Rihanna on the Next Chapter, Being a Mom, and Returning to the Stage

Being a mother only emphasizes how unstoppable Rihanna has always been.

The “Love on the Brain” singer previewed her upcoming halftime show at yesterday’s Apple Music Super Bowl LVII Halftime Show press conference. This performance will come after an almost six-year musical break.

Rihanna spoke candidly about her stage fright when asked what this occasion means to her.

“When I first got the call to do it again this year, I was like, ‘You sure?’ Like, I’m three months postpartum, like, should I be making major decisions like this right now? Like, I might regret this,” she said. “But when you become a mom, there’s something that just happens where you feel like you could take on the world, you can do anything.”

She continued, “And the Super Bowl is one of the biggest stages in the world. So as scary as that was, because I haven’t been onstage in seven years, there’s something exhilarating about the challenge of it all. And it’s important for me to do this this year. It’s important for representation, it’s important for my son to see that.”

Regarding the physical strain of practicing for the much awaited performance, she continued,

“I haven’t done this in a minute, first things first. So you’re just running around for 13 minutes, trying to put a two-hour set in 13 minutes. And you’re gonna see on Sunday, from the time it starts, it just never ends until it’s, like, the very last second. … It’s a jam-packed show, and it takes a toll on your body, it does.”

Rihanna promises fans a “jam-packed show”

The 13-minute show’s rumored guests include Jay-Z, whose Roc Nation is serving as executive producer. Additionally rumored to join Rihanna are past associates Calvin Harris, Drake, Eminem, SZA, DJ Khaled, and her partner A$AP Rocky. The performer added that she and her colleagues were so preoccupied with preparations for the show that they entirely overlooked her impending birthday and Valentine’s Day.

The artist placed a lot of importance on the performance’s roots, which heavily influenced her planning.

Her roots played a huge role in the planning.

“That’s a big part of why this is important for me to do this show: representation,” Rhianna said. “Representing for immigrants. Representing for Black women everywhere.

“That’s key for people to see the possibilities,” she added. “I’m really excited to have Barbados on the Super Bowl stage.

In order to support Colin Kaepernick’s protest to the NFL, Rihanna earlier declined the NFL’s invitation to sing at the renowned halftime show in 2019. Rihanna amended her comments in response to Colin Kaepernick retracting his criticism of the NFL.

Where to watch Rihanna’s halftime show performance.

On Sunday, February 12 at 6:30 PM ET/3:30 PM PT, FOX will air Rihanna’s performance. The game and the halftime show will also be shown on live TV streaming services Hulu, FuboTV, and YouTube TV for those who are unable to access Fox.