On Sunday’s episode of The Process with Nate Burleson podcast, Rihanna admitted that she studied the “Cuff It” singer’s past Super Bowl Halftime Show performances to prepare for her own.
“I watched Beyoncé’s halftime performances a couple of times. She is a beast and a whole other level. Just to be inspired, really,” the Grammy-winner, 34, told host Nate Burleson.
Beyoncé, 41, headlined the Super Bowl XLVII Halftime Show as a solo act in 2013, but her former Destiny’s Child members, Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams, made a special appearance during her set.
She then performed again on the Super Bowl stage when she and Bruno Mars joined headliner Coldplay on the field for the Super Bowl 50 Halftime Show in 2016.
For her Super Bowl LVII performance, the “Lift Me Up” artist shared on Thursday at a press conference that her biggest challenge when preparing for her set was choosing which songs to include.
“That was the hardest, hardest part: deciding how to maximize 13 minutes but also celebrate. That’s what this show is gonna be. It’s gonna be a celebration of my catalog in the best way that we could’ve put it together,” Rihanna told Apple Music host Nadeska Alexis.
“You’re trying to cram 17 years of work into 13 minutes, so it’s difficult. Some songs we have to lose because of that, and that’s gonna be OK, but I think we did a pretty good job of narrowing it down,” she added.
“I’ve been so focused on the Super Bowl I totally forgot that my birthday’s coming up. I totally forgot about Valentine’s Day,” she said.
However, after welcoming her 8-month-old son with A$AP Rocky last May, and releasing her first song in nearly seven years in October, Rihanna soon recognized that motherhood and career aspirations don’t always go hand-in-hand.