What we know about Rihanna's upcoming Super Bowl Half-Time performance
It takes place on 12th February
Last updated 22nd Mar 2023
Pop superstar Rihanna will be headlining the Super Bowl on 12th February and in the run up to her first performance in seven years she's revealed a little about what we can expect from the gig.
Speaking at the Super Bowl press conference, Rihanna told the press that she had a massive 39 versions of the setlist, admitting: "Yeah! I think we're onto our 39th! Every little change counts, whether I want like a guitar cut out or something muted, something added, or just put in a whole new song, or take out a whole song."
She also explained why it was important for her saying: "It's important for me to do this this year, it's important for representation, it's important for my son to see that."
How was Rihanna announced for the Super Bowl Half-Time show?
In September 2022, both Rihanna and NFL shared a photo of Rihanna's hand holding an NFL branded football to their socials. Rihanna captioned her photo on Twitter with just a '.', meanwhile, NFL wrote: 'Let’s GO - @badgalriri @rocnation #SBLVII @applemusic @nflonfox'.
This is the first major performance from Rihanna in seven years, who welcomed a baby boy with A$AP Rocky last year. Best-known for her hits, 'Umbrella', 'Take a Bow', 'Only Girl (In the World)', 'We Found Love' with Calvin Harris and 'Diamonds', the Barbadian singer is sure to give an amazing performance.
In a statement, Jay-Z, Roc Nation's founder, said: "Rihanna is a generational talent, 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."
Seth Dudowsky, who oversees music at the NFL added: "We are thrilled to welcome Rihanna to the ... Halftime Show stage."
Since the announcement, Rihanna released her first new music after six years, 'Lift Me Up', from the new film Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, and opened up about her upcoming performance.
Rihanna's reaction to the Super Bowl Half-Time show announcement
Speaking on the red carpet of her Savage X Fenty Show, Rihanna told ET: "I can’t believe I even said yes. It was one of those things that even when I announced it, I was like, ‘OK, I can’t take it back. Now, it’s like final’."
She went on to say: "The Super Bowl is one of the biggest stages in the world, it’s an entertainer’s dream to be on a stage like that, but it’s nerve-racking. You want to get it right. You know, everybody’s watching. And they’re rooting for you. And I want to get it right."
What songs will Rihanna perform?
Rihanna has not yet confirmed what songs she will perform, but she has said there are 39 versions of the setlist. Cramming 17 years worth of music into 13 minutes has been hard, and the singer opened up about it at a press conference saying: "That (the setlist) was the hardest part, deciding how to maximise 13 minutes but also celebrate, that's what the show's meant to be, a celebration of my catalogue in the best way that we could have put it together."
Savage x Fenty release Super Bowl collection
Rihanna's Savage x Fenty have released a Super Bowl collection. The official Savage x Fenty Instagram account shared several photos of the singer, and other people wearing different tops from the range.
One T-shirt in particular gained a lot of attention. Described as a 'surprise tee', it was a white T-Shirt with the words: 'RIHANNA CONCERT INTERRUPTED BY A FOOTBALL GAME, WEIRD BUT WHATEVER' written on it.
On the inside of the top, it had Rihanna's face, wearing an American football helmet, with the words Savage x Fenty on it.
Super Bowl 2022 Half-Time show
The Super Bowl half-time performances are known for their amazing shows, and in the past, acts including P!nk, The Weeknd, Bruno Mars, and Coldplay have wowed audiences with their performances.
The 2022 Super Bowl took place back in February with a star-studded line-up of Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Dr Dre, Mary J Blige, Kendrick Lamar and 50 Cent. Dr Dre made quite the entrance as he rose above a mock-up community housing project, performing his hit with Snoop Dogg, 'Next Episode'.
Dr Dre and Snoop Dogg then continued the show, performing 2Pac's 'California Love', with Dr Dre doing the late rapper's part.
When is the Super Bowl 2023?
The Super Bowl takes place on Sunday 12th February.
Now take a look through Rihanna's amazing career timeline:
2005: First signing
In 2005, Rihanna was discovered by American record producer Evan Rogers in her home country of Barbados. The 16-year-old's demo was then sent to Def Jam Recordings, where it was played to the company's new CEO Jay-Z. Jay-Z invited Rihanna to audition and RiRi left the audition with a six album record deal... easy as that!
2005: 'Pon de Replay'
It wasn't long before RiRi then released her first album 'Music of the Sun', which sold over two million copies worldwide. It was then in May 2005 the world was graced with the anthem that is 'Pon de Replay' - meaning 'play it again' in Bajan Creole, one of the official languages of Rihanna's home country Barbados. The track had appeared on her original demo that landed her that record deal. The song sold a whopping two million copies, charting top 10 in the UK, US and across the globe.
2006: Ri's first Number 1 single
2006 saw the release of Rihanna's second studio album 'A Girl Like Me', containing bangers such as 'Unfaithful' and 'We Ride'. The album also featured what became her first ever number 1 single 'SOS'.
