Super Bowl LVII, which took place in February at the State Farm Stadium in Glendale, stood out with its halftime show, a performance featuring Rihanna and her seasoned electric guitar partner Nuno Bettencourt. In a recent conversation with Katie Daryl of AXS TV, Bettencourt reminisced about his experience of joining Rihanna and expressed his disappointment.
The Super Bowl gig marked the reunion of Bettencourt and Rihanna on stage after nearly ten years. During the conversation, Bettencourt revealed that while he was clearly excited about being part of the halftime show, he also expressed disappointment in the lack of recognition for the band. The guitarist pointed out that his screen time was incredibly brief, almost laughably so.
He sarcastically asked if viewers had managed to catch that fleeting 1.5 milliseconds of him on screen. He admitted it was frustrating that the band received so little attention but quickly reminded himself that it was a ‘bucket-list moment’ and spoke about how the entire production was an amazing experience.
Here is what Bettencourt said about his Super Bowl experience:
“Did you see that 1.5 milliseconds of me on screen? Did you get that? It was so pathetic the amount of love that the band got, but it’s Rihanna’s Super Bowl; it’s not ours or the band or me. It’s amazing just to be a part of it, just to do the Super Bowl. What a bucket-list moment. Just being a part of it and the production and everything that happened. And I’m so blessed and so honored that she asked me back to do it. But the hell with the NFL for not giving any love to the band.”
While Bettencourt was effusive in his gratitude towards Rihanna for inviting him to perform, he didn’t hide his frustration with the NFL. He felt they could have done a better job of acknowledging the band’s contribution to the show.
