That Time Rihanna Performed for Free

If you’re a creative, you’ve probably been asked to “work for exposure”. And between you and me, when a few creatives get together they swap their “exposure” stories and have a laugh.

In my opinion, working for exposure is often a losing bet, but not everyone thinks so. Rihanna, for instance, performed for exposure at the Super Bowl LVII this year. None of the previous headliners took home a paycheck either.??

So, why do these big stars do it? Well, the fact is that these performances have an impact. Headliners see an uptick in streams, and album sales go up. Although, it's hard to calculate the exact correlation.?

But since most headliners are giants in the industry, many argue that they'd have thriving careers regardless of the Super Bowl performance.?

And on a larger scale, it’s worth considering the negative effect this arrangement has. For example, before 2022, the NFL didn’t even pay backup dancers and recruited them as “volunteers”.?

The tides turned when people started to speak up about this exploitation. Then, on 25 January 2022, SAG-AFTRA released a?statement?advising their professional dancer members not to rehearse or perform for the Super Bowl halftime show without compensation.

In general, the League also overestimates the value of its platform. A few years back, they suggested that?artists pay?them?to perform at the Super Bowl. After receiving backlash for this proposition, the NFL backtracked.

So, what does this mean for other creatives, such as designers, photographers, filmmakers, writers, and so on?

Should you take on unpaid work?

The answer to that depends.

If your mom’s asking you for a favor, just do the thing. If you’re doing unpaid work for a non-profit you’re passionate about, then go ahead, especially if you approached the organization yourself.

The bottom line is that businesses often look out for their best interests only. So, you've got to look out for yourself.

As for the whole halftime show situation, should performers and professional dancers put their foot down and demand more from the League? You be the judge and let me know your thoughts in the comments down below.

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