Rihanna (Ian West/PA)
(Picture: PA Archive)As the days draw nearer for the biggest NFL game of them all, with the Philadelphia Eagles taking on the Kansas City Chiefs, excitement levels are building for one of the most anticipated Super Bowl halftime performances in history. Rihanna is set to take the stage on February 12 at State Farm Stadium, Arizona, in a performance likely to get the whole world talking.
The We Found Love hitmaker and Fenty Beauty owner has a huge catalogue of hits to choose from, and with the sheer number of collaborations under her belt, it’s almost inevitable that her show will feature some special guests.
So the question we’re left with is, who could she possibly bring to join in the action? Details have been kept fiercely under wraps and those involved are being extremely tight lipped. So amid all the speculation, here is a list of our top picks to feature in Rihanna’s halftime show.
A$AP Rocky
Rap maestro A$AP Rocky, who happens to be the boyfriend of the Bajan superstar, is a glaringly obvious choice to feature in some way. As well as the couple sharing the cutest baby boy, they also share various collaborations, including Cockiness (I Love It) from Rihanna’s Talk That Talk album, in which Rocky featured in a remix, and Rocky’s song Fashion Killa, from his debut album Long.Live.A$AP, in which Rihanna features in the music video as a love interest, and is one of the first times the couple really bonded, back in 2013. They’ve come a long way since then, and what better way to display their love than on the world stage?
Drake
Drake and Rihanna have had a rocky relationship through the years. The two artists always produce magic when they work together, including their two worldwide number one singles What’s My Name? and Work, but their chemistry outside the studio hasn’t always been as sparky. We all remember the awkward encounter of Drake professing his love to Rihanna whilst she was collecting her MTV VMA Video Vanguard Award in 2016, where the singer famously dabbed instead of returning the gesture, placing Drake firmly in the friend zone. We haven’t seen much of the two together since, but we’re hoping tensions have relaxed, now both seem to have moved on with their lives. Seeing the two of them return to the stage would break the internet.
Eminem
Rap God Eminem would be another great choice of guest for the Bajan superstar, with the two producing some of the biggest selling singles of all time together, including the monster smash hit Love The Way You Lie. While admittedly, the Rihanna fans among us would prefer the high tempo upbeat songs in the singer’s catalogue, the two performing their collaborations would be a special moment.
JAY-Z
New York rap legend Jay-Z already has one foot through the door - the Empire State of Mind hitmaker is affiliated with the NFL through a partnership via his music label venture Roc Nation, which takes part in the organisation of the Super Bowl halftime show. While Jay-Z is on the board of organisers, this certainly doesn’t rule him out of taking the stage, and with it almost being certain that the rapper will be in attendance, as Rihanna is signed to his label, it might be time for the duo to link up once again.
Britney Spears
With the Gimme More singer now out of her controversial conservatorship, freedom has been beckoning for Ms. Spears, who is well and truly back in the pop spotlight. With the two singers collaborating on the Rihanna smash-hit S&M, what better way to cement a comeback than to see two of the biggest pop stars in history together in one of the most watched events in the world? We’re ready to hear “It’s Britney B***h” screamed from the rafters.
Shakira
It hasn’t been too long since Shakira and Jennifer Lopez’s show stopping performance at the Super Bowl in 2020, with many fans expecting a Rihanna cameo at the time to perform their collaboration Can’t Remember To Forget You. Patience may pay off; there’s strong potential for the two singers to showcase their iconic track. Both singers are known for high energy performance, on point choreography and eccentric stage outfits, so if the two do grace the Super Bowl stage together, we’re expecting something big.
Paul McCartney
Now this would be an unexpected encounter, but their cute collaboration FourFiveSeconds, produced by Paul McCartney and Kanye West, provides ample opportunity for the Beatles legend to grace the stage with RihRih, for a link up that would be enshrined in the history books.
Slash
In a seemingly unlikely collaboration, Rihanna and the Guns N’ Roses guitarist worked on her Rated R album, one of the singers more experimental projects, where she toyed with different sounds, including rock. Her track Rockstar 101 see’s Slash providing searing guitar chords to give Rihanna an authentic rock ‘n’ roll sound, and his feature in the halftime show would certainly send energy levels skyrocketing.
Coldplay
Another act that already graced the Super Bowl stage, Coldplay could make a great special guest for Rihanna’s half time performance. Rihanna worked with them previously on their Mylo Xyloto album with the track Princess of China, and recently sent the internet into overdrive with his affectionate words towards the singer. In an interview with Klein/Ally Show on Audacy’s KROQ in Los Angeles, asked whether he had any advice for Rihanna before her performance, Chris Martin said: “she’s the best singer in the world with some of the best songs ever, and she’s one of the most beautiful humans that’s ever existed. I think she’ll be just fine.” We can certainly feel the love, and we’ll be hoping to see them perform together in Arizona.
DJ Khaled and Bryson Tiller
The trio collaborated on recent hit track Wild Thoughts, which went all the way to number one in the UK, showcasing Rihanna at her best with one-liners, irresistible flow and a ridiculously catchy chorus. The track would be a sure fire way to get people moving and to get the three of them to perform it together would be great to see.
Calvin Harris
Rihanna and Calvin Harris go together like bread and butter, the two of them just have a natural knack for making hits together. From We Found Love to This Is What You Came For, the two have perfected the infectious dance pop that the public craves. We reckon that We Found Love will be somewhere on Rihanna’s set list for the halftime show, and with that, we hope to see Harris involved in some way.
While not an exhaustive list of the potential of artists and guests Rihanna could bring out, this list would provide pop culture moments that would firmly place Rihanna’s performance in the history books of the Super Bowl halftime, and we simply can’t wait to see what she has in store.
