SHE has been used to months of sleepless nights after giving birth to her baby son last May.
But now Rihanna has revealed she’s got a whole new “baby” that isn’t letting her get any rest– Sunday’s Super Bowl performance.
Rihanna speaks onstage during the press conference for Apple Music Super Bowl LVII Halftime Show on ThursdayCredit: Getty
For the singer, the decision to step back onto the stage was not an easy oneCredit: Getty
The Diamonds superstar will wow with a high-octane eight minute set in the State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, and speaking at a press conference with Apple Music Ri-Ri said the last few days had been a whirlwind.
“We were working at the venue all last night and I ended up in a Pret and somehow I am here at a press conference,” Rihanna laughed.
Her little boy, with rapper ASAP Rocky, is a driving force behind Rihanna’s decision to perform, after previously turning the Super Bowl down in 2019 as a show of solidarity for Colin Kaepernick – the NFL star who says he was blackballed for taking the knee during the American national anthem.
Rihanna explained: “It is important for me to do it this year, it is important for representation, it is important for my son to see that.”
Speaking about when she was asked, Rihanna recalled: “When I first got the call to do it again this year I was like, ‘You sure? I am three months postpartum, should I be making major decisions like this? I might regret this.’
“When you become a mum something happens where you feel like you can take on the world, you can 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 is something exhilarating about the challenge of it all.”
For Rihanna, the decision to step back onto the stage was not an easy one.
As a new mum to her son, who she has not publicly named, Rihanna said she had discovered that juggling her career with parenthood was not easy.
She added: “The balance is almost impossible no matter how you look.
“Work will always rob you of time with your child. That is the currency now.
“That is where it goes.
“The magnitude of how much it weighs when you make decisions on what you say yes to has to be worth it.”
Those close to Rihanna, who last performed live on her Anti tour in 2016, said fans could expect a thrilling set which took in the Bajan star’s rise to fame.
And the singer, who was signed to Jay Z’s record label aged just 16 in 2007, said even she was struggling to keep pace with the routines she had set for herself.
She said: “The physical challenge has been immense for many reasons.
“I haven’t done this in a minute.
“First things first, you are running around for 13 mins trying to put a two hour set into 13 minutes.
“You will see on Sunday from when it starts it never ends until the last second.
“It is a jam packed show and it takes a toll on your body.”
Rihanna added: “I have been so focused on the Super Bowl I forgot my birthday was coming up, I totally forgot Valentine’s Day is coming up – I’m all Super Bowl.
“A lot of prep, a lot of moving parts and this is the week that it really is being tested.
“We are just tightening up everything.
“It is 400 people breaking the stage down, building it back up and putting it down in eight minutes. It is incredible, it is almost impossible.
“We have been working on it for a while and every day it gets closer and closer to the finished product.
“Today is a really big rehearsal, really important and that will be crucial for Sunday.”
Rihanna’s little boy, with rapper ASAP Rocky, is a driving force behind Rihanna’s decision to performCredit: TikTok/rihanna
Rihanna became a mum for the first time last year when she had a baby with her boyfriend A$AP RockyCredit: BackGrid
The singer became a billionaire in 2021 thanks to her hugely successful lingerie and make up businessesCredit: Planet Photos
Rihanna, like with all her business ventures, said she was overseeing every aspect of the performance – from the dance routines to the exact guitar riffs.
The singer, who became a billionaire in 2021 thanks to her hugely successful lingerie and make up businesses, admitted having control was something she was proud of.
She explained:” I am definitely not one to be worried about coming across bossy.
“I have been bossy all of my life. Hell of annoying too, some people get irritated but it is riding on me.
“There are a lot of people who are a part of this show – a part of why this show is going to be what it is.
“At end of the day if it flops or flies, my name has to stand by that.
“So I get involved with every aspect whether it’s the super bowl or make up or lingerie.
“I want to see the copy on the website, I want to name every lipstick – I love it.”
Alongside working her way through her nine UK Top Ten hits, including Rude Boy, Only Girl and What’s My Name, Rihanna will be taking her fans back to where it all began with her breakthrough hit – Pon De Replay.
And her upbringing in Barbados will also feature, with Rihanna promising to promote Caribbean culture in her set.
She added: “It’s a beautiful journey I am on, it’s a celebration of that.
“I am excited to have Barbados on the Super Bowl stage.
“A big part of why it is important for me to do this show, representing for immigrants, representing for my country Barbados, representing for black women everywhere.
“I think that is really important, it is key for people to see the possibilities.
“I am honoured to be doing this this year.”
Following her epic set on Sunday night, Rihanna will announce a huge world tour – including UK dates in 2024.
But while she is ready to go onto the road, the singer was vague over new music.
After releasing Lift Me Up, the title music to Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, in November, fans had hoped Rihanna would be closer to announcing her new record.
When asked about the reggae inspired ninth studio album she had assured fans she was working on, Rih said: “Musically I am feeling open to exploring, discovering, creating things that are new.
“That is different, new, weird, might not ever make sense to my fans, to the people that know the music.
“I just want to play and have fun with music.”
When asked by a young fan during a question and answer session at the end of the conference, Rihanna admitted she knew she was annoying her fans – affectionately known as the “navy”.
When quizzed on her favourite album to make, Rihanna referenced her 2016 album Anti, which she took four years to release.
She smiled: “Anti was the first time I took time creating an album.
“It frustrated my fans a bit and here I am doing it again.”
The star was also asked how she remained humble and cited her upbringing, which saw her raised in an abusive household, for keeping her feet on the ground.
As a young girl Rihanna often saw her dad Ronald beat her mum Monica – who she went on to support after they split by caring for her brother so Monica could earn money to support the family.
Rihanna said of her beginnings: “My humility came from childhood in the Caribbean.
