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The 2023 Super Bowl will go down in history as the moment Rihanna revealed to the world that she was pregnant with her second child. Well, that and the whole thing with the football game. After an intense face-off between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles, the Missouri team emerged victorious, winning the game at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Ariz., with a score of 38-35.
Of course, Rihanna was also a huge winner; her halftime show performance – the first one since Apple Music took over halftime show sponsorship from Pepsi – was full of a jaw-dropping parade of hits, from “Umbrella” to “Work” to “B-tch Better Have My Money” to “Diamonds.” And while she didn’t bring out any special guest performers, she performed the 2023 Super Bowl Halftime Show while carrying her second child, which reps confirmed before the game was over.
There were musical guests elsewhere throughout the broadcast, too. The increasing trend toward singers and rappers and rockers popping up in Super Bowl ads continued in 2023, with everyone from Ozzy Osbourne to Missy Elliott to Sarah McLachlan to Diddy to Jennifer Lopez to Jack Harlow appearing in commercials for snacks, apps and (naturally) beer.
In her spot with Harlow and Elton John, Elliott – prior to the game – told Billboard they shared a lot of belly laughs doing the Doritos commercial. “[We] laughed as if we had met years back, especially when we had to keep doing those lines. It would be fun to do those bloopers of us doing the skit,” she said.
Below, check out our roundup of the 10 best Super Bowl commercials – not limited to ones featuring musicians, but certainly including a lot of musical icons.
Toward the end of her headlining Super Bowl 2023 Halftime Show on Sunday (Feb. 12), as “All of the Lights” began blasting from the State Farm Stadium’s speakers, Rihanna took a beat to fix her makeup, casually touching up with her own Fenty Beauty invisimatte instant setting and blotting powder. Once she finished, a backup dancer handed Rihanna her microphone back, and she returned to business as usual by dominating TV’s biggest stage in her first performance in more than five years, and her first one as a mother.
And during that 13-minute set, Rihanna reminded us that she’s still a powerhouse, no matter how long she’s kept fans waiting. The rather reclusive superstar has shown herself only a handful of times following her critically acclaimed 2016 album Anti: a verse on N.E.R.D.’s “Lemon” in 2017, another on PartyNextDoor’s “Believe It” in 2020. She had her first child with partner A$AP Rocky in 2022, and later that year, released her first single in years, “Lift Me Up” from the Black Panther: Wakanda Forever soundtrack, which earned her best original song nods at the 2023 Golden Globes (where she stole the show even though she didn’t take home the trophy) and 2023 Academy Awards. For anyone who thought that Rihanna’s star had dimmed over these idle years, she proved all dem haters wrong during her halftime set.
She got in everyone’s face from the jump by starting her performance with “Bitch Better Have My Money” on a moving, elevated stage while wearing a red hot, curve-hugging outfit that hinted at a now-confirmed second pregnancy. Much like Beyoncé’s big reveal at the 2011 MTV Video Music Awards, Rihanna knew how to make the most out of her 13 minutes of fame — even if it wasn’t the much-anticipated album news the Navy was expecting.
From there, she soared even higher with her hits seamlessly interwoven throughout her performance, including her Billboard Hot 100 No. 1s “Only Girl (in the World),” “We Found Love,” “S&M,” “Rude Boy,” “Work” and more. Fireworks lit up the sky like “Diamonds” and rained down during “Umbrella,” while her collaborator Jay-Z — who also signed Rihanna to Def Jam and Roc Nation, made several hits with her over the years and rapped about her being one of three billionaires to come out of “Hov crib” on DJ Khaled’s “God Did” — presumably watched like a proud big brother from the stadium in Glendale, Ariz.
Rihanna previously refused to perform at the 2019 Super Bowl Halftime Show to show solidarity with former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick and his famous protest against racial injustice that was frowned upon by the NFL. But since Roc Nation became the NFL’s official live music entertainment strategist in 2019, Jay-Z had the best shot at getting Rihanna to give the gig another chance — and she did. Though fans may never know what really convinced her to headline this year’s halftime performance, one thing’s for certain: that b—h will certainly get her money.
