Taylor Swift was rumored for the Super Bowl Halftime Show, but it would be confirmed that Rihanna was in fact returning to put on a memorable performance.
Rihanna didn't take on the gig to increase her bank account, she's got more than enough funds. Instead, as we'll reveal in the following, Rihanna took on the gig to challenge herself, especially as a proud mom these days. For the artist, it was really a 'now or never' type of ordeal.
In the following, we'll take a look at the reason Rihanna agreed to the gig, and what the hardest part was in prepping for the show. In addition, we're going to take a closer look at Rihanna's pay for Super Bowl, and how she'll be able to profit off the appearance.
Rihanna Shocked Herself When She Agreed To Work The Super Bowl
Rihanna herself admitted she was shocked by agreeing to the gig. There was no turning back for the artist once the decision went public.
"I can't believe I even said yes. It was one of those things that even when I announced it, I was like, 'OK, I can't take it back. Now, it's like final," she told ET.
"The Super Bowl is one of the biggest stages in the world, it's an entertainer's dream to be on a stage like that," she added. "But it's nerve-racking. You want to get it right. You know, everybody's watching. And they're rooting for you. And I want to get it right."
Rihanna revealed that her break as a mom was longer than expected, and knew that the Super Bowl was a now or never type of ordeal.
"You could get real comfortable being at home as a mom, [so this is] challenging myself to do something that I've never done before in my career. I have to live up to that challenge," she added.
"I want to incorporate different aspects of entertainment and things that I just enjoy and bring it to the stage," she said. "I want to celebrate the music that I've made."
In agreeing to the gig, Rihanna also agreed to work the gig without any type of pay. However, it comes with some huge perks.
Rihanna Won't Make Any Money From The NFL, But The Super Bowl Exposure Alone With Spike Her Sales
Rihanna won't bring in any money from the NFL for her memorable halftime performance. However, she'll be able to profit in a different way. According to Country Living, Super Bowl performers see a massive spike in sales following their Halftime show.
"J. Lo and Shakira saw a 1,013% sales increase (Billboard) of the 14 songs they performed during their combined act in 2020," the publication writes.
Justin Timberlake also saw his album skyrocket to number one on the Billboard charts following his performance.
Although the NFL doesn't pay the artist directly, they spend millions on the production and the spectacle of it all.
Esquire reveals, "The cost of production, even for just a thirteen-minute segment, can be sky-high, with the 2020 performance by Jennifer Lopez and Shakira reportedly costing the NFL approximately $13 million. That figure finances the paychecks of up to 3,000 staffers involved in the production, as well as complicated technical elements of the performance, like a collapsible, 38-part stage, or the massive audio equipment rolled in on 18 carts."
Without a doubt, the performance was a major boost to Rihanna's career, in more ways than one.
Rihanna Had Some Troubles Prepping For The Super Bowl Behind The Scenes
One of the major problems artists encounter during the Super Bowl Halftime Show, is cramming in their best work in such a limited amount of time. This was the reason OutKast decided to turn down a performance, as they couldn't perform their songs in their entirety.
Rihanna went through the same struggle behind the scenes.
"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," teased Rihanna with People.
"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 okay, but I think we did a pretty good job of narrowing it down."
Credit to Rihanna for taking on the days and days of prep, despite the fact that she's a new mom at home nowadays.