Rihanna Says Condensing Her Catalog to a 13-Minute Set is ‘Biggest Challenge’ of Super Bowl Set

Rihanna appeared alongside Apple Music Radio host Nadeska Alexis at the Apple Music Super Bowl LVII Halftime Show Press Conference.

Rihanna expressed her excitement for her return to the stage this Sunday at the inaugural Apple Music Super Bowl Halftime show, the focus and preparation that has gone into this moment, being asked to perform three months after giving birth to her son, and the “scary” and “exhilarating” challenge of returning to the stage. She also discussed the obstacles of creating a 13-minute setlist covering her 17-year career, the value of representation, work-life balance, and her next musical chapter.

Everyone wants to know what will be in Rihanna’s setlist, but she calls that the biggest “challenge.”

“That was the hardest hardest part. Deciding how to maximize 13 minutes, but also celebrate. That’s what this show’s gonna be, it’s gonna be a celebration of my catalogue in the best way 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 difficult. You know, some songs we have to lose because of that, and that’s gonna be okay. But I think we did a pretty good job of narrowing it down.”

– Rihanna

During the press conference, Apple Music also debuted the new short film “Run This Town,” which was shot on Rihanna Drive in Barbados. You can watch it below.