Dr. Dre, JAY-Z React To Rihanna Super Bowl Halftime Show Announcement

On Sunday, the singer confirmed that she will headline the 2023 Super Bowl Halftime Show, posting a photo of her arm holding an NFL football. Fans and friends took to social media to celebrate the big news.

JAY-Z, whose Roc Nation is an executive producer of the show, released a statement celebrating Rihanna’s journey to becoming a global pop icon.

“Rihanna is a generational talent, a woman of humble beginnings who has surpassed expectations at every turn,” said Hov. “A person born on the small island of Barbados who became one of the most prominent artists ever. Self-made in business and entertainment.”

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— Rihanna (@rihanna) September 25, 2022

Moments after the announcement, Dr. Dre, who headlined this year’s halftime show with Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Kendrick Lamar, and Mary J. Blige, also shared his excitement.

“Oh, my God. Let me tell you something, man. I actually just got the news that Rihanna’s going to do it, and I’m a super fan of Rihanna. I can’t wait to see what she’s going to do,” he told Ebro Darden on Apple Music 1.

Dre is eager to see what RiRi brings to the stage. “I just like her and what she does, and her get down, and how she approaches her artistry and the whole nine. It’s fantastic,” he said. “She has the opportunity to really blow us away. I know we set the bar extremely high.”

The legendary producer shared some advice for Rihanna. “Put the right people around you, and have fun. That’s basically what it is, making sure you have the right creative people around you. She might want to look into some of the people that we used to do our show.”

Rihanna, who is readying her first album in six years, previously turned down an offer to perform at the 2019 Super Bowl in support of Colin Kaepernick, who protested police brutality and systemic racism by kneeling during the national anthem in 2016.

“I couldn’t dare do that. For what?” she told Vogue in 2019. “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.”

Presented by Apple Music, the Super Bowl LVII Halftime Show will take place at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, on Feb. 12.