R ihanna has said her work-life balance is now “very different” since having her son – admitting it has been “almost impossible” to get it right.
Rihanna is headlining the Super Bowl half-time show this Sunday night at the State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. The13-minute live performance, her first in seven years, will also be the first time Rihanna has take to the stage since giving birth to her son – who she shares with A$AP Rocky – in May 2022.
Although she has stepped back from music in recent years, she has built a business empire with her Fenty beauty and fashion brands.
Speaking at the Apple Music pre-game press conference on Thursday, the Barbadian star, 34, said her priorities had changed since becoming a mother and that work commitments have to be “worth it”.
“The balance is almost impossible because no matter how you look at it, work is always something that’s going to rob you of time with your child,” she said.
Rihanna poses for a photo after a halftime show news conference ahead of the Super Bowl 57 NFL game in Phoenix, Arizona (Mike Stewart/AP) / AP
“That’s the currency now and that’s where it goes, the magnitude of how much it weighs. When you make decisions on what you’re going to say yes to. It has to be worth it.”
However, the star said becoming a mother had made her feel like she can “take on the world” – adding she felt it was important to do the performance for her son.
She said: “When I first got the call to do it again this year, I was like, ‘Are you sure? I’m three months postpartum, should I be making major decisions like this right now? Like, I might regret this.’
“But when you become a mom, there’s something that just happens where you feel like you could take on the world. You can do anything, and the Super Bowl is one of the biggest stages in the world.
“So as scary as that was, because I haven’t been on stage in seven years, there’s something exhilarating about the challenge of it all.”
The star added: “And it’s important for me to do this, this year it’s important for representation and it’s important for my son to see that.”
Rihanna with A$AP Rocky / AFP via Getty Images
The Philadelphia Eagles and the Kansas City Chiefs will go head-to-head on Sunday night.
Rihanna will perform during the half-time show – which has rapidly become one of the most prestigious live performance slots of the year.
Last year, Jennifer Lopez and Shakira performed, with the likes of Katy Perry, Beyonce and Destiny’s Child, The Rolling Stones, plus Justin Timberlake and Janet Jackson among those to have gone before her.
Various special guests are expected to join her on stage during the rapid performance. At the press conference, Rihanna described preparations for Sunday’s show, saying the physical training had been “immense” but that curating the setlist had been “the biggest challenge” – with around 39 iterations having already been produced.
@BadGalRiri | Rihanna - In pictures 1 / 102 @BadGalRiri | Rihanna - In pictures Rihanna’s Savage X Fenty Show Vol. 4 Dennis Leupold/Savage X Fenty Rihanna in her Umbrella music video Rihanna and A$AP Rocky arrive for the world premiere of Marvel Studios’ “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood in 2022 AFP via Getty Images Rihanna attends the "China: Through The Looking Glass" Costume Institute Benefit Gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in 2015 Getty Images Rihanna poses during the Super Bowl LVII Pregame & Apple Music Halftime Show press conference in 2022 Getty Images Rihanna performs during the 60th Annual Grammy Awards in 2018 AFP/Getty Images Rihanna performs onstage at the 2005 World Music Awards Getty Images Rihanna performs at the Teen People Listening Lounge hosted by Jay - Z at the Key Club, West Hollywood, California in 2005 Getty Images Rihanna poses in the press room with her Female Artist of the Year Award at the 2006 Billboard Music Awards Getty Images Rihanna and Chris Brown perform on stage during Z100's Jingle Ball at Madison Square Garden on December 12, 