Towards the tip of her headlining Tremendous Bowl 2023 Halftime Present on Sunday (Feb. 12), as “The entire Lights” started blasting from the State Farm Stadium’s audio system, Rihanna took a beat to repair her make-up, casually touching up together with her personal Fenty Magnificence invisimatte prompt setting and blotting powder. As soon as she completed, a backup dancer handed Rihanna her microphone again, and he or she returned to enterprise as regular by dominating TV’s greatest stage in her first efficiency in additional than 5 years, and her first one as a mom.
And through that 13-minute set, Rihanna reminded us that she’s nonetheless a powerhouse, regardless of how lengthy she’s stored followers ready. The relatively reclusive famous person has proven herself solely a handful of instances following her critically acclaimed 2016 album Anti: a verse on N.E.R.D.’s “Lemon” in 2017, one other on PartyNextDoor’s “Consider It” in 2020. She had her first youngster with associate A$AP Rocky in 2022, and later that yr, launched her first single in years, “Elevate Me Up” from the Black Panther: Wakanda Endlessly soundtrack, which earned her greatest authentic track nods on the 2023 Golden Globes (the place she stole the present though she didn’t take dwelling the trophy) and 2023 Academy Awards. For anybody who thought that Rihanna’s star had dimmed over these idle years, she proved all dem haters incorrect throughout her halftime set.
She received in everybody’s face from the bounce by beginning her efficiency with “Bitch Higher Have My Cash” on a shifting, elevated stage whereas sporting a purple sizzling, curve-hugging outfit that hinted at a now-confirmed second being pregnant. Very similar to Beyoncé’s massive reveal on the 2011 MTV Video Music Awards, Rihanna knew how you can take advantage of out of her 13 minutes of fame — even when it wasn’t the much-anticipated album information the Navy was anticipating.
From there, she soared even larger together with her hits seamlessly interwoven all through her efficiency, together with her Billboard Sizzling 100 No. 1s “Solely Woman (within the World),” “We Discovered Love,” “S&M,” “Impolite Boy,” “Work” and extra. Fireworks lit up the sky like “Diamonds” and rained down throughout “Umbrella,” whereas her collaborator Jay-Z — who additionally signed Rihanna to Def Jam and Roc Nation, made a number of hits together with her over time and rapped about her being considered one of three billionaires to return out of “Hov crib” on DJ Khaled’s “God Did” — presumably watched like a proud massive brother from the stadium in Glendale, Ariz.
Rihanna beforehand refused to carry out on the 2019 Tremendous Bowl Halftime Present to point out solidarity with former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick and his well-known protest in opposition to racial injustice that was frowned upon by the NFL. However since Roc Nation turned the NFL’s official reside music leisure strategist in 2019, Jay-Z had the very best shot at getting Rihanna to offer the gig one other probability — and he or she did. Although followers could by no means know what actually satisfied her to headline this yr’s halftime efficiency, one factor’s for sure: that b—h will definitely get her cash.
Earlier Tremendous Bowl Halftime Present performers have discovered varied methods to capitalize this second and make it a major footnote of their musical careers. Mary J. Blige launched her 14th studio album, Good Morning Attractive, two days earlier than her massive gig alongside Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Kendrick Lamar and Eminem; the deluxe model of that album helped the Queen of Hip-Hop Soul earn six Grammy nominations for this yr’s celebration. The yr prior, The Weeknd launched a biggest hits album, The Highlights, two days earlier than his massive gig; the undertaking joined Daybreak FM within the high 10 of the Billboard 200 with the previous’s No. 8 debut on the chart. However Rihanna didn’t take a web page from their handbooks, as a result of she has to do issues her personal means, darling.
She utilized a number of branches of her Fenty empire to additional push the narrative that in the course of the halftime present was all a few “Rihanna live performance interrupted by a soccer recreation, bizarre however no matter” (learn one of many T-shirts from her Savage x Fenty recreation day attire assortment). One merchandise from her Fenty Magnificence Showstopp’r equipment, which got here in a stadium-friendly clear make-up bag, was a football-shaped make-up sponge. And with Valentine’s Day simply across the nook — which requires its personal set of holiday-appropriate lingerie and make-up collections from Rih’s varied title manufacturers — music gross sales received’t be the one positive factors she sees after Sunday.
However by the tip, Rihanna basked within the glory and applause from the very high, the place she’d comfortably sat over time, as the sport’s actual MVP. That Rihanna reign simply received’t ever let up.
