excitement that thronged the internet when the news was officially announced. It is well evident that the ‘Rihanna Navy’ has been hungry for new music, heck, even a performance, from the ‘What’s My Name’ hitmaker.

Rihanna will join the likes of Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Mary J. Blige, Kendrick Lamar, The Weekend, Shakira and Jennifer Lopez as some of the stars to ever headline the Super Bowl Halftime Show.

The show enjoys millions of viewers from around the world. According to iSpot, the 2022 Super Bowl Halftime show had an average minute audience of 121 million. This has resulted in advertisers paying millions of dollars to get their products, 30 seconds of fame during the performance. According to Statistica, as of 2022, for 30-second Super Bowl TV commercials, brands cough up upwards of 6.5 million U.S. dollars.

The MJ Factor

Michael Jackson’s 1993 performance, arguably the best in the history of the Super Bowl Halftime Show, was the game changer. The King of Pop reportedly had more people watch his performance rather than the actual game.

According to The Washington Post, it was the Michael Jackson performance that changed everything. After 1993, NBC, determined that to retain the massive numbers MJ had brought with him, decided to always ensure an unforgettable half time experience. This was the birth of the star studded, highly planned and choreographed display we see today.

With 14 number 1 songs and 30+ top-ten songs on the Billboard Hot 100, Rihanna will be spoilt for choice. Fans should generally expect an incredible show as Rihanna never disappoints.