SIMI VALLEY, Calif. (AP) 鈥 Rihanna knew that if she was going to return to the stage less than a year after giving birth to her first child, the performance would have to top anything she鈥檇 done before.
鈥淚f I鈥檓 going to leave my baby, I鈥檓 going to leave my baby for something special,鈥 the multi-Grammy winner
That something special turned out to be the . 鈥淚t was now or never for me,鈥 she said.
The singer had previously declined to perform in the 2019 halftime show out of solidarity with Colin Kaepernick. But in a recent interview ahead of her Rihanna said that the timing and circumstances this time around were right for her. 鈥淚t was a challenge that I welcomed. It was a stage bigger than anything I鈥檝e ever done,鈥 she said.
After the NFL announced in late September that Rihanna would headline the February show, hopeful rumors spread of a long-awaited new album, which she . Her last album, 鈥淎NTI,鈥 was released in 2016.
Although the pop star recently dropped her first new song in six years, the lead single for 鈥淏lack Panther: Wakanda Forever,鈥 she was quick to shut down speculation that her Super Bowl performance meant an album was imminent. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 not true. Super Bowl is one thing. New music is another thing. Do you hear that, fans?鈥 she said, laughing.
鈥淭he second that I announced this, I said, 鈥極h, my God, they鈥檙e going to think my album is coming. I need to get to work,鈥欌 she recalled.
Despite her quick return to the public eye after giving birth, Rihanna and rapper A$AP Rocky have kept the details about their baby private. The two have yet to share his name or any photos of him.
鈥淲e just didn鈥檛 get around to it yet, really. We鈥檝e just been living. But I guess there鈥檚 a certain freedom that comes with kind of just like getting it out there,鈥 she said.
In addition to adjusting to life as a new mom, Rihanna said she has been busy outdoing last year鈥檚 鈥淪avage X Fenty Show Vol. 3,鈥 which earned an Emmy and included a long list of high-profile stars.
鈥淚t鈥檚 always challenging to beat the one before,鈥 she said. 鈥淣ext year is going to actually be the main challenge because this year was such a huge scale of a show and I don鈥檛 know how we鈥檙e going to beat it, but we鈥檙e going to have to try.鈥
This year鈥檚 show includes performances by Anitta, Maxwell and others, as well as a long list of appearances, including Taraji P. Henson, Cara Delevingne and Sheryl Lee Ralph. AP's interview with Rihanna came before word leaked that Johnny Depp was slated to participate. Some people unhappy with called for a boycott of Rihanna's line if Depp was part of the show.
The 鈥淪avage X Fenty Show Vol. 4鈥 will be available to stream Wednesday on Amazon Prime Video.
