Rihanna to headline Super Bowl half-time show
Image credit: eCell FMS
The NFL has revealed that pop icon Rihanna will be the half-time performer at the Super Bowl in Arizona in February.
The nine-time Grammy winner shared a photo of an NFL-branded football on Twitter to share the news.
The 34-year-old was referred to as a “generational talent” by the organisers in a news release issued on Sunday evening.
This year’s 14-minute performance drew more than 120 million views, making it one of the most popular music events, according to the NFL.
Kendrick Lamar, Mary J. Blige, Eminem, Dr Dre, and Snoop Dogg were among the all-star lineup. For Outstanding Variety Special, the programme received an Emmy Award (Live).
Seth Dudowsky, the NFL’s director of music, said Rihanna is a once-in-a-generation performer who has influenced culture throughout her career.
According to Jay-Z, whose Roc Nation entertainment firm will assist in organising the event, “A lady of humble beginnings who has exceeded expectations at every step” will be honoured.
“A person from the tiny island of Barbados who rose to fame as one of the greatest painters ever. “Business and entertainment are self-made,” he said
Rihanna’s decision represents a stunning about-face for the singer, who declined a gig as the show’s headlining act in 2019 in support of NFL player Colin Kaepernick.
Colin Kaepernick, a former starting quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers, decided to kneel during the playing of the national anthem, which sparked a global movement against racism. As a result, he hasn’t played in a league game since 2016.
Later, he filed a lawsuit against the NFL, alleging that the league’s owners were planning to keep him out of the game.
At the time, Rihanna asserted that she would have been an “enabler” if she had accepted the post.
US media earlier this week stated that Taylor Swift had declined a request to open the event in favour of continuing to re-record numerous albums.
Swift made plans to re-release her first six albums last year in order to have total creative freedom. The action came when music mogul Scooter Braun bought her master recordings in 2019 and later sold them to an investment fund.