Rihanna On How Son Played A Role In U-turn Decision To Perform At NFL's Super Bowl

Rihanna is letting her son play a role in making the big decisions in her career!

The pop culture icon broke the hearts of millions worldwide with her musical hiatus that seemed to last forever. While focusing on building her billion-dollar beauty and fashion empire, the Barbadian songstress kept us waiting with bated breath for a new album.

Fortunately, the global phenomenon blessed her eager fans with 13 minutes of greatness at the Super Bowl halftime show. If you wondered why the showstopper made her highly-anticipated comeback at the sporting event, all credit goes to her 9-month-old baby.

When the "Umbrella" artist was announced as the performer for the Super Bowl LVII halftime show, the world flipped upside down. The groundbreaking musician's collaboration with NFL marked the 34-year-old's return to the stage for the first time since 2018.

No one could have imagined the entertainer would agree to headline the event after previously turning down the opportunity. Ahead of her history-making moment, the pop star opened up about her decision to take the coveted stage in a new cover story for British Vogue.

Recalling how the opportunity fell into her lap, the Barbadian beauty explained that she felt hesitant about accepting the offer, given her history with the NFL. The "Where Have You Been" singer first declined the organization's invitation to perform in 2018 after Colin Kaepernick's protest.

The former San Francisco 49ers quarterback knelt during the American national anthem at a 2016 game. The athlete's actions stood against racial injustice and police brutality, hideous acts protesters like Kaepernick believed the national anthem and American flag represented.

Although the Milwaukee native's bravery inspired other players and many beyond the NFL to follow his steps, the aftermath significantly affected his career. Following this outcome, Rihanna supported Kaepernick by refusing to perform at the Super Bowl.

Regarding her decision, she told US Vogue in 2019: "I just couldn't be a sellout. There's things within that organization that I do not agree with at all, and I was not about to go and be of service to them in any way."

So why the sudden change of heart? The 9-time Grammy winner confessed that the NFL still had a lot of changes to make before being redeemable in her eyes. However, the Savage x Fenty founder wanted to join the list of influential headliners representing the "urban community."

"It's powerful to break those doors and have representation at such a high, high level and a consistent level," the mother-of-one explained, citing the phenomenal performance by Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Mary J Blige, and Kendrick Lamar in 2022.

"Two Super Bowls back-to-back! You know, representing the urban community globally. It is powerful. It sends a really strong message," the philanthropist continued. However, the most significant influence was her son with A$AP Rocky.

According to the living legend, "raising a young Black man is one of the scariest responsibilities in life." Motherhood changed her perspective on life and the type of legacy she would be leaving for her kids. In her words:

"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."

Additionally, motherhood gave her the strength to overcome any challenge, including the Super Bowl. The Billboard chart-topper admitted that she felt high off childbirth. Knowing that her body could nurture and bring forth an adorable human made her feel like "nothing is impossible."

"It was almost like an out-of-body experience," Rihanna raved, "I have not been on stage in seven years. Seven years! From zero to Super Bowl? That's mental."

Although the Super Bowl is the most popular televised event in the United States, the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award honoree's halftime medley took the show's rating to an all-time high.

When Rihanna took the stage in her fiery red ensemble on Sunday night, she pulled in an average of 118.7 million viewers. These numbers showed that the Barbadian songstress enticed more people to watch her performance than the Super Bowl LVII playoffs.

Despite the game receiving its highest viewership in six years, it seems showrunners owe it to the 34-year-old's epic return to the stage. The game brought in 113 million viewers, which is 5.7 million less than the "Diamonds" singer's numbers.

The milestone ratings made this year's Super Bowl the third most significant TV program in history, while Rihanna's performance is the most-watched halftime show. The entertainer beat Katy Perry's 2015 record of 114.4 million viewers with her impressive numbers.