14 #1 songs. She has nine Grammys.
She is Oscar nominated,
an entrepreneur, a visionary.
And this Sunday at the Apple
Music Super Bowl 57 halftime show,
the wait is over.
It's been 2190 days, dude. Rihanna,
we waited for you over six years
since the nine time Grammy winner.
Yeah, everybody is waiting for it.
The fans just predicted the end.
You.
OK, from Apple Music Radio and
the host of the Nadeska show,
please welcome our Girl, Nadeska Alexis.
Good morning and thank you all so
much for joining us here today.
For the past few years,
I've watched this press conference
from home on the couch in my pajamas.
So it's really nice to be
here with you all in person.
At Apple music. We are very,
very passionate about celebrating and
supporting artists and about having
meaningful conversations around music.
So we are thrilled to be joining
the NFL and Rock Nation to bring
the Apple Music Super Bowl 57
halftime show to life and of course.
To see an icon make her long-awaited
return to the stage today we get
to hear what this moment means
to her directly from her,
so please join me in welcoming Rihanna.
Hello, hey everyone, how are you?
Good morning, Kate. OK.
It's so nice to have you here.
Thank you. It's my pleasure.
It's my pleasure.
Listen, I know you've been working really,
really hard to get ready for the show
and probably haven't gotten enough sleep,
but you still look like
you're glowing from within.
Is that the fancy highlighter?
You're just excited to hang
out with us this morning.
The fancy highlighter is
definitely helping today because
I have yet to sleep.
We were working at the
venue all last night,
and I kind of just stayed there,
ended up in a prep,
and somehow I'm here.
At a press conference right now
here and smiling at a press conference
and you still have a long day ahead,
you have rehearsals later.
So you know, going into a show like this,
we all know you're going to put on an
incredible show and we're so excited.
But at the end of the day,
you're still a human right and you still
need to get yourself mentally ready for this.
So how do you prepare for a date like today?
I listened to a needed me about 100
times this morning and I felt good to go.
But you probably have a better strategy.
A day like today and a day like Sunday,
Sunday. No, that's that's the.
The one I mean, I've been so focused.
On the Super Bowl, I totally forgot
that my birthday is coming up.
I totally forgot about that.
I didn't say I am just like Super Bowl,
Super Bowl, Super Bowl.
So it's a lot of preparation,
a lot of moving parts.
And this week, this is the week that it,
it, it really is being tested. Everyone.
We're really just tightening up everything.
Everybody's dialing in, everybody's
tuning up and a lot of moving parts.
I mean, it's literally like 3 to 400 people.
Breaking the stage down and building it
back up and getting it out in 8 minutes.
It's incredible.
It's almost impossible.
But if it's impossible, that means
you could do it because you've always
been that person who could do it.
I don't know that I could do
that in eight minutes, but we,
we're excited to do the Super Bowl.
We we are. We've been working on it for a
while and every day it just gets closer
and closer to the finished product.
And today is a really big rehearsal,
really important one.
So that's going to be crucial for Sunday.
I'm excited to see that.
And, you know, I'm a big believer in timing,
that some of the most special
and magical moments in our lives,
they they line up in a way that I think that
we can't always anticipate and predict.
It's like the universe knows.
So I'm wondering for you,
what does it feel like for this
performance to lend at this moment
in your life and in your career?
It feels like it could have
only been now, yeah. I mean,
when I first got the call to do
it again this year, it I was like.
You sure? Like, I'm, I'm,
I'm three months postpartum.
Like, should I be making major decisions
like this right now? Like, I might
regret this, but if when you become a mom,
there's something that just happens where
you feel like you could take on the world,
you can do anything.
And the Super Bowl is one of the
biggest stages in the world, so.
As scary as that was because I
haven't been on stage in seven years.
There's something exhilarating
about the challenge of it all,
and it's important for for
me to do this this year.
It's important for representation,
it's important for.
My son to see that.
It is it. You make taking on
a new challenge look easy.
And I know that it isn't because,
again, you are a human being,
but you've always seem so brave and,
you know, like want to take risks.
And I actually want to share something
with you because I think it's important
for you to take a minute to reflect,
which you probably haven't been
able to do because you're so busy.
So for anyone who doesn't know,
a couple years ago Rihanna released this
beautiful coffee table book and you got
to take her journey through her life.
And my favorite part was an excerpt.
It was from, I think,
her grade School Report card.
So here's what her teacher wrote about her.
She is sure of herself and
displays a positive attitude.
I still see that today.
She's friendly,
she takes a leading role in Group activities,
she expresses her ideas
clearly and intelligently,
and she's very relaxed in acting out ideas.
We have seen you evolve over the years,
from your first album to becoming a mom and
a businesswoman and a music powerhouse,
but you still very much seem like
that little girl in that report.
