television producer jesse collins said there was some pressure after last year’s epic Emmy-winning Super Bowl halftime show with Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg and more, but working with Rihanna made the process easy.
“She is very fun, very cool, never stressed. Just like, ‘Alright, I’ll do this real quick.’ The pressure never got to him. She was right into it from day one, and very warm and let everyone have fun with it,” Collins said. The Hollywood Reporter a few moments later Rihanna ignited the scene on Sunday at the State Farm Arena in Glendale, Arizona.
“I think there’s always pressure with this show,” added Collins, who also produced The Weeknd’s 2021 Halftime Show. “You work so hard, six months for 13 minutes. [This was] an opportunity to work with a global superstar and his return to music.
Rihanna last performed live at the 2018 Grammy Awards. Prior to that, she was on the road promoting her album Antireleased in 2016.
Collins won the Outstanding Variety Show (Live) Emmy for last year half time show alongside Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Mary J. Blige, Eminem, Kendrick Lamar, 50 Cent and Jay-Z, who also produced the show. It has also produced the Grammy Awards, Academy Awards, Golden Globes, BET Awards, American Music Awards and more.
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Rihanna’s performance — where she announced she was pregnant – was exciting and energetic, and she sang a number of her popular hits, including “Work”, “Diamonds” and “Umbrella”.
“I feel great,” he said of Rihanna’s show. “I feel like her vision was executed. She shocked the world and the Navy [Rihanna’s fans] happy, and I’m just glad we have another great on the books.
“We couldn’t have a massive step on the pitch because of the grass and so they put it in the air and it was just awesome,” he added. “It was just a great idea of where there’s a will, there’s a way.”