Rihanna fans have one big idea to spice up her Super Bowl halftime performance – a cameo by actor Tom Holland. Back in 2017, Holland made internet history by performing Rihanna’s song “Umbrella” on the Paramount Network series Lip Sync Battle. After the NFL announced that Rihanna would be the halftime headliner in 2023, fans couldn’t shake the idea of a Holland cameo.
For those that haven’t seen the infamous viral video, Holland and his Spider-Man co-star Zendaya appeared on Lip Sync Battle together in May of 2017. Holland performed a rendition of “Ride Wit Me” by Nelly and Zendaya performed “Tyrone” by Erykah Badu before Holland came out with his iconic performance. He was dressed in a suit and hat, and at first it looked like he was performing “Singin’ in the Rain” by Gene Kelly before the beat dropped. Underneath, Holland revealed a skimpy outfit and a black wig, and he proceeded to dance with wild abandon to “Umbrella.”
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The video has probably had more staying power than any other clip from Lip Sync Battle. Naturally, it got a fresh surge of interest when Holland and Zendaya became a real-life couple. Her live reactions to his performance may be a part of the timelessness, as well as the incredible special effects that rained water down on Holland and the other dancers.
After fans learned that Rihanna would be headlining the Super Bowl on Sunday, one Twitter user suggested that Rihanna should bring Holland out for a cameo appearance somehow. The idea gained even more traction when actress and dancer Jenna Dewan responded: “I agree whole heartedly” with a crying-laughing emoji. Other commenters chimed in emphatically, wondering what the odds were that it could really come to pass.
On the other hand, die-hard fans of Rihanna herself are likely hoping that she’ll get all 15 minutes of stage time unencumbered. The singer has been mostly absent from the music industry for about six years now, and the news that she is playing the Super Bowl has raised hopes for new music at last. So far, Rihanna has not made any indication that that is the case.
Rihanna shared a photo of her hand holding up a football in triumph on Sunday when news of her halftime performance leaked. The NFL soon confirmed the announcement, and Roc Nation issued an official press release with the details. Even those who don’t follow football are now looking forward eagerly to the Super Bowl in February.
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Janet Jackson during The AOL TopSpeed Super Bowl XXXVIII Halftime Show Produced by MTV at Reliant Stadium in Houston, Texas, United States. (Photo by KMazur/WireImage)