That was trippy to hear you
read that out, because I feel like you
were kind of describing me right now,
especially the relaxed part.
That's a Caribbean thing.
It really is. Yeah. It seems like
your values haven't changed overtime,
although you've obviously grown in
a lot of other ways. It's true.
It's true. A lot of my core
values have never left me a lot
of the lessons I've learned.
In my earliest years I have
never forgotten and I carry them
throughout my life and and my career.
Your work ethic is definitely
one of those things. Thank you.
You are immensely talented,
but it takes a special kind of
person to put in the work that
you've done over the years.
And I think we're going to
see that displayed, you know,
at Apple Music halftime show on Sunday.
So tell me what it was like
actually putting this show together,
starting with the set list.
You went on this incredible run,
I think from your first album up
until an apologetics where it
seems like you never took a break,
you never took some time off.
So now that you're a few years
removed from all of those.
Songs.
What was it like revisiting those
to build a set list?
The set list was the biggest challenge.
That was the hardest, hardest part.
Deciding how to.
Maximize 13 minutes.
But also celebrate.
That's what this show is going to be.
It's going to be a celebration
of my catalogue in in the best
way that we could have.
Put it together and you only have 13 minutes.
That's the challenge.
So you're trying to cram.
17 years of work into 13 minutes.
So it's it's difficult but we you
know some songs we have to lose
because of that and and and that's
going to be OK but I think we did a
pretty good job at narrowing it down.
Was there trial and error?
You know, as you started rehearsals,
were you running through setlists
and tweaking realizing this
didn't work in this moment?
Ohh yeah. Oh my God, they're
they're probably about 39 versions
of the set list right now.
Yeah, that I think we're on.
So there are 39th. I mean,
every little change counts,
whether I want like a guitar
cut out, something muted,
something added or just.
Put in a whole new song
or take out a whole song.
Like every time I make a change,
something has to be updated
and that's a new version.
Well, like you mentioned earlier,
there are a lot of moving parts to this show,
a lot of people involved.
But another thing I've
always admired about you,
it seems like you know the right
moment to step in and take control.
And I think that's challenging for women.
We're always nervous,
sometimes, me personally,
of coming off too controlling or too bossy,
but sometimes you know when your
gut what the right thing is for you.
So how much have you been really
getting into all of the details
of putting this show together?
I'm.
I'm definitely not one that's
worried about coming off too bossy.
I've been bossy all my life,
ever since I was a little girl,
coming to this like hell of annoying too.
But I I I know some people get irritated, but
you know that it's writing
on me. You know,
there are a lot of people who.
Are part of this show.
And and a huge part of.
The reason why this show is gonna
be as incredible as it is and I
couldn't have done it without them.
But you know what?
At the end of the day.
If it flops or it flies.
My name has to stand by that.
And so I really get involved with
every aspect of anything that I do,
whether it's the Super Bowl,
whether it's a makeup product,
whether it's savage lingerie,
like whatever I do, I'm that annoying
girl who's going to talk about everything.
I want to see the copy on the website.
I want to.
I want to name every lipstick that I make.
Like I I care about it.
I love it.
I really do.
It all goes back to that little girl.
I'm telling you from the report card.
Little bossy big.
It's really amazing bossy and the boss here.
And so another thing that goes into
such a big performance in such a
limited time is the physical stamina.
Exhaustion is a real thing, right?
But then that's something
that you have to deal with.
And your breath control and
dancing on stage and all of that,
especially postpartum.
I couldn't do it last year
after I had my baby.
It took me months to wear regular pants.
Again, this is one of those few occasions.
So what has it been like physically
getting yourself ready for this?
The physical challenge has definitely been
immense for for many reasons of course, but.
I haven't done this in a in a minute.
That was first.
First things first. So you're just.
Running around for 13 minutes trying to
put like a two hour set in 13 minutes and.
You're gonna see on Sunday it
just from the time it starts.
It just never. It just never ends and
until it's like the very last second.
And, and now it's saying too much.
But it's it's a jam packed show and
it it takes a toll on your body.
It does. You got this, girl.
Thank you.
And you know I'm not gonna press
you to reveal any details and know
we wanna keep that under wraps
because you been working so hard.
But look, as a Caribbean woman coming
from a tiny island like Grenada,
you've always made me feel so represented.
I've always loved seeing you back
home in Barbados at crop over.
So I'm wondering if you're hoping
to incorporate any elements of
Caribbean culture in the performance.
I mean, that's a big part of
why this is important for me
to do this show representation,
representing for immigrants,
representing for my country, Barbados,
representing for black women everywhere.
I I just, I think that's.
That's really important.
