Rihanna said in a press conference Thursday that there are "probably about 39 versions" of her Super Bowl LVII halftime show.
"Every little change counts," she said, noting that every time she wanted an element of the music changed or a song added or removed, the setlist had to be altered.
In an Apple Music broadcast shared on the NFL's Twitter, the singer said the setlist's "biggest challenge" was distilling her large catalog of music into a short amount of time.
Rihanna also said that "deciding how to maximize 13 minutes" of a halftime show while "celebrating" her music career was key.
"That's what this show is going to be. It's going to be a celebration of my catalog in the best way that we could've put it together," she said.
—NFL (@NFL) February 9, 2023
Rihanna has quite a catalog of music to choose from for her performance.
Since the release of her first single in 2005, radio hit "Pon de Replay," the singer has had 14 No. 1 singles on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart, including "Umbrella," "Love the Way You Lie," "Diamonds," and "S&M" featuring Britney Spears.
Rihanna has also released a dozen songs since her eighth studio album, 2016's "Anti," including "This Is What You Came For" and "Lift Me Up," an emotional ballad from 2022's "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever" soundtrack.
"You're trying to cram 17 years of work into 13 minutes," Rihanna said of the challenge to select a medley of tracks. "It's difficult. Some songs we have to lose because of that and that's gonna be OK. But I think we did a pretty good job of narrowing it down."
There's an opportunity for many performers to join her onstage, ranging from Calvin Harris and Drake to Eminem. The latter appeared at last year's halftime show.
Rihanna could also take the stage with her boyfriend, A$AP Rocky, to perform "Cockiness." The couple shares a son together.
The halftime show is Rihanna's first live performance in five years. According to Billboard, the icon hasn't hit the stage since the 2018 Grammys.
Rihanna said the physical challenge of prepping has been "immense" after giving birth last year.
"I haven't done this in a minute," Rihanna said. "It's a jam-packed show and it takes a toll on your body."
"At the end of the day, if it flops or it flies, my name has to stand by that," Rihanna added of her level of involvement in the show.
She added: "I really get involved in every aspect of anything that I do whether it's the Super Bowl, whether it's a make-up product, whether it's Savage lingerie. Whatever I do, I'm that annoying girl who's gonna talk about everything. I want to see the copy on the website. I want to name every lipstick that I make. I care about it. I love it."