2007: 'Good Girl Gone Bad'
2007 saw Rihanna go from teen-popstar to legendary icon. With the release of the chart topping hit 'Umbrella', RiRi showcased her new, sleek look that has been described by critics as a turning point in her career. The star well and truly ditched her innocent teen look, opting for an edgier, bad girl vibe.
2008: Rihanna's first grammy
After receiving four nominations for the 2008 GRAMMYs, including 'Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals', 'Record of the Year' and 'Best Dance Recording', Rihanna walked away from the annual award ceremony the winner of the 'Best Rap/Sung Performance' award - her first ever GRAMMY crown!
2009: 'Rated R'
2009 warmly welcomed the hard-hitting album 'Rated R', including hits such as 'Rude Boy', 'Te Amo' and 'Russian Roulette'. The mature album reflected on the star's recent struggles and was described by critics as her most layered and heartfelt effort.
2010: 'LOUD'
Now 2010 was quite the year for this superstar; after ditching her signature dark hair, the star opted for a vibrant red do. Oh, and she also released her fifth studio album 'Loud' that landed her her first ever GRAMMY nomination for 'Album of the Year', featuring her and Drizzy Drake collab for the first time ever. The legendary collab 'What's My Name' featured on the album alongside 'S&M', 'Only Girl (In The World)' and 'Love The Way You Lie (Part II)'. Since then, Rihanna and Drake have gone on to team up on multiple other tunes, including 'Take Care'.
2011: 'We Found Love'
In 2011 the world welcomed with open arms one of Rihanna's most iconic songs 'We Found Love'. Featuring on her sixth studio album 'Talk That Talk', the star teamed up with Scottish DJ Calvin Harris to produce this, how do you say it... masterpiece. Other than becoming a staple song at any teen disco and/or house-party, the song went on to win the singer awards for 'Best R&B/Urban Dance Track', 'Best Commercial/Pop Dance Track', 'Video Of The Year' and 'Best Short Form Music Video'. WOWZA.
2012: Acting career begins with Battleship
Queen Ri's talent didn't stop there. In 2012 the Barbadian beauty made her big screen debut in summer blockbuster 'Battleship' as Petty Officer Cora Raikes. This lead to her winning the Teen Choice Award for 'Choice Movie Breakout Star - Female'.
2012: First number 1 album
That same year (2017) Rihanna's seventh studio album 'Unapologetic' became her first No. 1 album, winning her the GRAMMY for 'Best Urban Contemporary Album' in January 2014. The album boasts hit tracks such as 'Diamonds' and 'What Now'. Also featured on the album was the incredible 'Stay', which after being released as a single from the album made no. 1 in Bulgaria, Canada, the Czech Republic and Denmark, as well as charting in the Top 5 in the UK, Australia, France, Germany, New Zealand, Norway and Switzerland.
2013 - 2014: Win win win!
Throughout 2013 and 2014, Rihanna took the crown for various awards, including the GRAMMY Award for 'Best Music Video', the Billboard Music Award for 'Top R&B Artist', 'Top R&B Song' AND 'Top R&B Album', the NRJ Music Award for 'International Female Artist of the Year', the BET Award for 'Best Female R&B/Pop Artist' and the GRAMMY Award for 'Best Urban Contemporary Album'...you know, just to name a few.
2014: Puma
2014 saw the superstar named the creative director of, and a brand ambassador for, Puma. These roles lead to her launching the 'Fenty x Puma' range, responsible for fashion trends such as fur sliders and suede creepers.
2016: 'Anti'
After three years of waiting, fans were not disappointed with Rihanna's surprise release of 'Anti' - her eighth studio album. Shooting to number 1 just two weeks after its initial debut, going on to spend 159 weeks on the Billboard Hot 200. 'Anti' graced us with hits such as 'Work', 'Kiss It Better' and 'Love on the Brain'.
2017: The launch of Fenty Beauty
Welcoming 2017 by being awarded Humanitarian of the Year by Harvard University, it was set to be a good year for the singer/actor/fashionista extraordinaire with her also launching her incredibly successful beauty line Fenty Beauty. September 8th, 2017 saw the line officially hit Sephora's website. The line was praised for boasting 40 different foundation shades, with many describing this as the new 'standard of inclusivity for skin tones'. Fenty Beauty went onto be listed by Time Magazine as one of the best inventions of 2017. The brand has gone onto release body shimmers, eye shadows, highlighters, concealers and the infamous Fenty Beauty Fairy Bomb (ie a massive fluffy pink pom pom full of glitter).
2018: Savage Fenty
In 2018, the the popstar-turned-entrepreneur launched her largely anticipated lingerie line 'Savage x Fenty'. The collection was launched with 90 pieces of lingerie, sleepwear, and accessories with an extensive sizing range. "I can only hope to encourage confidence and strength by showing lingerie in another light," she told Vogue.
