SUPER BOWL HALFTIME SHOWS

Did Rihanna Ever Turn Down A Super Bowl Halftime Show?

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Yesterday, Rihanna announced that she is performing for the 2023 Super Bowl’s Halftime Show, with none other than a cryptic Instagram post of her hand holding a football. The news was eventually confirmed by the NFL, both on social media and in statements.

“We are thrilled to welcome Rihanna to the Apple Music Super Bowl Halftime Show stage,” NFL Head of Music Seth Dudowsky said in a statement. “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.”

However, Rihanna actually had an opportunity to play the halftime show years earlier — and turned it down. She was originally considered to play in February 2019, instead of Maroon 5. She declined the deal to stand in solidarity with Colin Kaepernick, who protested racial injustice as a 49ers player in 2016. (According to The Guardian, he settled a case with the NFL after claiming he was “blackballed” following his kneeling peaceful protest. He left the team in 2017.)

“Absolutely,” she told Vogue in an interview from October 2019, after being asked if that’s why she declined. “I couldn’t dare do that. 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.”

A few years later, Rihanna finally accepted the offer. She also returned to Vogue in April for a cover story, ahead of the birth of her first child. The interview seems to hint at why she accepted the halftime show — and might even say yes to putting new music out. “I think I even say yes to more now,” Rihanna said, “because I know it will be different on the other side of this. At first, I expected some magical change, but really I remain who I am.”

Super Bowl LVII will take place on 2/12/2023 at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona.

Dr. Dre Explains The ‘Extreme Pressure’ Of Super Bowl Halftime Shows: ‘I Don’t Know If I’ve Ever Been That Nervous Before’

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Dr. Dre, Eminem, Snoop Dogg, Kendrick Lamar, and Mary J. Blige nailed it with their memorable Super Bowl Halftime Show performance from earlier this year. It was just revealed over the weekend that Rihanna will be performing at the 2023 Super Bowl, so Dre offered some advice. He also reflected on what his own experience was like.

In an interview with Apple Music 1 host Ebro Darden (as Pitchfork notes), Dre explained how nerve-wracking his performance was:

“It made me extremely nervous. I don’t know if I’ve ever been that nervous before. Not only that, I don’t know if I’ve ever looked more forward to a Monday morning. So it’s the preparation and making sure you have the right people around you. All of these people came through for me, and everybody was extremely enthusiastic about the show. We had a good time, although it’s a lot of things and a lot of people you have to depend on. You’re talking about at least 3000 people that you have to depend on to get this show right for 13 minutes. So it is an extreme amount of pressure, but it’s fun at the same time. When it’s done, it’s like goosebumps, bro. I got goosebumps, especially from the reaction that we got from the show, and especially being able to do the show with all of my friends.”

Of Rihanna, he said, “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. She has the opportunity to really blow us away. I know we set the bar extremely high.”

Dr. Dre Offers Advice To Rihanna For Her First Super Bowl Halftime Show Performance

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For just about a literal minute, it looked like Taylor Swift was going to headline the Super Bowl LVII halftime show, at Arizona’s State Farm Stadium on February 12, 2023. That’s what reports said, but those reports were quickly followed by others indicating Swift isn’t actually taking the field. Not long after that, though, the world learned who is actually taking over Super Bowl halftime in 2023: Rihanna.

Dr. Dre — who did this year’s Emmy-winning halftime show alongside Eminem, Snoop Dogg, Kendrick Lamar, and Mary J. Blige — knows what he’s doing on that front, so he has given Rihanna some advice.

In an interview with Apple Music 1 host Ebro Darden (as NME notes), Dre offered, ““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.”

He also had some general praise for Rihanna, saying of his admiration of her, “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. She has the opportunity to really blow us away. I know we set the bar extremely high.”

The Super Bowl Halftime Show Will No Longer Be Sponsored By Pepsi

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Pepsi has announced that the company will no longer sponsor the NFL’s Super Bowl Halftime Show after 10 years as the musical partner for the show. In that time, fans have seen memorable performances from the likes of Beyonce, Bruno Mars, Lady Gaga, The Weekend, and most recently, Dr. Dre and friends. Although the beverage company didn’t give a reason for the change, a release on Twitter thanked the 26 musical acts who played the show over the past decade.

“After 10 years of iconic Pepsi Super Bowl Halftime Show performances, we have decided it’s time to pass the mic,” Pepsi’s official Twitter posted. “Thank you to the amazing artists and fans who helped us create some incredible moments along the way. Now on to the next stage… ” A follow-up tweet recounted some of the Halftime Show’s accolades over the past few years. Pepsi touted, “26 musical acts representing 168 Grammys and almost 1,000 Billboard hits have rocked the Pepsi Super Bowl Halftime Show stage over the past 10 years.”

There have been no similar announcements from the official NFL or Super Bowl Twitter accounts, the latter of which hasn’t been updated since December of 2021. Meanwhile, a press statement from Pepsi says that the company’s overall partnership with the NFL will continue, introducing new programming, sports drinks, and activations for the NFL.

