Rihanna is headlining the Super Bowl LVII halftime show, and fans are freaking out

It seems prayers have been answered: RiRi will make a highly-anticipated return to the stage in 2023.  

On Sunday, September 25, news broke that Rihanna will not only be performing at the Super Bowl LVII halftime show, but she'll actually be headlining it. You can count on fans to be fastened to the couch, chips and guac at hand. 

Earlier this year, the Rihanna Vogue interview suggested that the musician and beauty mogul would in fact be releasing new music after the birth of her baby, but it's not clear what she'll be performing when the time comes.

One thing's for sure, she intends to make a statement, as this is the NFL's first year embarking on a new deal with Apple Music as the primary sponsor of the halftime show instead of Pepsi. 

"We’re excited to partner with Rihanna, Roc Nation and the NFL to bring music and sports fans a momentous show," Oliver Schusser, Apple’s vice president for Apple Music and Beats, said in a statement, according to The New York Times. 

Does this unexpected reveal mean that a new Rihanna album—what would be her first release since 2016—is also on the way? Looks like we're about to find out.

Rihanna super bowl halftime show—what you need to know

When is the Super Bowl 2023?

Mark your calendars for February 12, 2023. RiRi is going to be busy, and you likely will be, too. Honestly, we've seem to have forgotten that this event is about sports now that Rihanna's news broke. 

Fan reactions to Rihanna's announcement

But of course, fans flooded newsfeeds with thoughts about Rihanna's return—the excitement, the screams, the Fenty Beauty jokes!

Has Rihanna performed at the Super Bowl halftime show before?

Although she was set to headline the 2019 halftime show, the singer told Vogue three years ago that she ultimately stepped down to show support for Colin Kaepernick, the quarterback who spurred support and controversy by taking a knee during the national anthem. 

"I couldn’t dare do that," Rihanna told Vogue regarding her decision to back out. "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."

When was the last time Rihanna performed?

Her halftime performance in 2023 will mark the end of a four-year hiatus. The last time Rihanna performed live was February 2019.

Rihanna new music

So, will Riri be debuting new tracks, replaying classics or doing some combo of the two? It's too soon to say, and she's not providing any hints, so here's hoping a positive mentality will manifest a new album. 

In 2020, the musician and entrepreneur told British Vogue "I can’t say when I’m going to drop, but I am very aggressively working on music."

She followed up by confirming to Entertainment Tonight ahead of her pregnancy that she's sticking to her word. 

"Well, yes, you’re still going to get music from me," she told the outlet. "Not a lullaby. My fans would kill me if they waited this long for a lullaby."

Though she's mum on the details, we at least have her word that more's on the way. In the meantime, we'll just be scanning the Fenty aisle over at Sephora.