2020: PARTYNEXTDOOR Collab
In March 2020, Rihanna finally gave us some music when she teamed up with PARTYNEXTDOOR on the hit 'BELIEVE IT'.
2020: Fenty Skin
In July 2020, Rihanna announced the launch of beauty brand Fenty Skin. Sharing a video of herself using all the products she wrote, 'Ima try my best to be humble about this but, @fentyskin is coming July 31st exclusively at FENTYSKIN.COM!! "Y'all ain't hear it from me 🤫 but you can shop it early if ya drop me your email through the link in my bio...'. (sic)
It was then in December 2020 that the range became available in the UK.
2021: Rihanna's new music
With Rihanna's last album, 'Anti', being released way back in 2016, it's no secret that RiRi fans are desperate for new music from the star! In 2019 reports broke that Rihanna was working on her ninth album, with the singer revealing to Vogue in 2020 that she was "very aggressively working on music", with her new material being on a "different level" and "worth the wait". After testRihanna's savage response to a fan requesting her new album in 2021, here's hoping that we get to hear it soon!
2021: Rihanna is officially a BILLIONAIRE
Queen RiRi was announced as a billionaire in August 2021. She's now worth an estimated £1.2 billion according to Forbes, making her the wealthiest female musician on the planet due to her shares in Fenty Beauty and Savage x Fenty. She's now the second richest female entertainer behind Oprah Winfrey.
In July 2022, Rihanna's worth increased further, de-throning Kim Kardashian to become America's youngest self-made female billionaire, with a net worth of $1.4billion.
2022: Rihanna pledges $15million to help climate change
In January 2022, it was revealed that Rihanna pledged $15 million (£11.1million) to fighting for climate justice through her Clara Lionel Foundation, which is named after her grandparents. The donations were spread across 18 climate justice organisations working in seven Caribbean nations and the US.
2022: Rihanna promises new music following pregnancy announcement
Rihanna sent her fans into a frenzy as she revealed that she was pregnant in January 2022, with the singer expecting her first child with her boyfriend A$AP Rocky.
The exciting announcement had many fans thinking that they would have to wait a little bit longer for new music from RiRi, however the singer put all our minds at ease as she revealed that despite expecting baby No.1, we will still get new music from her. She said: "Yes, you're still going to get music from me." before joking: "My fans would kill me if they waited this long for a lullaby!"
2022: Rihanna makes debut on Forbes billionaires list
Despite Forbes revealing in 2021 that Rihanna was officially a billionaire, it wasn't until April 2022 that the singer was officially listed in the business magazine's billionaires list. Forbes reported Rihanna's fortune to be around £1,400,000,000.
Ranking at number 1729 (on 5th April), the singer joins the Forbes billionaires list alongside other huge names such as Kanye West, Jay-Z and director Peter Jackson.
2022: Rihanna announced for Super Bowl 2023
In September 2022, Rihanna was announced for the Super Bowl 2023 Half Time Show with an iconic photo.
2022: Rihanna releases new single 'Lift Me Up'
The moment we were all waiting for! After Marvel teased that Rihanna may have some involvement with their upcoming film Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, the singer soon confirmed the news that she was releasing a new single for the huge film. Then, on 28th October 2022, Rihanna dropped the track 'Lift Me Up'.
The song serves as the lead single for the Black Panther 2 soundtrack, with the rest of the film's songs being released on 4th November.
2023: Savage x Fenty release Super Bowl collection
In January 2023, a month ahead of the Super Bowl, Rihanna's brand Savage x Fenty released a Super Bowl collection, including a 'surprise tee' which included a photo of Rihanna on the inside!
2023: Oscars nomination
Rihanna received an Oscars nomination in January 2023 for 'Lift Me Up', which features on the soundtrack of Marvel's Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. She was up against Lady Gaga and Bloodpop for 'Hold My Hand' from Top Gun: Maverick, as well as songs from Tell It Like a Woman, Everything Everywhere All at Once and RRR.
2023: Super Bowl performance
Rihanna took to the stage during the Super Bowl Half-Time show performing 17 years of hits in just 13 minutes - and casually announced she was pregnant by rubbing her baby bump as she appeared on stage! She welcomed her second baby in August 2023.
2023: Savage x Fenty maternity range
Rihanna shared new photos of her son RZA as she launched her new clothing range in August 2023 - a maternity collection of her underwear brand, Savage x Fenty. Rihanna was praised around the world as she shared some empowering photos of herself breastfeeding RZA, along with some other pics of her modelling some of her new range.
2023: First female to have 10 songs with 1B Spotify streams
In June 2023, RiRi became the first female artist to have 10 songs with 1 billion Spotify streams! She celebrated the news on Instagram, writing: 'Bad Gal billi … wit no new album lemme talk my sh-- 😜🇧🇧'. (sic)
Now read:
Rihanna: A career timeline 🎶
Everything you need to know about the multi-talented Rihanna
Rihanna reassures fans they can still expect new music