During the Super Bowl LVII halftime show, Rihanna will perform in front of a packed house at State Farm Stadium in Arizona. A few days before that, a virtual stadium will host a show of its own: The Saweetie Super Bowl Concert will kick off inside Roblox, with the titular rapper serving as the headliner.
The virtual concert is the product of a collaboration between Roblox, the NFL, and Warner Music Group, which will host the event in its recently-launched world, Rhythm City. Warner describes its metaverse hotspot as “a first-of-its-kind music-themed social roleplay experience on Roblox.”
The Saweetie Super Bowl Concert will begin at 7 PM ET on February 10, two days before the Super Bowl. The show will be replayed every hour until Super Bowl Sunday. To commemorate the occasion, a collection of digital items will be sold on the Roblox marketplace.
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In recent months, Roblox has inked partnerships with several prominent partners. The digital sandbox is appealing to brands because it offers the most accessible version of the metaverse released thus far. Thanks to Roblox, a significant percentage of young consumers have experienced the metaverse, even if they don’t realize it.
Rhythm City shares some features with other hangouts that brands have built within Roblox. The Warner-designed world offers a gamified experience filled with collectibles. Visitors can roleplay as musicians, agents, producers, and influencers while snagging cars and houses.
The NFL will add another interactive element to Super Bowl weekend by launching Super NFL Tycoon, a separate workplace sim. Players will be able to experience what it’s like to be an NFL owner (but without the billions of dollars of net worth).
“I’m really excited to bring this iconic moment to the metaverse and share my music with a whole new audience in such a unique way! As an artist, innovator, and football fan, to be able to perform during Super Bowl LVII weekend in this new world – Rhythm City on Roblox – is something I never imagined that I would be involved in,” Saweetie said in a statement. “I am very grateful and happy about this opportunity. I can’t wait for fans to experience what we’ve created.”
Saweetie, who was nominated for Best New Artist at last year’s Grammys, is signed to Warner Music. She will deliver her Super Bowl concert via motion capture. Intuit will serve as the show’s presenting sponsor.