Classic Eminem And Dr. Dre Albums Are Back In The Top 10 After The Super Bowl Halftime Show

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This year’s hip-hop-focused Super Bowl Halftime Show — featuring Dr. Dre, Eminem, Kendrick Lamar, Snoop Dogg, Mary J. Blige, and 50 Cent — was generally well-received. It also managed to renew interest in some of the performers’ music, as the new Billboard 200 chart indicates: On the chart dated February 26 (which accounts for listening activity from February 11 to 17, while the Super Bowl was on the 13th), albums by Eminem and Dr. Dre have returned to the top 10 for the first time in years.

Eminem’s Curtain Call: The Hits (a former No. 1 on the chart) had a major rise, as it ascended to No. 8 this week, up from No. 126 the previous week. That’s thanks to about 31,000 equivalent album units earned, an increase of 256 percent. Meanwhile, Dr. Dre’s 2001 rose from No. 108 to No. 9 with about 30,500 units (a 220-percent increase). Its previous peak was at No. 2 on the chart dated December 4, 1999.

This is the first time Curtain Call has found itself in the top 10 since the chart dated March 11, 2006, when it was No. 8. The last time 2001 was in the top 10 was on the May 13, 2000, when it ranked No. 9.

Those albums were well-represented during the halftime show: Eminem performed “Lose Yourself,” while three 2001 songs — “The Next Episode,” “Forgot About Dre,” and “Still D.R.E.,” made the setlist.

Elsewhere on the chart, the smash hit Encanto soundtrack is once again No. 1, for a sixth total week. That ties it with Adele’s 30 for the third-most weeks spent at No. 1 in the last five years (since January 2017). Ahead of those LPs are Morgan Wallen’s Dangerous: The Double Album (ten weeks) and Taylor Swift’s Folklore (eight weeks).

Britney Spears Thinks Eminem ‘Should Have Had Way More Time’ For The Super Bowl Halftime Show

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This year’s Super Bowl Halftime Show was a big one thanks to all the mostly-early-’00s hip-hop and R&B firepower involved (Kendrick Lamar was the only headlining performer whose first album came out in the 2010s). A non-hip-hop icon of that era, perhaps the biggest, was Britney Spears, and now she has shared her thoughts on the performance and how nostalgic Eminem’s appearance made her feel.

On Instagram yesterday, Spears wrote, “Wow [face screaming in fear emoji] !!! @Eminem last night at the Super Bowl … he should have had way more time … he was everything to me when I was younger and it was so weird in the first two seconds I saw him on stage last night I felt like I was 17 again !!! It’s honestly kinda scary how certain artists and music can do that … we are so lucky to live in a world [globe emoji] where music can give us hope … identity … acceptance …and love [hearts emoji]!!!”

Spears has famously popped up in Eminem lyrics on several occasions over the years, and not usually in a flattering or laudatory way. On “The Real Slim Shady,” Em raps, “You think I give a damn about a Grammy? / Half of you critics can’t even stomach me, let alone stand me / ‘But Slim, what if you win, wouldn’t it be weird?’ / Why, so you guys could just lie to get me here? / So you can sit me here next to Britney Spears?” He also said on “Ass Like That,” “I am Triumph, Britney Spears has shoulders like a man / And I can say that and you’ll laugh ’cause there’s a puppet on my hand.” On “Marshall Mathers,” he raps, “An anti-Backstreet and Ricky Martin / Whose instinct’s to kill *NSYNC, don’t get me started / These f*ckin’ brats can’t sing and Britney’s garbage.”

Anderson .Paak Made A Surprise Super Bowl Halftime Show Appearance And Dropped Hilarious Merch For It

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It’s official: Both members of Silk Sonic — Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak — have performed during a Super Bowl Halftime Show. Mars headlined the 2014 event and popped up during Coldplay’s performance in 2016, and last night, .Paak served as a drummer for Dr. Dre, Eminem, Kendrick Lamar, Snoop Dogg, and Mary J. Blige’s (and 50 Cent’s) halftime spectacle. While .Paak’s appearance was unexpected, it wasn’t unprecedented, as he and Dre have forged a working relationship in recent years.

Getting to perform at the Super Bowl is one of the biggest achievements in music, so .Paak is pretty thrilled with the whole thing. He wrote on social media, “WOW WHAT A RUSH CONGRATS TO EVERY SUPER HERO ON THAT STAGE!! BIG SHOUT OUT TO @drdre LOVE YOU BRO AND THANK YOU FOR LETTING ME BE APART OF HISTORY!!! BE SURE TO PICK UP SOME MERCH OTW OUT!! AND HIT MY LAND LINE FOR ALL DRUM INQUIRIES ! Note: I ONLY PLAY CHAMPIONSHIP GAMES AND FOR DIAMOND SELLING ARTISTS. RATES ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE ON ANY GIVEN SUNDAY.”

