Will Rihanna announce her highly-anticipated new album or a world tour – or both – following her performance this weekend in the Super Bowl LVII halftime show?
There is plenty of speculation that fans are going to get some big news this weekend or on Monday.
“She will headline the Super Bowl half-time show next Sunday and will then unveil her full comeback, including new music and a tour across North America later this year,” claimed Simon Boyle of UK tabloid The Sun on Feb. 3. “She is planning mini residencies in major cities, to save her having to move venues every day.”
At Page Six, Nicholas Hautman reported on Tuesday that Rihanna is “hitting the road later this year, but any semblance of plans is being kept under lock and key.”
(When Rihanna announced last September that she was going to do the halftime show, iHeartRadio.ca suggested she "may be planning to use the global showcase to promote a new album.")
Rihanna has not released an album since Anti in January 2016 and has not gone on the road since her 2016 Anti World Tour, which included nine concerts in seven Canadian cities.
One of the reasons fans believe Rihanna will announce something soon is that Super Bowl halftime performers do not receive a fee for performing so they typically use the buzz to unveil new music or launch a tour.
Indeed, of the seven solo artists who headlined the halftime show by themselves in the last decade, only one – Katy Perry – didn’t use it as an opportunity to promote new music or a tour:
The Weeknd | Super Bowl LV, Feb. 7, 2021
A few days before his halftime show performance, the Canadian singer announced new dates for his postponed After Hours tour. Tickets went on sale the morning after the big game.
Justin Timberlake | Super Bowl LII, Feb. 4, 2018
Justin Timberlake’s album Man of the Woods was released two days before his Super Bowl appearance.
Lady Gaga | Super Bowl LI, Feb. 5, 2017
The morning after her halftime show performance, Lady Gaga announced details of a world tour in support of her new album Joanne.
Bruno Mars | Super Bowl XLVIII, Feb. 2, 2014
A few weeks before his performance at the Super Bowl, Bruno Mars announced that tickets for his new tour would go on sale the morning after the game.
Beyoncé | Super Bowl XLVII, Feb. 3, 2013
Beyoncé did the halftime show and then announced details of the Mrs. Carter Show tour.
Madonna | Super Bowl XLVI, Feb. 5, 2012
Two days after headlining the halftime show, Madonna announced she was going on tour.