13 February 2023 , 00:58
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Rihanna has admitted she has taken inspiration of fellow pop superstar Beyoncé ahead of her Super Bowl halftime performance.
The Barbadian songstress hasn't performed solo for seven years and has barely been involved in the music industry since releasing eighth studio album 'Anti' back in January 2016.
But the 34-year-old announced her shock return to the industry on September 25 last year when she posted a photo of her holding an American football - gaining more than 7.1 million likes on Instagram - to signify that she was to perform at halftime of Super Bowl LVII at State Farm Stadium.
Rihanna will perform for the first time in seven years at halftime of Super Bowl LVII (Getty Images)In 2017, she did collaborate with Kendrick Lamar on 'Loyalty' and with DJ Khaled on 'Wild Thoughts' - and her last live performance was of the latter at the 2018 Grammy Awards.
However as the music and fashion mogul returns from her hiatus from performing, she has admitted to watching clips of Queen Bey in preparation of her own halftime show.
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Speaking on Sunday's episode of iHeart and the NFL's The Process with Nate Burleson podcast, she said: "I watched Beyoncé's halftime performances a couple of times. She is a beast and a whole other level. Just to be inspired, really."
Beyoncé headlined Super Bowl XLVII in 2013 (Getty Images)Beyonce headlined Super Bowl XLVII in 2013 where she was joined by former Destiny's Child band members Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams, while she also took to the stage three years later alongside Bruno Mars in a special appearance during Coldplay's halftime show.
Speaking to Apple Music on Thursday, Rihanna revealed that 400 people had been involved in the production process and there had been 39 different set-lists as she laboured over what songs to perform, and how.
She admitted this curation process was the “biggest challenge”.
Rihanna on Beyoncé: 'I watched Beyoncé's halftime performances a couple of times. She is a beast and a whole other level' (Mondadori Portfolio/Archivio Marco Piraccini/Marco Piraccini/Mondadori via Getty)The mother-of-one said: "That was the hardest part. Deciding how to maximise 13 minutes but also celebrate it. That’s what the show is going to be, it’s going to be a celebration of my catalogue in the best way that we could have put it together.
"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 – we know some songs that you have to lose because of that.
"But I think we did a pretty good job at narrowing it down."