Chris Martin Hails Rihanna as ‘The Best Singer of All Time’ Ahead of Her Highly Anticipated Super Bowl LVII Halftime Show Comeback

Coldplay frontman Chris Martin had high praise for Rihanna as she’s set to take the stage for the first time in five years during the Super Bowl LVII Halftime Show.

The 47-year-old singer-songwriter discussed his adoration for the Diamonds singer, 36, during a recent interview on The Zane Lowe Show.

‘I don’t know Rihanna very well,’ he began. ‘I’m mainly just a fan, and we have performed with her a few times, and you’re right, it is rarer and rarer for her to just sing, which is what makes it even more special, and in a strange way, it shows that she really, really wants to do it.’

Coldplay and Rihanna previously collaborated on the song Princess Of China in 2012 and they performed at that year’s Grammys.

Rihanna also made a surprise appearance during the band’s Mylo Xyloto Tour in London, England, where they delivered an acoustic rendition of her 2007 hit Umbrella.

Martin continued, ‘No one can make Rihanna do anything at this point, and so I think the fact that she has chosen to do it now, when her stock couldn’t be-, you have to be an idiot not to recognize that she’s the best singer of all time.’

He was then asked about his expectations for Rihanna’s halftime show, and was quick to say that he’s only expecting greatness.

‘So it’s hard for me, I’m very biased because I’m such a big Rihanna fan,’ Martin explained. ‘I mean, I think she could just walk out in sweatpants and sing, and that would be just great.’

While Martin may have full faith in Rihanna’s performance, she’s managed expectations in the run up to the big event.

The mother-of-one recently revealed she took on the coveted gig in honor of her baby son, as well as to represent black women and immigrants.

She attended an Apple Music press conference in Arizona on Thursday, where she explained that the show would be ‘almost impossible’ to pull off.’

During the chat, Rihanna – who welcomed her first child with boyfriend A$AP Rocky in May last year – revealed that she agreed to the show just three months after giving birth and feared she’d regret making the decision so quickly.

She recalled: ‘I was like, ‘Psst, you sure?’ I’m three months postpartum, like, should I be making major decisions like this now? Like I might regret this.

‘But when you become a mom, there’s something that just happens where you feel like you could take on the world, you could do anything.’

She went on: ‘It’s important for me to do this this year. It’s important for representation, it’s important for my son to see that.’

Touching on this point further, she expanded: ‘I am excited to have Barbados on the Super Bowl stage.

‘A big part of why it is important for me to do this show, representing for immigrants, representing for my country Barbados, representing for black women everywhere.

‘I think that is really important, it is key for people to see the possibilities. I am honoured to be doing this this year.’

Rihanna went on to detail the struggle of preparing for one of the biggest shows in her career less than a year after giving birth.