Rihanna explained why she agreed to do the Super Bowl LVII Halftime Show in an interview with British Vogue.
The music superstar famously turned down a past offer to perform at the Super Bowl out of solidarity with Colin Kaepernick. A few years later, Rihanna decided the positives of performing at the NFL’s biggest game outweighed the negatives.
“There’s still a lot of mending to be done in my eyes,” she said. “But it’s powerful to break those doors, and have representation at such a high, high level and a consistent level.”
Rihanna referred to Dr. Dre’s set in 2022, adding, “Two Super Bowls back-to-back, you know, representing the urban community, globally. It is powerful. It sends a really strong message.”
The Super Bowl LVII Halftime Show marked Rihanna’s first live performance in years. Viewers were surprised to see her hit the stage with a baby bump. Her reps confirmed she was pregnant with her second child.
Rihanna’s pregnancy made it seem unlikely she will drop a new album any time soon. At one point, the Barbadian singer aimed to release her follow-up to 2016’s Anti in 2023.
“I want it to be this year,” she said. “Like, honestly, it’d be ridiculous if it’s not this year. But I just want to have fun. I just want to make music and make videos.”
Watch Rihanna’s Super Bowl performance here.