Rihanna will perform at the Super Bowl in February as the N.F.L. enters the first year of a new deal with Apple Music.
It is the first scheduled return to the stage for an artist who last performed publicly at the Grammy Awards in early 2018, and whose most recent solo album, “Anti,” was released in January 2016.
Facing player protests and an impending loss of cachet for the show, the N.F.L. in 2019 signed on Jay-Z and Roc Nation, the rapper’s entertainment and sports company, as “live music entertainment strategist,” to consult on the Super Bowl halftime show and contribute to the league’s activism campaign, Inspire Change.
Rihanna is both managed by Roc Nation and signed to its record label.
The Super Bowl Halftime Show is one of the biggest musical events of the year, with performers typically going all-out for their performances, and guest appearances being a common occurrence.
