As soon as it was announced that Rihanna aka RiRi would be performing at the biggest and most prestigious gig in America, the Super Bowl half-time show, her fans have been eagerly awaiting it.
The performance not only marks her return to the stage, but also a return to her singing career since the release of her album “Anti” in 2016. She hasn’t even toured since then, choosing to concentrate on her fashion and beauty brand and giving birth to her first child last year. Rihanna will perform during the break when the Philadelphia Eagles take on Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday night, US time.
However, Rihanna did record a new song last year for Marvel's “Wakanda Forever”, “Lift Me Up”, which features on the soundtrack to the Black Panther sequel, marking her first new solo single for six years and has been nominated for an Oscar.
Rihanna recently joined Apple Music Radio host Nadeska Alexis for the official Apple Music Super Bowl LVII halftime show press conference, where the singer expressed excitement for her return to the stage, the focus and preparation that’s gone into it, being asked to perform three months after giving birth to her son, and the “scary” and “exhilarating” challenge of returning to the stage. Excerpts from the interview:
What does this moment means to you?
It feels like it could have only been now. I mean, 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? Like I might regret this. But 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.
How did you create your set list for the performance?
The set list was the biggest challenge. That was the hardest part. Deciding how to maximise 13 minutes, but also celebrate. That’s what this show’s gonna be, it’s gonna be a celebration of my catalogue in the best way we could have put it together. And you only have 13 minutes, that's the challenge, so you’re trying to cram 17 years of work into 13 minutes. So it’s difficult. You know, some songs we have to lose because of that, and that’s gonna be okay. But I think we did a pretty good job of narrowing it down.
What were the physical demands of getting ready for Sunday’s game?
The physical challenge has definitely been immense, for many reasons, of course. But, I haven’t done this in a minute. First thing’s 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, it just, from the time it starts, it just never ends until it’s like the very last second. Now I’m saying too much? But it’s a jam-packed show and it takes a toll on your body, it does.
What’s the cultural significance of this Apple Music halftime show moment?
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.
Where are you headed musically?
Musically, I’m feeling open. I’m feeling open to exploring, discovering, creating, things that are new, things that are different, things that are off, weird, might not ever make sense to my fans, you know, the people that know the music that I put out. I just want to play. I want to have fun. I want to have fun with music.
How was it transitioning back to music?
The pandemic kind of, in a weird way, forced me to slow down. And then when you have all these boundaries and restraints and rules and you have to stay home, you kind of get creative with ways to stay entertained, in a way. Road-tripping was one of those things that I’ve always loved, I just usually road trip while I’m on tour. That’s the road trip. So I got to feel the things I love about tour without having the commitment of the show every single day. It was just nice to appreciate that time. I really enjoyed it, actually.
Here’s hoping the Super Bowl performance signals a bigger musical comeback later this year. At the press conference Apple Music also unveiled the new short film, “Run This Town” filmed on Rihanna Drive in Barbados, which can be watched on Apple Music’s IG. Watch the Super Bowl LVII in Bangkok at these places: Touchdown Sports Bar at Novotel Suvarnabhumi; The Sports Corner, Sukhumvit 20; Bourbon Street on Ekamai Road, The Old English Bangkok at BTS Thong Lor; The Sportsman on Sukhumvit 13; and The Game at BTS Nana.
