Rihanna Focuses on Super Bowl Performance, Leaves Birthday and Valentine's Behind

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Rihanna, the global pop icon and new mother, recently sat down with Apple Music to discuss her highly anticipated performance at the Super Bowl LVII halftime show. In the conversation, the singer opened up about the challenges she's faced as she prepares to take the biggest stage in the world and celebrate her 17-year career in just 13 minutes.

Focusing on the Super Bowl

"I've been so focused on the Super Bowl that I totally forgot that my birthday is coming up. I totally forgot about Valentine's Day, I'm just like Super Bowl, Super Bowl, Super Bowl. It's a lot of preparation.

It's a lot of moving parts and this week, this is the week that it is really being tested," Rihanna shared.

Overcoming the Set List Challenge

One of Rihanna's biggest challenges in preparing for the Super Bowl halftime show was deciding on the set list for her performance. "The set list was the biggest challenge.

That was the hardest, hardest part," the singer said. "Trying to cram 17 years of work into 13 minutes" proved to be difficult, but the singer is confident that she and her team were able to put together a celebration of her catalog in the best way possible.

"But I think we did a pretty good job of narrowing it down," Rihanna said.

Strength from Motherhood

Becoming a mother to her son with partner and fellow musician, A$AP Rocky, has given Rihanna a newfound strength. "There is something that just happens where you feel like you can take on the world.

You can do anything," she said. "The Super Bowl is one of the big 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," Rihanna continued.

"It's important for me to do this this year. It's important for representation. It's important for my son to see that." Rihanna's performance at the Super Bowl LVII halftime show is just the beginning for the global pop icon as she continues to conquer new challenges and leave her mark on the world. Her last album, "Anti," was released in 2016.