Even earlier than the historic sport between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs was settled, the true winner of Tremendous Bowl LVII was Rihanna, who made her triumphant return to reside efficiency on the most important of phases: the Halftime Present. Whereas her epic efficiency greater than delivered the show-stopping celebration of her many hits that her followers had anticipated, it was additionally crammed with loads of surprises—together with choreography from her frequent collaborator Parris Goebel, a cheeky Fenty product placement, and a well-placed stomach rub that set the Web ablaze with being pregnant speculations, in addition to criticism that a lot focus shifted from her musical return to the standing of her postpartum physique. Following the efficiency, the Hollywood Reporter reported that Rihanna’s rep confirmed that she is pregnant.
Forward of the Tremendous Bowl in a press convention, the multihyphenate spoke with Apple Music, this yr’s Halftime Present sponsor, sharing particulars of her intense preparations, which included making “about 39 variations of the setlist.” Throughout the presser, she additionally shared that she had initially had some misgivings about doing the present since it’s going down three months after she gave start to her first youngster, a son along with her companion, the rapper A$AP Rocky.
“I’m three months postpartum, like, ought to I be making main selections like this now?’ Like, ‘I’d remorse this,’” she mentioned. “However once you change into a mother, there’s one thing that simply occurs the place you’re feeling like you can tackle the world, you can do something.”
Learn extra: The ten Greatest Rihanna Performances of All Time
In the end, the present featured a horde of dancers, a spectacular fireworks show, and levitating phases that moved up and down whereas Rihanna belted songs out from the risers and the primary stage. Her electrifying efficiency signaled that though it’s been seven years since we’ve had a brand new album from Rihanna, the dangerous gal can nonetheless deliver it in the case of placing on a present.
“Musically, I’m feeling open,” she mentioned. “I’m feeling open to exploring, discovering, creating, issues which can be new, issues which can be completely different…I simply need to play. I need to have enjoyable. I need to have enjoyable with music.”
Listed here are the highlights of Rihanna’s Tremendous Bowl LVII Halftime Present.
What songs did Rihanna carry out?
Rihanna opened the present with a rousing rendition of her hit music, “Bitch Higher Have My Cash” after which pumped up the group along with her dance hits “The place Have You Been” and “Solely Lady (In The World).” She stored the power up with new preparations of “We Discovered Love” and “Impolite Boy.”
It was anticipated that she would carry out her hottest songs, however the primary shock of the night time was that Rihanna didn’t deliver out any particular visitors, even when she sang collaborations like “Work,” “Wild Ideas,” “All of The Lights,” Run This City,” and “Umbrella.” She closed out the present with a touching efficiency of “Diamonds,” watched the fireworks, and took in probably the most momentous efficiency of her profession.
Learn extra: Rihanna Is Lastly Again With New Music. Right here’s What She’s Been As much as Since ANTI—and What’s Subsequent
Who did Rihanna deliver out through the halftime present?
Whereas it’s change into customary for many Halftime headliners to function particular visitors throughout their exhibits, Rihanna broke with custom and was the only real performer through the efficiency, relying as an alternative on the impeccable skills of her dozens of backup dancers, who wined, body-rolled, and dropped it low. That’s to not say that Rihanna didn’t embrace a particular function through the efficiency—she took time to powder her nostril with a Fenty Magnificence compact in the course of her set, taking product placement to a complete new degree, whereas her being pregnant reveal through the set actually stole the present.
Learn extra: Rihanna on Constructing a Magnificence Empire: ‘I’m Going To Push the Boundaries in This Trade’
What did Rihanna put on throughout her efficiency?
Rihanna’s look consisted of a placing pink bodysuit with an identical pink patent breastplate from Loewe, worn below a jumpsuit in the identical vibrant shade. She accessorized the look with diamond earrings, classic diamond brooches, pink MM6 Maison Margiela x Salomon sneakers, and pink leather-based gloves and a slicked-back braided ponytail along with her bangs pulled out.
The sporty, futuristic look was complemented by white Hazmat suit-esque costumes her backup dancers wore, paired with reflective sun shades and mesh undershirts. For the second half of her efficiency, Rihanna topped off her look with a dramatic pink puffer-style coat from Alaia.
Learn extra: Rihanna’s 25 Greatest Trend Moments of All Time
How did her followers reply to her efficiency on-line?
For one factor, prolifically: instantly after the efficiency, Twitter wouldn’t load tweets for a few minutes. Her long-awaited present had been hyped for months main as much as tonight’s musical comeback, and followers had been glad with the outcomes. The simple simplicity of her decisions went down effectively: Rihanna, and Rihanna alone, simply the star, simply the hits, just a bit international promo for the mogul’s make-up line.
When she took the stage, the efficiency began out with a close-up on her face and zoomed out to indicate her complete outfit. As followers took in her efficiency, a lot of the dialog centered, because it so usually does in our gossip-centric tradition, on her postpartum physique. Throughout the present, the phrase “pregnant” started trending on Twitter, with viewers studying right into a stomach rub she did whereas singing the lyric “life inside” and a quote she gave throughout a pre-show interview through which she mentioned, “I’m fascinated by bringing somebody.” Others criticized the hypothesis and the mass effort to analyze a girl’s reproductive standing, saying that the second must be about her return to music and what this implies for her profession, not about her physique.
https://twitter.com/MsPackyetti/standing/1624948399136030722
“Possibly Rihanna is pregnant, or perhaps she simply has a traditional postpartum physique, and we’re so used to shaming ladies into hiding that we’re shocked once we see a girl celebrating her physique,” one individual tweeted.
https://twitter.com/arlardieri/standing/1624953532158824449
Within the hour following the Halftime Present, a number of retailers confirmed that Rihanna is pregnant.
Her efficiency was well-received on social media for the sheer quantity of theatrics and the anticipation that had constructed as much as this second. All of the noise apart, the most important query that also stays is: When will there be new music? There had been rumors that Rihanna can be releasing a brand new single in tandem with the efficiency together with latest rumors of her saying a world tour. Neither of these occurred, however the Tremendous Bowl Halftime Present marked her long-awaited return to music, and now the world waits to see what occurs subsequent.