2008 in New York Getty Images Lawyer Donald Etra (stands with singer Rihanna inside the Los Angeles Superior Court during the hearing in the Chris Brown felony assault case, on June 22, 2009 AFP/Getty Images Rihanna performs at the O2 Arena. London in 2010 Getty Images Drake and Rihanna perform onstage during The 53rd Annual Grammy Awards in 2011 Getty Images Britney Spears and Rihanna kiss onstage during the 2011 Billboard Music Awards Rihanna in the audience during day 3 of the 2012 Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival Rihanna arriving for the 2012 Brit Awards at The O2 Arena, London PA Rihanna performing at the 2012 Victoria's Secret fashion show AFP/Getty Images Rihanna performs during the Victoria's Secret 2012 Fashion Show Getty Images Rihanna and Katy Perry in the audience at the 54th Annual Grammy Awards in 2012 Getty Images Rihanna as Raikes in Battleship (2012) Rihanna poses during a photocall prior to the Chanel Haute Couture Fall-Winter 2013/2014 collection shows, on July 2, 2013 at the Grand Palais in Paris AFP/Getty Images Chris Brown and Rihanna attend the 55th Annual Grammy Awards in 2013 Getty Images Rihanna and friends out and about as Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles for Halloween, New York in 2014 Rex Features Eminem and Rihanna perform onstage at the 2014 MTV Movie Awards in 2014 Getty Images Rihanna attends the British Fashion Awards at London Coliseum in 2014 Getty Images Rihanna attends the "Charles James: Beyond Fashion" Costume Institute Gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in 2014 Getty Images Rihanna walks onstage at the 2014 CFDA Fashion Awards Getty Images Fashion Icon award recipient Rihanna attends the winners walk during the 2014 CFDA Fashion Awards Getty Images Rihanna attends the 2014 CFDA Fashion Awards AFP/Getty Images Rihanna backstage at Milk Studios, Hollywood, California in 2014 Rihanna attends The 57th Annual Grammy Awards in 2015 Getty Images Recording artist Rihanna attends the 2nd Annual Diamond Ball hosted by Rihanna and The Clara Lionel Foundation at The Barker Hanger on December 10, 2015 in Santa Monica, California Rihanna for X Chopard Chopard Rihanna appearing for 'Good Morning America' New York in 2015 Rex Rihanna leaves 1-oak after boyfriend Hassan Jameel in New York Pap Nation/Splash News Rihanna out and about in New York wearing a green tracksuit Splash News Rihanna celebrates the Nokia X9 launch at "Mahiki" Club in Mayfair Dave Benett Kim Kardashian and Rihanna attend The Inaugural Diamond Ball presented by Rihanna and The Clara Lionel Foundation at The Vineyard in Beverly Hills, California Getty Images Rihanna and Naomi Campbell attend the Funty Puma by Rihanna AW16 Collection during Fall 2016 New York Fashion Week at 23 Wall Street on February 12, 2016 in New York Getty Images Drake presents Rihanna with the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award during the 2016 MTV Video Music Awards in New York Reuters Prince Harry watches as Rihanna gets her blood sample taken for an live HIV test, in order to promote more widespread testing for the public at the 'Man Aware' event held by the Barbados National HIV/AIDS Commission on the eleventh day of an official visit on December 1, 2016 in Bridgetown, Barbados. Getty Images Rihanna performing at the Virgin Media Stage during the V Festival at Hylands Park, Chelmsford in 2016 PA Rihanna attends the Christian Dior show as part of the Paris Fashion Week Womenswear Spring/Summer 2017 on September 30, 2016 in Paris, France Getty Images Rihanna walks the runway during FENTY x PUMA by Rihanna at Hotel Salomon de Rothschild on September 28, 2016 in Paris, France Getty Images 'Rihanna' sunglasses collection for Dior Rihanna Rihanna performs onstage during the 2016 Billboard Music Awards Getty Images Rihanna arrives at the Dior Cruise Show at the Upper Las Virgenes Canyon Open Space Preserve in 2017 Invision/AP Rihanna attends the premiere of 'Okja' during the 70th Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, France