Rihannais explaining her decision to decline last year’s Super Bowl halftime show.
In a new interview forVogue‘s November cover story, the singer confirmed rumors that she had turned down the opportunity, citing disagreements with the NFL.
When asked if she had declined the halftime show in solidarity with former San Francisco 49ers quarterbackColin Kaepernick,Rihanna, 31, responded, “Absolutely.”
“I couldn’t dare do that,” she continued. “For what? Who gains from that? Not my people. I just couldn’t be a sellout. I couldn’t be an enabler. 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.”
Last month, the NFLannouncedthatJennifer LopezandShakirawould be the headlining acts for the halftime show on Feb. 2, 2020 in Miami, Florida. The announcement came afterJAY-Zteamed upwith the NFL to advise as a “live music entertainment strategist.” Through the deal, the rapper’s entertainment and sports company Roc Nation — also Rihanna’s record label — will consult the NFL on live events, including the Super Bowl halftime show.
Ethan James Green
“Yes they asked her and yes, she declined,” a source with knowledge of the situation told PEOPLE at the time, adding that the decision was likely made in support of Kaepernick.
“That’s certainly what everyone at the NFL believes,” the insider added. “I don’t work with Rihanna so I don’t know what her camp told them, but the word within the organization is that’s why she said no.”
Rihanna forVogue.Ethan James Green
In herVogueinterview, Rihanna also opened up about herhighly anticipated upcoming album. — while gently imploring fans to give her a break.
“I have been trying to get back into the studio. It’s not like I can lock myself in for an extended amount of time, like I had the luxury of doing before. I know I have some very unhappy fans who don’t understand the inside bits of how it works,” she said. “But they’ve earned it. They got me here.”
“I like to look at it as a reggae-inspired or reggae-infused album,” the musician continued. “It’s not gonna be typical of what you know as reggae. But you’re going to feel the elements in all of the tracks … Reggae always feels right to me. It’s in my blood.”
“It doesn’t matter how far or long removed I am from that culture, or my environment that I grew up in; it never leaves,” she added. “It’s always the same high. Even though I’ve explored other genres of music, it was time to go back to something that I haven’t really homed in on completely for a body of work.”
source: people.com
