Yesterday, Sunday 25 September, it was announced that Rihanna will be performing at the 2023 Super Bowl Halftime Show. It’s a surprising move from the singer considering she rejected an offer to perform at the 2020 Show.
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Rihanna changes her mind
In 2019, Rihanna was among many artists who boycotted offers to perform at the 2020 Super Bowl in solidarity with Colin Kaepernick. The former San Francisco 49ers player and civil rights activist started kneeling during the national anthem in 2016 in protest against police brutality and racial injustice, as reported by Newsweek.
Kaepernick ended up leaving San Francisco and was unable to sign with another NFL team. He then filed a lawsuit against the NFL, accusing the league's owner of colluding to exile him from the sport, as reported byThe Guardian. The case was eventually settled in early 2019.
Rihanna said toVogue in 2019:
I couldn't dare do that. For what? Who gains from that? Not my people. I just couldn't be a sellout. I couldn't be an enabler. There's things within that organization that I do not agree with at all, and I was not about to go and be of service to them in any way.
As a result, the 2020 Halftime Show was performed by Maroon 5.
Why?
It is unclear what lead to Rihanna's change of heart. Could it be that she's about to release a new album? Rihanna hasn't released an album since 2016. The announcement has sparked hope amongst fans that a new one could finally be on the way, as reported by Variety.
Jay Z, the founder of Roc Nation (the music label to which Rihanna is currently signed), wrote in a statement:
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.
Next year's event is scheduled to be played on 12 February 2023 at the State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona.
Sources:
- Newsweek: 'Rihanna to Perform Super Bowl After Rejecting 2019 Offer Over Kaepernick'
- The Guardian: ''A generational talent': Rihanna to perform Super Bowl half-time show'
- Variety: 'Rihanna Confirmed for Super Bowl Halftime Show'
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