Rihanna was invited to perform at the Super Bowl back in 2018, but she turned it down in support of former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick.
Five years later, she's singing a different tune; what made her change her mind?
The Barbadian native finally revealed why she decided to finally headline the Super Bowl halftime show, despite her apprehensions.
"There's still a lot of mending to be done in my eyes," Rihanna told Vogue UK. "but it's powerful to break those doors, and have representation at such a high, high level and a consistent level."
"Two Super Bowls back-to-back," she continued, referring to last year's Super Bowl halftime show performance headlines by Dr. Dre, Eminem, Snoop Dogg, Mary J. Blige, and Kendrick Lamar. "You know, representing the urban community, globally. It is powerful. It sends a really strong message."
The Super Bowl LVI halftime show performance is considered one of the most impactful performances in music history.
It won two Primetime Emmy Awards: Outstanding Variety Special and Outstanding Music Direction.
Perhaps Rihanna realized just how important and impactful her appearance on one of the world's biggest and hottest music stages is to fans because she was willing to set aside her doubts.
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Who is Colin Kaepernick?
The "Umbrella" singer was among the people who stood in solidarity with Kaepernick several years back, as he denounced police brutality and racial inequality in the country.
The NFL quarterback-turned-activist insisted that he was being blackballed after being vocal about his political statements on the field.
His exit from the league was controversial, and it was also what caused Rihanna to turn down the Super Bowl halftime show in the first place.
While her stance has stayed the same throughout the years, many things have changed in her personal life.
She welcomed her first child with rapper A$AP Rocky in May 2022, and famously announced her pregnancy with her second child during her Super Bowl halftime show performance.
These events in her life have drastically changed her perspective, reports say.
"Raising a young Black man is one of the scariest responsibilities in life," the singer said, alluding to the rampant racism in the country.
"You're like, 'What am I leaving my kids to? This is the planet they're gonna be living on?' All of those things really start to hit differently."
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