As for that merch, it’s pretty great, as it’s a t-shirt with a portrait of .Paak and text that reads, “We’re with Eminem’s drummer.” The shirt is available for pre-order now.

He also shared a clip of Eminem’s performance of “Lose Yourself” (during which he drummed) and wrote, “YOU ONLY GET ONE SHOT!!! THE @rams ARE WORLD CHAMPS!!! SALUTE @eminem @drdre IT WAS SUCH AN HONOR!!! @snoopdogg @eminem @kendricklamar @therealmaryjblige YALL KILLED THAT SH*T!!!! [trophy emoji].”

Ahead of the performance, he also posted a photo of himself with Lamar.

Check out the full Super Bowl Halftime Show here.

Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

50 Cent Shares His Favorite Memes From His Surprise Upside Down Super Bowl Halftime Appearance

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Matthew Stafford, Cooper Kupp, and the rest of the Los Angeles Rams did some celebrating last night, as they managed to top the Cincinnati Bengals and win Super Bowl LVI. As it always is, the Super Bowl was a major night in the music world, too, thanks to the halftime show. Ahead of the game, Dr. Dre, Eminem, Kendrick Lamar, Snoop Dogg, and Mary J. Blige were billed as the stars of the performance, but when it came time for the show, fans were surprised with another headliner: 50 Cent. Not only did he perform, but for the first few lines of “In Da Club,” he rapped while hanging upside down.

Naturally, the moment inspired plenty of memes, and 50 Cent, an active social media user himself, loved them. He even shared a couple of his favorites on Instagram. He also shared a video of LeBron James enjoying his performance and wrote, “See we came in 03 and we still here. so we celebrate each other every chance we get. @kingjames you know the vibes.”

50’s appearance came after rumors about his cameo were started after a video of “In Da Club” playing at SoFi Stadium surfaced a few days ago.

Revisit last night’s halftime show here. Uproxx recently spoke with 50 about his Power cinematic universe and more, so check out that interview here.

Dr. Dre Will Play The 2022 Super Bowl Halftime Show With Eminem, Kendrick Lamar, Mary J. Blige, And Snoop Dogg

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As the Super Bowl returns to Los Angeles in 2022, some of the city’s brightest stars (and few out-of-town friends) will join forces for a hometown blowout. Dr. Dre has been announced as the performer for the Super Bowl LVI Pepsi Halftime Show — and he’s bringing a squad of his best-known buddies along, including Eminem, Kendrick Lamar, Mary J. Blige, and Snoop Dogg. So far, there’s no word on 50 Cent, but you can probably bet that where Dre and Em are, 50 is likely to come strolling out to the propulsive beat of “In Da Club.”

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Securing Dr. Dre as halftime performer is a coup for the NFL, which has caught flak in the past over its musical choices. There were even some grumbles about the 2021 selection of The Weeknd despite his near-universal popularity and the incredible show he eventually put on. Two years before, the NFL was criticized for not including iconic Atlanta performers rather than Maroon 5, so it’s nice that the NFL is acknowledging that Dr. Dre basically is LA. It’s also incredible that he’s doing the show just a year after suffering a brain aneurysm.

Pepsi apparently knew as much, as Todd Kaplan, VP of Marketing, said in the press release. “Artists like Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg were at the forefront of the West Coast hip hop revolution, so to be able to bring them back to LA, where it all began alongside Eminem, Mary J. Blige and Kendrick Lamar will prove to be an epic, unforgettable celebration of the impact hip-hop has today,” he said. “The Pepsi Super Bowl Halftime Show has become a landmark cultural moment, bringing about some of the most iconic performances over the years – from JLo and Shakira to Lady Gaga to The Weeknd – and we are thrilled to bring together such an incredible array of talented, record-breaking musicians to put on a performance for the ages.”

Super Bowl LVI will take place on February 13, 2022 at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood.

The First Trailer For The Weeknd’s Super Bowl Halftime Show Documentary Goes Behind The Scenes

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Not long after his spectacular Super Bowl halftime show earlier this year, it was revealed that The Weeknd’s performance would be the subject of a Showtime documentary called The Show. Now, we’ve gotten our first look at the film via a new trailer.

The minute-long video includes footage of and soundbites from people, who are mostly not The Weeknd, working behind the scenes of the production. The Show is set to premiere on September 24.

Todd Kaplan, VP of marketing at Pepsi, previously said of The Show, “The Pepsi Super Bowl Halftime Show is undoubtedly the world’s biggest stage, producing the most viewed and talked about moment in music every single year. The pressure to deliver an iconic, memorable and entertaining performance is felt well beyond the artist, as there are a number of people — behind the scenes — who are vital to its success. With our new documentary coming to Showtime, we are taking fans on the emotional and thrilling journey of what it takes to make the biggest show of the year — with the added complexity of doing so amidst a global pandemic. With Jesse Collins and a number of super-talented creatives at the helm, The Show chronicles all the drama and hard work that goes into successfully pulling off a show of this magnitude.”

Check out the trailer above.