Previous Super Bowl Halftime Show performers have found various ways to capitalize this moment and make it a significant footnote in their musical careers. Mary J. Blige released her 14th studio album, Good Morning Gorgeous, two days before her big gig alongside Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Kendrick Lamar and Eminem; the deluxe version of that album helped the Queen of Hip-Hop Soul earn six Grammy nominations for this year’s celebration. The year prior, The Weeknd released a greatest hits album, The Highlights, two days before his big gig; the project joined Dawn FM in the top 10 of the Billboard 200 with the former’s No. 8 debut on the chart. But Rihanna didn’t take a page from their handbooks, because she has to do things her own way, darling.
She utilized multiple branches of her Fenty empire to further push the narrative that during the halftime show was all about a “Rihanna concert interrupted by a football game, weird but whatever” (read one of the T-shirts from her Savage x Fenty game day apparel collection). One item from her Fenty Beauty Showstopp’r kit, which came in a stadium-friendly clear makeup bag, was a football-shaped makeup sponge. And with Valentine’s Day just around the corner — which calls for its own set of holiday-appropriate lingerie and makeup collections from Rih’s various name brands — music sales won’t be the only gains she sees after Sunday.
But by the end, Rihanna basked in the glory and applause from the very top, where she’d comfortably sat over the years, as the game’s real MVP. That Rihanna reign just won’t ever let up.
No, Dave Grohl is not Canadian — but according to his appearance in a new 2023 Super Bowl ad, there are a lot of things you didn’t know are Canadian.
On Sunday night (Feb. 12), Grohl appeared in Crown Royal’s 2023 Super Bowl commercial, where the Foo Fighters frontman took a moment to thank the country of Canada for all of the things it has contributed to society (including, you guessed it, Crown Royal).
With an electric guitar playing “O Canada” in the background, Grohl begins his thank you list with “legends of music,” as he pulls out vinyls from artists like Celine Dion, Joni Mitchell, Oscar Peterson and Rush. He then shouts-out legends of comedy like Eugene Levy, Catherine O’Hara, Martin Short and Seth Rogen, even thanking Canada for “heart throb” Michael Cera.
But Grohl is far from finished — for the next 30 seconds, the star lists off peanut butter, paint rollers, walkie-talkies, batteries, egg cartons, ironing boards, electric wheelchairs and even whoopee cushions as inventions courtesy of the Great White North.
One particular creation from Canada may comes as a surprise to fans — towards the end of the commercial, Grohl thanks the country for creating football, before a sound engineer behind him stops tweaking a track to say, “What? No way.” Grohl replies: “Yeah, look it up!” (We did — turns out “American football” was actually created in Montreal and introduced to America in 1874).
Check out the full ad and let Dave Grohl tell you about all of the other things that are actually Canadian above.
Musicians didn’t just appear in some of Super Bowl 2023’s flashiest commercials – they were also at the big game that pitted the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles. After all, who wants to miss Rihanna’s Super Bowl Halftime Show? It’s the “Work” singer’s first public performance since she took the Grammy’s stage in 2018 alongside DJ Khaled for their collab “Wild Thought.”
Held at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Ariz., some of the musicians on hand to watch the Philadelphia Eagles take on the Kansas City Chiefs, while others also performed. Sheryl Lee Ralph was among those who took the mic. The Abbott Elementary star made history when she performed “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” becoming the first Black performer to deliver what’s considered the Black national anthem on the field before kickoff. Chris Stapleton also left viewers in tears with his emotional performance of the national anthem.
Not surprisingly, Jay-Z – whom Billboard just named the greatest rapper of all time – was in attendance, with daughter Blue Ivy by his side. The 24-time Grammy winner is the co-founder of Roc Nation, the NFL’s live music entertainment partner. Roc Nation also manages Rihanna.
