Rachel Lang
Rihanna is set to grace the stage at the 2023 Super Bowl's Halftime Show.
After several years of turning down the gig at one of the biggest sporting events in the world, the 'Umbrella' singer finally agreed to get on board.
And, despite 200 million people expected to tune in for the game between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Kansas City Chiefs, all eyes will be set squarely on the 34-year-old's performance.
Advert
With that many pairs of peepers honed in on the Barbadian superstar, you'd think Bad Gal RiRi would be scoring a touchdown with a massive pay packet.
But that's not actually the case.
According to the NFL policy, the league covers all costs related to the production of the halftime show, which includes travel expenses.
But, as NFL spokesperson Joanna Hunter told Forbes in 2016, that doesn't include paying the singers.
"We do not pay the artists. We cover expenses and production costs," she said, as per the Daily Star.
When Rihanna takes the field, following in the footsteps of megastars like Beyoncé, J.Lo, and Bruno Mars, she will receive precisely zero dollars in return.
But why? We hear you wonder.
Well, lovelies, it's customary that performers don't get anything in return for their halftime set.
What they do get in return is payment in the way that would make most artists shudder: exposure.
Yep, that's right. This is likely the largest gig Rihanna and any other recording artist could dream to have, which will send her record sales into overdrive.
Need more convincing? Well, for example, when Lady Gaga graced the stage in 2017, her album and song sales skyrocketed by a whopping 1,000 per cent.
In 2020, Jennifer Lopez gained a whopping 2.3 million new followers across social media channels after she and Shakira performed.
And last year, with its bumper Half Time show that featured Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Mary J. Blige, Kendrick Lamar, Eminem and 50 Cent taking to the stage, each artist saw massive growth in their own bank accounts in other ways.
In the week after the Super Bowl, Dr. Dre saw album sales rise by 183 per cent.
He also saw along with a 105 per cent hike in on-demand streams to boot.
So how will this impact Rihanna, considering she hasn't stepped into the musical spotlight in six years?
(With the exception of her song 'Lift Me Up', for Marvel's Black Panther: Wakanda Forever in 2022).
Well, it'll be a great chance for her to nab some free publicity.
Which won't hurt record sales, especially considering she has been teasing a new album for years.
Does this mean we'll see her announce her ninth studio album at the Halftime show?
Here's hoping.