MUSIC
Rihanna talks inspiration ahead of Super Bowl halftime comeback
The singer shares her source of inspiration and where her music is going with her first show in years on the horizon.
Rihanna’s big Super Bowl halftime show is coming up and now that she’s prepared, Rihanna is reflecting on how becoming a mother has impacted her life and work, and that everything she does is now inspired by this new role.
The songstress is making a major comeback, having been out of the limelight for several years, at the highly anticipated Super Bowl Halftime show on Sunday.
Ahead of Sunday’s performance, Rihanna spoke about her upcoming show, her music, and how motherhood inspires her to tackle greater challenges than ever before.
“When you become a mom there’s something that just happens where you feel like you could take on the world, you can do anything,” Rihanna said. “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.”
The creative process
Rihanna talked further about her creative process, where she shared her new approach to making music, and the way things are changing for her artistically.
“Musically, I’m feeling open,” Rihanna said. “I’m feeling open to exploring, discovering, and creating things that are new. Things that are different. Things that are off. Weird. Might not ever make sense to my fans. I just want to play. I want to have fun. I want to have fun with music.”
When asked about what was most challenging about her upcoming performance, Rihanna said that it was difficult to compact a life’s work into 13 minutes on stage, but ultimately she is looking at the show as a major celebration.
“The setlist was the biggest challenge,” Rihanna said. “Deciding how to maximize 13 minutes but also celebrate.”
“That’s what this show is going to be. It’s going to be a celebration of my catalog in the best way we could have put it together.”
The Elle interview
The 34-year-old, having become a mother in May with partner A$AP Rocky, told Elle Magazine the way she sees life now, having learned to balance responsibilities while nurturing her child and enjoying the creative process as an artist.
“Becoming a mother has only added to the inspiration in my life,” Rihanna said.
“I’ve had to find the balance between an efficient routine that maximizes precious ‘me’ time and full glam, because I really enjoy that colorful creative process.”