Besides those in the stands, many artists appeared in the highly anticipated commercials. Among them are Jennifer Lopez, who made a cameo in husband Ben Affleck’s Dunkin’ Donuts spot; Diddy in an Uber One commercial; Jack Harlow with Missy Elliott and Elton John in a Doritos ad; John Travolta in a T-Mobile ad; Sarah McLachlan in a Busch Light ad; Metro Boomin in a Budweiser ad; and more.
See the musicians who were at Super Bowl LVII below.
Too good! Rihanna headlined the 2023 Super Bowl Halftime Show on Sunday (Feb. 12), delivering her first public performance since she last took the stage at the 2018 Grammys alongside DJ Khaled, and she worked it — with what some fans believe is a major reveal: that she’s pregnant with baby No. 2.
Her true blue Navy were quick to sing her praises after her sky-high set at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Ariz., where she performed a medley of some of her biggest hits, including launching her set with “Bitch Better Have My Money” before delivering classics such as “Umbrella,” “Only Girl (in the World,” “Diamonds” and many more.
Though she didn’t bring any special guests for her performance, some fans were convinced that Ri had one — inside her belly, which she appeared to rub at several points during her set.
“She’s definitely pregnant and she definitely just proved women are superhuman #Rihanna,” one impressed viewer tweeted.
“I remember being that pregnant and feeling out of breath when I got up off the couch,” added another. “That was unreal.”
Her skin-tight, body-hugging top paired with a vinyl red bustier bra also seemed to accentuate what could be a baby bump. “IS RIHANNA PREGNANT!?!?!” one fan wondered. “If not that red outfit playing with me eyes.”
There were also some interesting theories about the star choosing to wear a crimson outfit while all of her dancers were in white: “#SuperbowlLVII Theory: @rihanna dressed in red with 100 white background dancers to show she was pregnant. Red egg, white sperm. The world will never be the same,” one viewer conjectured.
The nine-time Grammy winner and Fenty mogul is already mom to a little boy, whom she gave birth to in May. Dad is Rihanna’s boyfriend, A$AP Rocky.
See more fan tweets speculating about whether Rihanna is pregnant during Super Bowl 2023 Halftime Show performance below:
She’s definitely pregnant and she definitely just proved women are superhuman #Rihanna— EXHAUSTED MILLENNIAL MAMA™ (@emmbykm) February 13, 2023
IS RIHANNA PREGNANT!?!?! If not that red outfit playing with me eyes— Raquel⚜️ (@KaiiStarr) February 13, 2023
She looks pregnant again. She did rub her belly at the start of her performance. If she is pregnant again, it makes it even more bad ass. This was great either way.— Kāsha Monique (@Kasha_Monique) February 13, 2023
I remember being that pregnant and feeling out of breath when I got up off the couch. That was unreal. #Rihanna— Laurie Cobb (@laurieleacobb) February 13, 2023
I am not trying to speculate because I know it’s gross I just think it would be so fucking cool if rihanna did that while pregnant— Elayna Tell (@itspenstone) February 13, 2023
Rihanna is an absolute icon 😍😍 and she did this while pregnant— Jesus Elias 🐻🪶 (@SithLordElias) February 13, 2023
RIHANNA IS PREGNANT WITH BABY NUMBER 2 ???— kairo | very slow dms (@i2nbhd) February 13, 2023
#SuperbowlLVII Theory: @rihanna dressed in red with 100 white background dancers to show she was pregnant. Red egg, white sperm. The world will never be the same.— Jermaine F. (@xbigfreshx) February 13, 2023
Anyone who’s reached for the last Pringle in the can knows Meghan Trainor‘s pain.
In a new Super Bowl commercial, Trainor is among a host of high-profile victims who get their hands irreversibly stuck in a Pringles can going for that final chip in the stack.
The ad starts out with a kid getting his hand stuck and his grandpa reassuring him that it “happens to the best of us” — like surgeons, judges, game-show contestants and even “Meghan Trainor,” who is seen at home on her couch wearing a feathered, chiffon, hot-pink robe while petting her fluffy poodle with her Pringles-can hand.
