Rihanna highlights the cultural significance of the mega event

The Super Bowl is right around the corner, and Rihanna is ready to rock the event. The superstar singer is set to headline the halftime show and gushed about what it means to her to be a part of it.

She said it was her chance to be a representative of all the groups she identifies with in America. She is an immigrant, a Black woman, and a representative of the Caribbean in the United States, and she is proud to share her journey on the Super Bowl stage.

“That’s a big part of why this is important for me to do on the show: representation,” Rihanna said. “Standing up for immigrants; standing up for my country, Barbados; standing up for black women everywhere. … It’s really important … to see the possibilities. … I’m honored to be here … doing this.

“A long way from home, a beautiful journey that I’m on,” Rihanna said. “I never would have guessed I’d get here. So it’s a celebration of that… I’m really excited to have Barbados on the Super Bowl stage.”

A significant departure from Rihanna’s previous stance during the Super Bowl

Four years ago, the NFL contacted Rihanna to gauge her interest in participating in the halftime show. However, she then backed down, saying she stood in solidarity with Colin Kaepernick. The former San Francisco 49ers quarterback has reportedly been censured by the league for kneeling during the national anthem to protest police brutality. She said then:

“I couldn’t dare do that. Why? Who benefits from it? Not my people. I just couldn’t be a salesman. I couldn’t be a mover. There are things within that organization that I don’t agree with at all, and I wasn’t going to go and to be of service to them in any way.”

While Kaepernick still hasn’t found his way back, a lot has changed since then as the NFL has embraced social justice causes, especially after the brutal murder of George Floyd.

We, the NFL, condemn racism and the systemic oppression of black people. We, the NFL, acknowledge that we made a mistake in not listening to NFL players earlier and encourage everyone to speak up and protest peacefully. We, the NFL, believe that Black Lives Matter. #InspireChange https://t.co/ENWQP8A0sv

This advancement has allowed Rihanna to change her style as well and now she can flaunt her culture and her roots on one of sports’ biggest stages.

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