That's key for people to see the
possibilities and and I'm honored to be here,
I'm honored to be doing this this year.
I can't wait to see it.
And we're so excited to
have you back in music.
You know, of course we've missed you,
but you have a whole human
being now to take care of.
And I know it sounds like for you,
work life balance was not
necessarily a thing because you
always considered those the same.
But is that different now,
having a child plus work?
Yes, it's. It's very different.
It the balance is is almost impossible
because no matter how you look at
it work is always something that's
gonna rob you of time with your your
child that's that's the currency
now and that's that's where it it
goes the magnitude of how much.
It it weighs.
When you make decisions on what
you're going to say yes to.
It has to be worth it.
And this is definitely a moment
that's worth it for you,
right? Like, for sure.
What is the cultural significance
for you performing at the Super
Bowl halftime show? I mean, it's
a long way from home, right?
Yes, it's a long way from home.
It's a beautiful journey that I'm on.
And I could have never guessed
that I would have made it here.
So it's a celebration of that.
I'm like, I'm excited to do that,
and then I'm really excited to have
Barbados on the Super Bowl stage.
It's a big moment for the whole Caribbean.
Look, you have been a global
superstar for a long time,
but I need to say right now on the record,
Caribbean woman, we claim you as ours.
That's it. You better. Now.
You've taken a few years off of music.
You've been building the Fenty Empire,
which has been incredible to watch.
But now that you're making
that transition back to music,
you also took some time to just
live your life, to just take Rd.
trips like things that you
deserved after working so hard.
So how was that period and
do you feel now refreshed and
ready to get back to music?
The pandemic kind of, in a weird way,
forced me to slow down.
And then when you you have all these.
Boundaries and restraints and rules and.
You have to stay home.
You kind of get creative with with ways to
stay entertained, entertained in a way.
And road tripping was one of those
things that I've always loved.
I just usually road trip while I'm on
tour because that's that's true. I know.
So I've got to like feel the things I
love about tour without having the.
The commitment of.
The show every single day.
It was just nice to appreciate that time.
I I really enjoyed it, actually.
You deserve that.
You seem like a workaholic.
So I think you deserve some time off.
And like, I'm not asking any questions
about what music is dropping.
I don't want any problems
with you or with the Navy.
But you know, a couple years ago
you said that you were working on a
project that would be reggae inspired.
Those are your roots.
And then also a project that
would just kind of capture where
you're going forward in this
next chapter of your life.
And when I talk about this with my friends.
We would take anything.
A classical album from Rihanna
would also would also be fire.
So I wonder if you could just tell us
a little bit about this chapter and
and how you're feeling musically in general.
Musically I'm feeling.
Open. I'm feeling open to exploring,
discovering. Creating.
Things that are new,
things that are different,
things that are off weird.
Might not ever, like,
make sense to my fans.
You know, the people that
know the music that I put
out that I just wanna play,
I wanna have fun.
I want to have fun with music.
You should have fun with
the music and have fun.
On that Super Bowl stage on Sunday,
you put in all of the work.
You're ready. This is in your bones.
And now it's just important for
you to go out and have a good time.
So promise me that you'll have fun. I got
you, girl. I promise.
That's that's one of my main things.
I promised myself that I would. Have fun.
Alright, that's great.
And now if it's cool with you,
some of you are young fans.
Have some questions for you if you're
cool to answer those of course.
Alright, let's do it.
So the first question is from
Phoenix Children's. Hi, isa.
I've been feeding Spillers hospital and
I've been singing and playing golf.
I also love your makeup.
It's so good. Thank you.
And my question to you is,
what was your favorite album to afford?
Ohh.
Hmm. Maybe favorite albums to record,
or my favorite album. Let's get both. OK,
I really enjoyed.
Recording loud and diamonds I I
was on the road for both of those
albums when I when I created them,
I I was touring one album, making the next,
and then I came back and toured that
album and made the next and then.
Anti was the first time that I
I took my time making an album
while not being on tour and that
frustrated my fans a bit and here
I am doing it again to them.
But anti for sure.
Top favorite album I've ever made.
A great album. Thank you.
And Lisa, thank you.
And we have one more question
from NFL play 60 Super Kid.
Hi, I'm Julia.
My question and my question is when
you first started pursuing music,
what was the most important
thing you learned in order
to succeed in the industry?
To stay humble.
Stay humble, because if not,
this industry will humble you one
way or the other. And. You know,
my humility came from my childhood,
growing up in the Caribbean and
growing up in my household with my mom.
She's a very humble woman.
Her mom was a very humble woman.
And I've never,
I've never lost sight of that.
That's very important to me.
I I I often fear.
The pedestal that the world can put you on.
And I always wanna feel my feet on
the ground that makes me feel safe.