The 30-second commercial ends with the slogan “Get Stuck In” and is soundtracked by Tina Turner’s 1989 single “The Best.” The top 20 Billboard Hot 100 hit was originally released by Bonnie Tyler a year earlier.
Watch the commercial below:
In an interview with People ahead of the Super Bowl, Trainor told the story of how she found out she would be in one of the most-watched commercials of the year. “I think babies bring good luck — I fully believe that — because a couple weeks after I found out I was pregnant, we got a call. [Pringles] asked me to be in their big game commercial, and I was like, ‘Me? Are they sure?’ I was crying,” she says. “I teared up and called my family. My brothers are big sports guys, so they were like, ‘Oh my God!’ It was like I won a Grammy all over again. It was the best call of my life.”
Trainor joins a list of music stars appearing in 2023 Super Bowl commercials, including Ludacris’ DraftKings ad; Diddy’s Uber One ad (which co-stars Kelis, Montell Jordan, Donna Lewis and Haddaway; Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck’s Dunkin’ Donuts ad; Jack Harlow with Missy Elliott and Elton John in a Doritos ad; John Travolta in a T-Mobile ad; Sarah McLachlan in a Busch Light ad; and Metro Boomin in a Budweiser ad.
For his featured slot during a 2023 Super Bowl ad, Nick Jonas proved that it doesn’t take magic to make sure that you’re staying healthy.
On Sunday (Feb. 12), Jonas appeared in a Super Bowl commercial advertising for the Dexcom G7 continuous glucose monitoring system (CGM) for all types of diabetes. Throughout the spot, Jonas performs a series of sleight of hand tricks, making the small device appear and disappear in his hands, even transforming it into a phone mid-air.
The star explains the system — the new CGM uses no finger pricks and accurately shows you where your glucose levels are currently at, as well as predicting where they will go — before going out with a bang … or rather, a poof. “It’s not magic, it just feels that way,” Jonas says before smiling, snapping his fingers and disappearing into a cloud of black smoke.
Jonas was first diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes in 2005 at the age of 13, and opened up about his journey in an emotional 2018 Instagram post. “I have full control of my day to day life with this disease, and I’m so grateful to my family and loved ones who have helped me every step of the way,” he wrote at the time. “Never let anything hold you back from living your best life. Thank you to all my fans for your kind words and support. Means more than you know. Love you all.”
Check out the full commercial starring Nick Jonas above.
Free bets for everyone? That’s… Ludacris!
The rapper joins Kevin Hart and a host of sports legends for a new DraftKings Super Bowl commercial, which promises every customer a free bet on the sports betting site.
The commercial transitions seamlessly between its celebrity guests by using their names, starting with former Boston Red Sox superstar David Ortiz.
“Everyone gets a free bet?” Hart asks. “Man that’s big…”
“Papi!” retired Dallas Cowboys star Emmitt Smith says to greet Ortiz by his “Big Papi” nickname. “What’s Kev betting?”
“The short odds,” Papi quips, making a swipe at Hart’s height. Hart responds by knocking Ortiz’s snack plate out of his hands and yelling, “You’re both…”
“Ludacris!” says NBA legend Julius “Dr. J” Erving, standing with WNBA superstar Lisa Leslie, when he sees the Atlanta MC, who makes his own height joke. “I heard Kevin’s taking the under.”
There are also punny transitions to retired pro wrestler The Undertaker and skateboarding pioneer Tony Hawk. Watch below to see it all play out:
Luda joins a list of music stars appearing in 2023 Super Bowl commercials, including Diddy’s Uber One ad (which co-stars Kelis, Montell Jordan, Donna Lewis and Haddaway); Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck’s Dunkin’ Donuts ad; Jack Harlow with Missy Elliott and Elton John in a Doritos ad; John Travolta in a T-Mobile ad; Sarah McLachlan in a Busch Light ad; and Metro Boomin in a Budweiser ad.
