PHOENIX (News4usonline) – The name Rihanna speaks for itself. She is a music superstar. She has evolved into a global brand. She is a fashion and beauty icon. She has climbed her way into billionaire status financially. So what can Rihanna add to her already impressive resume? Performing at halftime of Super Bowl LVII in Glendale, Arizona.
“The Fenty [Beauty] highlighter is definitely helping today because I have yet to sleep,” Rihanna remarked at the start of the Apple Music Super Bowl Halftime Show press conference at the Phoenix Convention Center. “We were working at the event all last night, and I kind of just stayed there and prepped. Somehow, I’m here at this press conference right now.”
When it comes to artists performing during halftime of a Super Bowl, not only is this the biggest sports stage in the world where the best of the best come to play football at its highest level, entertainers also have the pressure of living up to the billing and the hype. There have been some notable hits and misses for the intermission show.
Prince, Michael Jackson, Beyonce & Destiny Child, Janet Jackson, and Super Bowl LVI that featured Dr. Dre, Mary J. Blige, Snoop Dogg, Kendrick Lamar, and 50 Cent round out the Top 5 best performances. Topping the 2022 Super Bowl halftime show with Lamar, Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, 50 Cent, and Blige is a tough follow-up act.
But no worries, Rihanna is here. Even though it has been years since she last took the stage to do a major concert, Apple Music and the NFL don’t have any qualms about whether Rihanna can deliver. And in a big way.
Lately, it’s been Super Bowl or bust for Rihanna. She admitted during the crowded presser that she’s been so locked into her performance that she has pretty much put everything else on the back burner.
“I’ve been so focused on the Super Bowl, I’ve totally forgotten that my birthday is coming up. I totally forgot about Valentine’s Day. I’m just like, ‘Super Bowl, Super Bowl, Super Bowl,’” she said. “So, a lot of preparation, a lot of moving parts. And this week, this is the week that it really is being tested.
“Everyone, we’re just tightening up everything. Everybody’s dialing in, everybody’s tuning up, and a lot of moving parts. I mean, it’s literally three to four hundred people breaking this stage down and building it back up and getting it out in eight minutes. It’s incredible. It’s almost impossible.”
While it seems to be a daunting task, Rihanna is nonetheless thrilled to be a big part of Super Bowl LVII.
“I don’t know if I could do that in eight minutes,” said Rihanna. “But we’re excited to do the Super Bowl. We are. We’ve been working on it for a while.”
Delving into her Fenty Beauty line and being a mother has largely shelved Rihanna’s stage being able to perform for years. With that said, landing the Apple Music Super Bowl Halftime Show gig was the right opportunity for her now, she felt.
“It feels like it could have only been now,” Rihanna said. “When I first got the call to do it again this year, I was like, ‘You sure? Like I’m three months postpartum. Should I be making major decisions like this right now? Like I might regret this.’ But when you become a mom, there is something that just happens where you feel like you can take on the world. You can do anything. 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.”
Rihanna shared with the audience full of media members that part of her success is not being shy about putting her stamp on what she wants, whether it’s her music, beauty line, or performing at the Super Bowl.
“I’m definitely not one that’s worried about coming off too bossy,” Rihanna quipped. “I’ve been bossy all my life ever since I was a little girl I promise you this…like helluva annoying, too. I know some people get irritated, but, you know, it’s riding on me. There are a lot of people who are part of this show, and a huge part of the reason why this show is going to be as incredible as it is. I couldn’t have done it without them.
“But you know what, at the end of the day, if it flops or it flies, my name has to stand by that. So, I really get involved in every aspect of anything that I do, whether it’s the Super Bowl, whether it’s a makeup product, whether it’s Savage Lingerie. Like whatever I do, I’m that annoying girl who’s going to talk about everything. I want to see the copy on the website. I want to name every lipstick that I make. Like, I care about it. I love it. I love it.”
Dennis has covered and written about politics, crime, social justice, sports, and entertainment. Dennis currently covers the NFL, MLB, NBA, NCAA, and Olympic sports. Dennis is the editor of News4usonline.com and serves as the publisher of the Compton Bulletin newspaper. He earned a journalism degree from Howard University.