5 things fans are desperate to see in Rihanna’s Super Bowl show, from Drag Race to Tom Holland
After years in the wilderness, Rihanna fans finally have something to look forward to – the singer will headline the US Super Bowl’s half-time show in February.
The icon finally put speculation to bed when she shared a picture of herself on Instagram holding a football.
The news was later confirmed by the NFL, which described Rihanna as a “once in a generation artist who has been a cultural force throughout her career”.
— Rihanna (@rihanna) September 25, 2022
Needless to say, Twitter immediately went into meltdown, with everyone rushing to share what their hopes are for Rihanna’s long-awaited performance at the American football playoff final.
1. Everyone is desperately craving new music from Rihanna
Rihanna’s taken so long to release new music that it’s become something of a running joke.
Her eighth studio album Anti was released in 2016, and ever since then, fans have had to make do with some of her Fenty Beauty products to keep them going.
During that time, she has repeatedly hinted at new music, telling fans in December 2021 it would be arriving “soon, soon, soon”.
News Rihanna will headline the Super Bowl’s half-time show has reignited hopes she could release a new album ahead of – or perhaps shortly after – the 12 February 2023 slot.
Still, that didn’t stop Twitter from having fun at RiRi’s expense, with some joking she’ll just showcase her latest cosmetics products at the event.
rihanna leaving the super bowl stage after explaining all the new fenty products coming in 2024 pic.twitter.com/yhPtNWL9Qm— tia (@cursedhive) September 25, 2022
Rihanna at the superbowl: pic.twitter.com/OlyqntS0eO— toss a coin to your witcher (@itsayosignz) September 25, 2022
Rihanna bout to announce Fenty Sports. Y’all not getting no album.— Well guess what, I’m CP (@TopherPatt) September 25, 2022
2. The gays are craving drag – and Rihanna better deliver
Immediately after Rihanna was announced as headliner at the Super Bowl, Twitter gays started their campaign to have her bring out Tatianna and Alyssa Edwards during “Shut Up and Drive”.
The drag legends famously performed a lip-sync to the song on RuPaul’s Drag Race, and queer Rihanna fans desperately want to see that iconic performance re-enacted on the Super Bowl stage.
We know it’s probably not likely to happen, but we can dream.
I would like to see it 😌 https://t.co/JytcfwZwkO
— RuPaul's Drag Race (@RuPaulsDragRace) September 25, 2022
3. Fans want her to bring out Tom Holland for ‘Umbrella’
Remember the time Spider-Man star Tom Holland lip-synced to “Umbrella” and cemented his place in everyone’s minds for the rest of time?
Well, Twitter was certainly reminded of that iconic performance after she was announced as Super Bowl headliner.
Fans quickly pleaded with the singer to bring Tom Holland out to lip-sync to “Umbrella” – it’s the tonic we all need after a turbulent few years.
If Rihanna brings out Tom Holland at the Super Bowl… https://t.co/HldXRGD8aR— Chicks in the Office (@ChicksInTheOff) September 25, 2022
If Rihanna is doing the halftime show at the Super Bowl and Tom Holland DOESN’T come out and dance to Umbrella wtf are we even doing as a species?
Something like that is the whole point of being alive!!— kevinbiegel (@kbiegel) September 26, 2022
4. Fans want Rihanna to bring Britney Spears on stage
Given Britney Spears has only recently launched her comeback with “Hold me Closer”, it would seem fitting to have her join Rihanna on stage.
Shortly after the announcement landed that Rihanna would be the headliner, fans started calling on the singer to bring Britney out to join her on “S&M”.
It would be the collaboration of the internet’s dreams – the pair famously duetted a remix of the song in 2011, and it immediately went down in pop culture history.
What if Rihanna brings out Britney Spears and does S&M (Remix) pic.twitter.com/eQQDBl7H9o— 💫 (@heyjaeee) September 25, 2022
5. Fans want to see as many Rihanna hits as possible
Rihanna is the perfect fit to headline the Super Bowl half-time performance for many reasons – and one is that she has an absolutely mammoth number of hits to pick from.
Ever since news broke that she would be performing, fans have been begging her to perform their favourite songs – and the list is long.
In addition to “S&M” and “Umbrella”, fans have been pleading with the singer to bring songs like “Diamonds”, “Rude Boy”, “Only Girl (in the World)” and “We Found Love” to the Super Bowl stage.
Admittedly, Rihanna’s time slot might be a little too short to unleash all of those songs, but fans are hoping she’ll be able to factor in as many as possible.