Rihanna to headline Apple Music's Super Bowl Halftime Show

Musician Rihanna will be headlining the first Apple Music Super Bowl Halftime Show, taking to the stadium stage during Super Bowl LVII.

Following the announcement of Apple Music sponsoring what the NFL calls the "most-watched musical performance of the year," Apple has confirmed that the show will be fronted by seasoned musician Rihanna.

Posted to the Apple Music Twitter account, as well as accounts controlled by the NFL and Rihanna herself, the announcement states the artist will "take the stage" for the media event on February 12, 2023. The announcement is accompanied by an NFL-branded football, held up by Rihanna's forearm.

While Apple Music gives the full details of the announcement, including a declaration that "It's on," Rihanna's Twitter instead shows just the image.

IT'S ON.@rihanna will take the stage for the first ever Apple Music Super Bowl Halftime Show on 2.12.23. #SBLVII @NFL @NFLonFOX @RocNation pic.twitter.com/Kz1YY19zAA
— Apple Music (@AppleMusic) September 25, 2022

It is unclear if Rihanna will be headlining the half-time show solo or if other major artists will be taking part in the spectacle. It is likely that other featured musicians will be made known in the coming weeks, or shortly before the Super Bowl itself.

The NFL announced that Apple Music was taking over the sponsorship of the 15-minute show on September 23. While it is unknown how much Apple will be spending for the sponsorship, it was reported in February that the NFL wanted a replacement for previous sponsor Pepsi willing to part with between $40 million and $50 million per year.

Apple Music has also started to promote the sponsorship link by adding dedicated playlists celebrating performers from previous shows.

6 Comments

AniMill 4 Years · 193 comments

About 2 years ago

Wait, $40m ~ $50m a year?! For Apple, that’s chump-change. They sneeze that the great donut of Cupertino every day. This is a great move - and how ironic: Apple replacing Pepsi, the company where a certain CEO hailed so many years ago.

mattinoz 9 Years · 2488 comments

I guess the Apple Weather forecast is for rain!

thinkman100000000 3 Years · 87 comments

Not that long ago, tramps like Riri made their living on street corners. Today they spew trash from their foul mouths and parade around like "ladies of the night", and make millions. No, I'm not a prude, just using words that won't get censored. Interestingly, Apple will let you play the most disgusting and vile songs from these "ladies" (as will every streaming service) but if you even hint at some of the words they use in a review, Apple will reject it and flip you the bird at the same time. Of course, this is true of most of the rap community. I use Rhianna here because she's the heart of the story.

I get worked up about this because these are the "stars" that our kids model themselves after. So, this is not a simple free-speech issue at all.

DAalseth 6 Years · 3067 comments

thinkman100000000 said:

Not that long ago, tramps like Riri made their living on street corners. Today they spew trash from their foul mouths and parade around like "ladies of the night", and make millions. No, I'm not a prude, just using words that won't get censored. Interestingly, Apple will let you play the most disgusting and vile songs from these "ladies" (as will every streaming service) but if you even hint at some of the words they use in a review, Apple will reject it and flip you the bird at the same time. Of course, this is true of most of the rap community. I use Rhianna here because she's the heart of the story.
I get worked up about this because these are the "stars" that our kids model themselves after. So, this is not a simple free-speech issue at all.

Dude, how old are you?
I’m 61. I remember my folks saying essentially the same thing about my music. The Beatles, The Stones, Fleetwood Mac, Pink Floyd were just horrible and were going to corrupt the youth. But then I remember reading reports from the time saying that my grandparents music, jazz, was terrible and obscene. It’s the pattern. The music of “the kids” is always terrible, in the eyes of the older generation. That’s why, while Beyonce, and Rihanna, or even Drake and other rappers and Hip Hop artists, aren’t my cup of tea, I won’t make the rant you just did. I won’t criticize it. It may not be to my taste, but I’m open minded enough to see the art, the creativity, the talent in it. Remember young Beethoven was considered too radical and edgy by the Bach fans of the time.

crowley 15 Years · 10431 comments

thinkman100000000 said:

Not that long ago, tramps like Riri made their living on street corners. Today they spew trash from their foul mouths and parade around like "ladies of the night", and make millions. No, I'm not a prude, just using words that won't get censored. Interestingly, Apple will let you play the most disgusting and vile songs from these "ladies" (as will every streaming service) but if you even hint at some of the words they use in a review, Apple will reject it and flip you the bird at the same time. Of course, this is true of most of the rap community. I use Rhianna here because she's the heart of the story.
I get worked up about this because these are the "stars" that our kids model themselves after. So, this is not a simple free-speech issue at all.

You seem to be under the impression that Rihanna is a rapper. She is not.