Rihanna Says Kendrick Lamar Headlining the 2025 Super Bowl Halftime Show Is ‘Meant to Be’

Rihanna is ready for Kendrick Lamar‘s 2025 Super Bowl Halftime Show. In an interview shared Thursday by Entertainment Tonight, the musician, who headlined the halftime show in 2023, said K. Dot “deserved” the honor so much.

“It’s a diamond on a ring finger, honey. It’s meant to be!” Rihanna told the outlet. “It’s Kendrick Lamar! Kendrick Lamar is the one that’s supposed to do it right now. He’s gonna crush it. We should never doubt him.”

“He’s an amazing artist, top-tier. He had an incredible year,” Rihanna added. “He actually brought so many people together. It’s to be celebrated. That’s what culture is. He deserves it. I cannot wait to see it. Kendrick, thank you.”

RiRi — who sang with Lamar on Damn standout “Loyalty” in 2017 — made headlines when she performed at the Big Game in 2023, as she revealed onstage that she was expecting her second baby with A$AP Rocky. That performance reached 121 million viewers. Usher played the halftime show this year.

The NFL announced that Lamar was going to headline the 2025 Super Bowl Halftime Show in early September, three years after he was a guest during Dr. Dre’s performance in Los Angeles.

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“Rap music is still the most impactful genre to date. And I’ll be there to remind the world why,” Lamar said in a statement at the time. “They got the right one.” Jay-Z, who leads the charge on the performer selection, called Lamar a “once-in-a-generation artist and performer” whose “impact will be felt for years.”

Super Bowl LIX will take place Feb. 9, 2025, at New Orleans’ Caesars Superdome.