RIHANNA fans are eagerly anticipating her performance at the Super Bowl half-time show – one of the biggest and most prestigious gigs in music.
The singer will perform during the break when the Philadelphia Eagles take on the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday.
Rihanna has not toured or released an album since 2016’s Anti. The star has instead focused on her fashion brand, and last year welcomed her first child.
However, she did record a new song last year for Marvel’s Wakanda Forever.
Lift Me Up, which features on the soundtrack to the Black Panther sequel, marked Rihanna’s first new solo single in six years.
Fans hope that the 34-year-old’s Super Bowl performance could signal a bigger musical comeback later this year.
The Super Bowl is the annual final playoff game of the National Football League (NFL), to determine the league champion.
This year, the Philadelphia Eagles will face the Kansas City Chiefs at the State Farm Stadium in Arizona.
The Super Bowl LVII (the Roman numerals signify this is the 57th year) will take place on Sunday, with kick-off set for 23:30 GMT (18:30 ET / 16:30 MST).
The game usually lasts about three-and-a-half hours, with a 30-minute break in the middle, which is where an A-list pop star is hired to keep the crowd entertained.
Nobody knows for sure which of the songs Rihanna will sing, but she should be able to squeeze quite a few of her many hits into the 14-minute set, particularly as performers often play only short snippets of some songs so they can cover more of their back catalogue.
Speculating about the possible song list is part of the fun for fans. Gossip outlet Deuxmoi quoted a source last week who suggested Rihanna would stick to her older, best-known hits, but added that the set list is being constantly tweaked and polished.
Half-time performers also often invite very special guests to appear alongside them. Coldplay brought out Beyoncé and Bruno Mars, while Katy Perry hosted Missy Elliott and Lenny Kravitz.
But the involvement of a guest can often result in the most controversial moments of half-time shows, such as Justin Timberlake and Janet Jackson’s “wardrobe malfunction” and M.I.A.’s choice of hand gesture when she joined Madonna.
Rihanna’s return to live performing has prompted speculation that new music from her could finally be on the way.
The singer used to churn out one album a year, but took an extended break from music after 2016’s Anti, resurfacing only occasionally to work with other artists.
Her last genuinely massive hit was 2017’s Wild Thoughts, a collaboration with DJ Khaled and Bryson Tiller, which the trio performed at the following year’s Grammy Awards.
Since then, she has had her first child with her partner A$AP Rocky and continues to build her fashion and cosmetics brand Fenty.
Her latest song has catapulted her into this year’s film awards season. She attended the Golden Globes last month, where the track was nominated, and she is also up for best original song at the Oscars on March 12.
Her absence from the world of music has lasted so long, the huge anticipation for her new album has become something of a running joke.
Comedian Jerrod Carmichael recently made light of the situation when he hosted the Golden Globes.
“I’m going to say something very controversial,” he said. “Rihanna, you take all the time you want on that album girl. Don’t let these fools on the internet pressure you into nothing.”(BBC)
