Singer Rihanna will be headlining the Super Bowl Halftime Show in February 2023.
She revealed the news on her Instagram on Sunday with a photo of a hand holding up a football and writing a period in the caption.
Roc Nation, the record label that Rihanna has been signed with since 2014, reposted the photo on its Instagram with the caption, “Let’s GO.” They also tagged Rihanna and the NFL.
Seth Dudowsky, head of music for the NFL, also made a statement where he called Rihanna “a once-in-a-generation artist,” per the Hollywood Reporter.
“We are thrilled to welcome Rihanna to the Apple Music Super Bowl Halftime Show stage. 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,” he said.
Let’s GO – @Rihanna @NFL #SBLVII @AppleMusic @NFLonFOx pic.twitter.com/SXwd2dpq1S
— Roc Nation (@RocNation) September 25, 2022
After the announcement, rapper and Roc Nation founder Jay-Z also made a statement celebrating Rihanna and her accomplishments.
“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,” he said, per the Hollywood Reporter.
Rihanna has not released music in six years as she has been focusing on her clothing line Savage x Fenty and her beauty brand Fenty Beauty, according to People. She also welcomed a son with rapper A$AP Rocky in May 2022.
In September 2021, she gave an update on her return to music and what listeners should expect to hear from her.
“Whatever you know of Rihanna is not going to be what you hear. I’m really experimenting. Music is like fashion. You should be able to play. I should be able to wear whatever I want. I treat music the same way. So I’m having fun, and it’s going to be completely different,” she said, per the Associated Press.