Meet your 2023 Super Bowl Halftime Show performer: Rihanna
(NEXSTAR) - The Super Bowl may be months away, but we know who will be taking center stage during halftime.
International icon and new mom Rihanna has been tapped for the Apple Music Super Bowl Halftime Show for Super Bowl LVII, which will be held on Feb. 12 at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona.
The NFL made the announcement Sunday afternoon, just days after rumors swirled that Taylor Swift may headline the halftime show. Fans pointed at the NFL's midnight announcement of Apple Music being the show's sponsor, replacing Pepsi, and apparently similar font between the announcement and Swift's forthcoming album.
Rihanna even prompted speculation about her Super Bowl involvement Sunday, posting a photo to her Instagram of her holding an NFL football.
"We are thrilled to welcome Rihanna to the Apple Music Super Bowl Halftime Show stage," said Seth Dudowsky, NFL Head of Music. "Rihanna is 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."
This is the first year Apple Music is sponsoring the halftime show, replacing Pepsi.
Unless additional performers are announced to appear with Rihanna, she will be the first to perform alone since 2021 when The Weeknd headlined the Super Bowl Halftime Show. It's not uncommon for solo performers to have other artists make guest appearances. In 2015, when the Super Bowl was last in Arizona, Katy Perry had Lenny Kravitz, Missy Elliot, and the Arizona State University Sun Devil Marching Band as guests. In recent years, both The Weeknd and Lady Gaga did not have special guests.
In the coming months, the NFL says fans can expect details and sneak peeks about the Halftime Show to be released on TikTok, Instagram, and Twitter.
Rihanna and her boyfriend A$AP Rocky welcomed their first child together, a boy, in May of this year.