The 2023 Super Bowl kicked off with Chris Stapleton singing the national anthem, Babyface performing “America the Beautiful,” and Sheryl Lee Ralph performing “Lift Every Voice and Sing.”
Love don’t cost a thing — except maybe a doughnut. The widely speculated Dunkin’ Donuts ad featuring Ben Affleck dropped during Super Bowl 2023 on Sunday (Feb. 12), and it included a cameo from none other than his superstar wife, Jennifer Lopez.
The spot kicks off with the actor — a renowned Dunkin’ fan — helming the drive-through window at one of the chain’s Medford, Mass., locations, telling customers through his headset about a $1 doughnut deal.
Jaws drop as unsuspecting and perplexed coffee drinkers roll up to the window to find the Oscar-winning star in an “America Runs on Dunkin’” T-shirt and company visor as he mans the ordering system and even offers free Munchkins. “Do I look familiar?” the Boston native asks one man who has no idea who Affleck is. For one lucky fan, the Air actor even leans out the drive-through to snap a selfie together.
But it wasn’t just the customers who weren’t expecting the director to be the man behind their orders. When an SVU rolls up, J. Lo’s in the drivers seat and looks at her husband in disbelief. She asks, “What are you doing here?!”
“You’re asking me in front of my friends!” an unhappy Affleck responds.
“Is this what you do when you say you’re going to work all day?!” the Grammy-nominated singer-actress demands to know, clearly not pleased.
“I gotta go, guys,” the actor then tells off-screen Dunkin’ employees as he gets up to bail on his gig.
That’s when his superstar wife instructs him on a sweet resolution, “Grab me a glazed!”
Rumors that Affleck was doing a spot to air during the big game surfaced in January when he was seen filming at a Medford Dunkin’ in early January. Customers who went through the drive-through also shared their run-ins with the star on social media.
One woman, who was served by the former Batman actor, told local NBC affiliate NBC10 Boston that Affleck took her order and also served her her coffee. “We chatted a little,” Lisa Mackay shared with NBC10. “He was super, super funny — very funny, very quick-witted.”
Over the years, Affleck has been spotted numerous times with Dunkin’ Donuts’ iced coffees in hand, as well as inside its stores.
“I have Dunkin’ Donuts every day,” he told Collider in a 2019 interview. “It’s very weird. I have it every day and people are always like, ‘Where’s that? Is that near here?’ So I feel like I’m spreading the word.”
Watch J. Lo and Ben Affleck in Dunkin’ Donuts’ Super Bowl 2023 ad above.
When it came time to kickstart Super Bowl 2023 on Sunday (Feb. 12), country superstar Chris Stapleton was more than up to the task.
Following the presentation of the colors, Stapleton appeared on the field dressed in all black with his trusty guitar in hand to give a rousing rendition of “The Star Spangled Banner.” Joining him on the field was Academy Award winning actor Troy Kotsur, who took home best supporting actor for his role in CODA, to offer an ASL interpretation of the national anthem.
Stapleton kept his performance simple, letting his gruff voice convey all of the raw emotion necessary for the national anthem, while his restrained guitar performance offered a further sense of gravitas to the set. A number of players and coaching staff — including the Eagles’ head coach Nick Sirianni — were seen crying on the sidelines during the country star’s performance.
Stapleton was one of three performers to open up the show at the 2023 Super Bowl: Abbott Elementary star and Broadway legend Sheryl Lee Ralph gave an emotional rendition of “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” while super-producer Babyface joined the pre-game ceremony to deliver his take of “America the Beautiful.” Later on in the evening, Rihanna is set to take the stage as this year’s halftime show performer.
Stapleton made history in November at the 2022 CMA Awards, becoming the first six-time winner of the prestigious artist of the year award, surpassing Vince Gill, Blake Shelton and George Straight, who all were tied with Stapleton for the record with five wins each.
Watch Stapleton’s emotional performance of “The Star Spangled Banner” above.
