Yes, it’s official — Rihanna is headlining the Super Bowl LVII Halftime Show. On Sept. 25, the National Football League issued a press release in conjunction with Apple Music and Roc Nation announcing the icon’s inclusion to the show. With the recent shift to halftime shows that showcase more than one artist, we’re left wondering… who will potentially join Rihanna in her 2023 halftime performance?
Rihanna’s addition to the 2023 Super Bowl Halftime Show comes as her first performance since the 2018 Grammys. Yes, it’s really been four years since we’ve been blessed with a Rihanna performance. Not to mention, the last taste of new music the public got from the icon herself was her 2016 album, Anti.
Rihanna previously turned down an offer to perform in the 2019 Super Bowl Half Time Show after being disappointed with the NFL’s treatment towards Colin Kaepernick. When speaking with Vogue about the opportunity in 2019, she stated “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,” making her addition to the 2023 halftime show even more shocking.
In her break from the music industry, Rihanna has been busy building her makeup and clothing empires, as well as becoming a new mother with the birth of her first child. With so much on her plate, that’s not to say that her fans haven’t been eager for her return, and now, all of our prayers have been answered! It’s official, we’ve survived the “Rihanna drought!”
Twitter erupted after the announcement was made official by the NFL, and Rihanna herself took to social media to post a photo of her holding an official NFL football. There’s one question that we all need answered: Is Rihanna going to be sharing the halftime stage? Halftime shows have previously headlined one artist with a “feature” of a few others. In 2020, this all changed when Shakira and Jennifer Lopez shared the stage together, and in 2021 when Mary J. Blige, Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Eminem and Kendrick Lamar headlined the show. While pondering possible candidates, there’s been a few juicy theories from Twitter users when it comes to who might take on the 2023 Super Bowl Halftime Show with Rihanna.
- Britney Spears
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Let’s just say if Rihanna brought out the pop princess herself, the world would be shocked. After the duo joined forces in Rihanna’s 2011 Billboard Music Awards to perform “S&M (Remix),” Twitter users have contemplated a possible reunion between the two. After everything that Britney has gone through amid her conservatorship, I would just hope that her possible addition to the halftime show would be on her own terms.
- Shakira
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Yes, even though Shakira was a headliner for the 2020 halftime show, Twitter still thinks we could see her grace the stage again. Rihanna worked with Shakira in 2014 on their song “Can’t Remember to Forget You,” and many fans hope to see them work together again in some capacity.
- Drake
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The alleged relationship between Drake and Rihanna sent the media into a frenzy throughout the 2010s. The two have joined forces to collaborate on fan-favorite tracks including Rihanna’s “Work” and Drake’s “Too Good,” making Drake a suitable candidate for Rihanna to have joined her during her halftime show.
It’s unsure where the two stand today, though. In a 2018 interview with Vogue, Rihanna explained that in regards to Drake, “We don’t have a friendship now, but we’re not enemies either. It is what it is.” Fingers crossed, because I would personally love to see it.
- Jay-Z & Kanye West
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As the executive producer of Roc Nation and a long-term colleague, it’d be no surprise if Rihanna brought out Jay-Z to join her halftime performance. Twitter, too, wants to see Kanye West a part of the show so the trio can perform their hit “Run This Town.” Rihanna has worked with both artists separately, so including both artists in her show would allow fans to see recreations of hits like “FourFiveSeconds”and “Talk That Talk.”
- Tom Holland
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I mean, who can really blame Twitter for this one? Actor Tom Holland took to MTV’s Lip Sync Battle in 2017 where he performed a rendition of Rihanna’s Umbrella, delivering one of the most iconic lip sync performances of all time. In the performance, Holland showed off his performance skills and even got into quick drag with a leotard, bobbed wig, and a red lip makeup look. He swiftly cemented himself as a lip sync assassin when he danced in the rain… yes, in the rain! This theory might be a joke, but who really wouldn’t want to see Rihanna bring Holland out on one of the biggest stages to re-create such an iconic moment in history?
- Rihanna, by herself
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While contemplating the many different artists that could grace the stage with Rihanna, many users don’t even want to assess the possible options. With a body of music as massive and successful as Rihanna’s many are wondering: Does she even need a co-star? The answer to that question is to be determined, though if I do say so myself, I think Rihanna can handle this gig on her own.