After much anticipation, Rihanna took over State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona for a pulses-pounding Super Bowl Halftime Show journey through her greatest hits.
It was one of the more ambitious stagings for a Halftime Show, with Rihanna and some of her dancers starting the performance on massive platforms raised above the playing field. The whole structure seemed to stretch almost the length of the field.
Adorned in a red jump suit unzipped to the waist with a shiny bodice underneath, RiRi exuded confidence as she moved about the stages effortlessly (we kept looking for a harness when she was way, way above the ground — if there was one, it was well hidden).
The medley included smash hits like “Bitch, Better Have My Money,” “Only Girl in the World,” “We Found Love,” “Rude Boy,” “Umbrella” and a climax high in the sky for “Diamonds.”
Perhaps the second biggest surprise of the whole show was what didn’t happen. Rihanna has a huge catalog of hits all to herself, but she’s also been one of the most successful collaborators in the industry.
There were so many opportunities for some of the artists she’s worked with like Jay-Z or Eminem to join her for a few beats, but this performance was all Rihanna from start to finish. She let the music speak for itself with hit after hit after hit.
The biggest surprise of the night was the collaborator who did join her on stage … that bump! Fans began speculating as soon as she hit the stage, but People confirmed that Rihanna is pregnant with her second baby. She and A$AP Rocky welcomed their first child in May 2022.
Even ASAP Rocky, with one of the best seats in the house, was mesmerized by the performance. Social media lit up as her celebrity fans and everyone else jumped online to weigh in on the joy of seeing Rihanna back in form as the superstar musician she is.
There was a small contingency of those online used to the over-the-top spectacle that most Super Bowl Halftime Shows give who found themselves disappointed and frustrated that she had no surprise guests or visual stunts or even a costume change.
But this was a very small minority, quickly drowned out by all those heaping accolades.
A few noticed the very clear moment that she paused the show to check her makeup with the assist of a dancer, seeing it as a promotional plug for her own Fenty Beauty line.
Her performance was so dominant, she trended in the top two spots on Twitter. That’s impressive, but also kind of funny because trending at number two just beneath her name is a misspelling of her name, Rhianna.
Also trending were Rih Rih, Diamonds, Pon de Replay, and Disturbia. Check out some of the best the celebrity and fan reactions to Rihanna’s dominant set below.
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