One of the most awaited nights in the country, the Super Bowl game concluded at the State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs competed during the February 12th, 2023’s game for the ‘Vince Lombardi Trophy’. 113.06 million viewers tuned in to watch the Super Bowl LVII. And one of the reasons for the higher viewership was the Halftime event where Rihanna headlined the biggest concert.
Rihanna went into a burrow to focus on her business empire. She released her last album before her hiatus in 2016 titled ‘Anti’. After that, she performed ‘Wild Thoughts’ live with DJ Khaled during the 2018 Grammy Awards. She is thriving in her personal life with a baby and partner A$AP Rocky. So, the Halftime performance was like a musical comeback for RiRi performing some of her greatest hits. However, four years back, the songstress refused to be a part of the event. So, what changed in four years?
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Rihanna Refused The Offer Of Performing At The Super Bowl Halftime
Along with stellar professional feats, Rihanna has found stability and love. After a tumultuous personal life getting publicized, she has been embracing new roles and relationships.
The singer found love in A$AP Rocky. The couple, in May 2022, welcomed their first child. She debuted on TikTok by posting an aww-worthy video of him which has garnered 20 million views on the platform.
Now, the mother-son duo with A$AP Rocky is featured on their debut magazine cover for British Vogue.
During the cover interview, Rihanna talked about motherhood, her adorable son, what changed for her after pregnancy, and her super-hit Halftime performance.
It was significant for her at many levels. The Super Bowl marked her comeback. She also debuted her second baby bump in the classic RiRi style! However, she vehemently opposed being at the Halftime show back in 2019.
In 2016, the former 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick took a knee during ‘The Star Spangled Banner’ to mark his protest against police brutality and racism. The NFL took action against him. Due to this, many artists refused to perform at Halftime boycotting it.
Rihanna was one of the people who boycotted the organization. She told Vogue 2019 the reason she refused the offer to perform in 2019. The artist said, “I just couldn’t be a sellout”.
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What Made The Artist Change Her Mind?
Post the 2019 interview, things changed for Rihanna. However, one of the biggest seismic shifts in her life was motherhood. And it was the very reason why she considered the offer this time around. During the Vogue cover interview, Rihanna said, “There’s still a lot of mending to be done in my eyes, but it’s powerful to break those doors and have representation at such a high, high level and a consistent level”.
But, the changes she saw, especially with the representation aspect, in the NFL since the 2016 incident made her optimistic. She continued, “Two Super Bowls back-to-back you know, representing the urban community, globally. It is powerful. It sends a really strong message”.
But, it was her son and his future that made her re-evaluate her stance on the past decision. She said, “Raising a young Black man is one of the scariest responsibilities in life. You’re like, ‘What am I leaving my kids to? This is the planet they’re gonna be living on?’ All of those things really start to hit differently”.
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