Rihanna is ready for the Super Bowl Halftime Show 2023.
The Grammy Award-winning musician spoke today at the Super Bowl LVII Pregame & Apple Music Super Bowl LVII Halftime Show press conference in Phoenix, Ariz., ahead of the Bowl on Sunday, Feb. 12. The event was hosted by musical journalist Nadeska Alexis.
During the occasion, Rihanna wore a black shearling-trimmed flap jacket atop a gray reptilian-printed dress with two side slits. The piece is from Alaïa’s spring 2023 ready-to-wear collection. She accessorized the look with Maria Tash jewelry.
Finishing her sleek outfit were custom lace-up sandals in textured printed python by Gianvito Rossi, worn while discussing numerous elements of the upcoming halftime show — including the importance of representing her home country of Barbados, balancing performing with motherhood and the physical challenges of rehearsing her set.
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“The physical challenge has been a mess for different reasons. I haven’t done this in a minute. You’re running around for 13 minutes” Rihanna said of preparing for the show during the conference, which was streamed live on YouTube.
The singer also talked about returning to the stage now that she is a mom — Rihanna and A$AP Rocky welcomed their son in May 2022. “The balance is almost impossible. No matter how you look at it, work is always something that is going to rob you of time with your child,” Rihanna said.
After the interview, Apple Music released a video inspired by Rihanna’s childhood in Barbados. The video is set to “Run This Town,” which Rihanna originally released with Jay Z in 2009.
Previously, Rihanna made waves for her nonchalant Super Bowl Halftime Show announcement on Instagram on Sept. 2022. Simply captioned with a period against a photo of her hand holding an NFL football, Rihanna’s post was met with massive fanfare on social media. Since then, she’s also launched a football-themed Savage X Fenty collection and released a video posing in a dramatic Area coat ahead of her performance.
The Super Bowl is already anticipated to be one of the year’s top events from Rihanna’s already viral Halftime Show performance. Brands are also cashing in on the hype, with PopCorners, Rakuten and Skechers, among others, releasing humorous and witty commercials to promote their products during the occasion.
The Super Bowl LVI will air on Sunday, Feb. 12 at 6:30pm EST on Fox, with the Philadelphia Eagles facing the Kansas City Chiefs at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. The widely-anticipated football game will feature a halftime show performance by Rihanna, as well as a national anthem performance by Chris Stapleton. The event will include Sheryl Lee Ralph performing “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” as well as Babyface performing “America the Beautiful.”
PHOTOS: Discover musicians performing at the Super Bowl over the years in the gallery.