in 2017 Splash News Rihanna attends the premiere of 'Okja' during the 70th Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, France in 2017 Rex Features Rihanna and Cara Delevingne attend the European Premiere of "Valerian And The City Of A Thousand Planets" at Cineworld Leicester Square in 2017 Dave Benett Rihanna attends the Fenty Beauty x Harvey Nichols Launch at Harvey Nichols in 2017 Dave Benett Rihanna attends The 59th Grammy Awards 2017 Getty Images Rihanna during The 59th Grammy Awards 2017 in Los Angeles, California Getty Images Rihanna arrives to celebrate the launch of her beauty brand, Fenty Beauty by Rihanna in 2017 AFP/Getty Images Rihanna attends the "Rei Kawakubo/Comme des Garcons: Art Of The In-Between" Costume Institute Gala at Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 1, 2017 in New York Getty Images Rihanna and her family attend Rihanna's 3rd Annual Diamond Ball benefitting The Clara Lionel Foundation at Cipriani Wall Street on September 14, 2017 in New York AFP/Getty Images Rihanna attends the Chopard dinner in honour of her and the Rihanna X Chopard Collection during the 70th annual Cannes Film Festival on the Chopard Rooftop on May 18, 2017 in Cannes, France Getty Images Hip-Hop Artist Jay-Z, daughter Blue Ivy Carter and singer Rihanna during The 59th Grammy Awardsin 2017 Getty Images Rihanna rides a dirtbike on the runway at the Fenty Puma by Rihanna Spring/Summer 2018 Collection at Park Avenue Armory, New York in 2017 Getty Images Rihanna on the cover of British Vogue's September issue Nick Knight courtesy of Vogue Rihanna attends the Fenty Beauty by Rihanna event at Sephora in 2018 AFP/Getty Images Rihanna attends the Heavenly Bodies: Fashion & The Catholic Imagination Costume Institute Gala at The Metropolitan Museum in 2018 Getty Images Rihanna attends Rihanna's 4th Annual Diamond Ball benefitting The Clara Lionel Foundation in 2018 Getty Images Rihanna performs onstage during the 60th Annual Grammy Awards at Madison Square Garden in 2018 Getty Images Rihanna performs onstage during the 60th Annual Grammy Awards at Madison Square Garden in 2018 AFP/Getty Images Rihanna and Kendrick Lamar accept the award for best rap/sung performance for "Loyalty." at the 60th annual Grammy Awards at Madison Square Garden in 2018 Invision/AP Rihanna attends the 60th Annual Grammy Awards at Madison Square Garden in 2018 Getty Images Rihanna and her nephew Majesty attend Sephora loves Fenty Beauty by Rihanna launch event, Milan in 2018 Splash News Rihanna attends the "Ocean's 8" UK Premiere held at Cineworld Leicester Square in 2018 Dave Benett Rihanna in Oceans 8 (2018) Rihanna sets pulses racing as she poses topless in bed to promote new Fenty and Savage lingerie collaboration in 2018 @savagexfenty Rihanna attends the Fenty Beauty by Rihanna Anniversary Event at Sephora Pitt Street store on October 3, 2018 in Sydney, Australia Getty Images Rihanna attends the Fenty Beauty by Rihanna event at Sephora in 2018 AFP/Getty Images Rihanna performs onstage during Rihanna’s 5th Annual Diamond Ball in 2019 Getty Images for Diamond Ball Rihanna and A$AP Rocky celebrate Fenty Beauty & Fenty Skin at Goya Studios in 2022 Rich Fury/Getty Images for Fenty Beauty & Fenty Skin Rihanna poses during the Super Bowl LVII Pregame & Apple Music Halftime Show press conference in 2022 Getty Images
Rihanna previously declined to perform at the 2019 Super Bowl halftime show out of solidarity with former NFL player Colin Kaepernick, who became recognised around the world for taking a knee to protest racial injustice in the US.
Rihanna’s show marks her highly anticipated return to music, which began in October 2022 when she released her first new song since 2016, Life Me Up.
The tune was featured in the Marvel Studios film Black Panther: Wakanda Forever as a tribute to the late Chadwick Boseman. The song earned the beauty her first Golden Globe nomination and her first Academy Award nomination, both for Best Original Song.

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