Forget Philadelphia, forget Kansas City: What a night for Team Rihanna.
The pop star kicked off a highly anticipated performance at the 57th Super Bowl halftime show on Sunday night, seven years after her last live performance – and showed off a brand new baby bump, with a post-show spokesperson confirming the singer is pregnant with her second Child.
While the show kept things relatively simple compared to last year’s star-studded, concept-heavy event, the singer’s 13-minute set was a reminder of just how many hits saturate the 34-year-old’s catalogue.
She jumped into the show Bitch better have my money, dances on one of several floating platforms with an army of backup dancers in white puffer jackets. Rihanna herself wore a solid red outfit with a latex corset.
Next came three songs from her 2011 album Speak that speak: Where have you been, only girl And We found Loveinterspersed with refrains from SM before leading you in Rude boy. She then moved on to her collaboration with Drake in 2016 Workand orders the ever-growing group of dancers to follow her across the stage.
After performing the DJ Khaled produced wild thoughtsshe strutted across the platforms as if they were a runway before taking off on them Pour it up.
A dancer handed her a mirror to quickly check her makeup — a reminder that her absence from music is largely due to a years-long commitment to her cosmetics empire FENTY — ahead of the opening notes of All lights echoed through the stadium, strobe lights flickering as more dancers flooded the field to join her.
she sang Run this town And umbrella (although there was no guest appearance by Jay-Z or anyone else) now donned a dress-like coat in the same fire engine red as the rest of her outfit.
RiRi then literally finished on a high note, stepping onto a platform that lifted her into the sky as she buckled up the words diamondsthe spotlight solely on her as she showcased her vocals.
Rihanna teased during a Thursday press conference that the halftime show would be “packed” and draw from a repertoire beyond what she was performing Don’t stop the music, love in the brain, Pon de Replay And disturbances.
“It’s going to be a celebration of my catalog in the best way we could put it together,” said Rihanna.
First appearance in years
The performer has mostly focused on managing her cosmetics and beauty brand FENTY in recent years, but has slowly returned to music in recent months.
She released a new song for the for the first time in six years Black Panther: Wakanda Forever soundtrack, but hasn’t released a new album since 2016 ANTI.
The Grammy-winning singer declined to perform at the 2019 event in solidarity with Colin Kaepernick, the embattled quarterback famously kneeling during the national anthem to protest racism.
She has said the timing and circumstances were right for her to attend this time.
