Rihanna is speaking out about her highly anticipated performance at the Super Bowl and it sounds like we’re in for quite a show!
During a press conference with Apple Music in Glendale, Arizona, the superstar discussed how proud she is to be representing her home country when she takes to the stage on Sunday night.
“That’s a big part of why it’s important for me to do this show. Representing the country of Barbados, Black women everywhere, I think that’s really important. I’m honoured to be doing this this year.”
Rihanna, who was declared a National Hero of Barbados in 2021, adds, “I mean, it’s a long way from home, right? It’s a long way from home. It’s a beautiful journey that I’m on and I could’ve never guessed that I would have made it here. So it’s a celebration of that. I’m excited to do that. I’m really excited to have Barbados on the Super Bowl stage.”
In September last year, the National Football League announced that RiRi would headline the Super Bowl, marking her first performance on stage since 2016 – and she admits, getting that offer was a little “scary’:
“When I first got the call to do it again this year, I was like, ‘psst, you sure?’ I’m three months postpartum, like, should I be making major decisions like this now?”
But Rihanna shares that motherhood, in fact, inspired her to take the plunge:
“When you become a mom, there’s something that just happens where you feel like you could take on the world, you could do anything. And the Super Bowl is one of the biggest stages in the world. So as scary as that was because I haven’t been on stage 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.”
She had previously declined to perform at the 2019 Super Bowl in solidarity with former NFL player Colin Kaepernick and his protest against racial injustice.
During the presser, RiRi shared that the set list had been tricky to finalise: “You’re trying to cram 17 years of work into 13 minutes!”
And as for the big question … can we expect new music from her soon?
“Musically, I’m feeling open to exploring, discovering, creating things that are new, things that are different, off, weird, that may not ever make sense to my fans. I just want to play and have fun.”
Also taking to the Super Bowl stage this year will be Sheryl Lee Ralph, Babyface, Chris Stapleton and Troy Katsur.
Check out Rihanna’s full interview HERE.
(Feature Image Credit: courtesy Roc Nation)