Rihanna to headline the Super Bowl LVII halftime show after turning down in 2019 over Colin Kaepernick

RIHANNA will headline the halftime show at Super Bowl LVII in February 2023, the NFL has announced.

The nine-time Grammy Award-winning artist posted a picture to her Instagram of her hand holding an NFL football.

The NFL then confirmed that Rihanna would headline the halftime show at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona on February 12.

The event will be produced by Jay-Z's Roc Nation entertainment company.

Jay-Z said: "Rihanna is a generational talent, a woman of humble beginnings who has surpassed expectations at every turn.

"A person born on the small island of Barbados who became one of the most prominent artists ever. Self-made in business and entertainment."

NFL head of music Seth Dudowsky added: “Rihanna is a once in a generation artist who has been a cultural force throughout her career.

"We look forward to collaborating with Rihanna, Roc Nation and Apple Music to bring fans another historic Halftime Show performance."

Rihanna was sought out to perform at Football's biggest night back in 2020 but declined due to the NFL's treatment of former quarterback Colin Kaepernick.

"I couldn’t dare do that,” Rihanna in a 2019 interview.

“For what? 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,” she explained.

Kaepernick sparked controversy by repeatedly kneeling during the national anthem in the 2016 football season to highlight racial injustice.

No team would sign Kaepernick as a free agent despite the fact that he completed nearly 60 percent of his passes and rushed for 468 yards in 2016.

It is not clear what changed Rihanna's mind and persuaded her to take the 2023 headline slot.

There have been discussions of other performers as well according to the NFL, but nothing has been revealed as of yet.

Rihanna's Instagram post confirming the news was her first social media activity since giving birth to her son in May.

The star's confirmation follows speculation that Taylor Swift might be a possible contender for the headliner position.

Performing during the Super Bowl Halftime Show is a notable career milestone for many famous artists over the years.

Last year's halftime show was one of nostalgia for many listeners, as it featured performances from Eminem, Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Kendrick Lamar, Mary J. Blige, Anderson .Paak, and 50 Cent.

According to , last year's show garnered over 103million viewers.

Other recent headliners include The Weeknd in 2021, Shakira and Jennifer Lopez in 2020, Maroon 5 in 2019 and Justin Timberlake in 2018.