Rihanna tackled her way back into our hearts during her halftime performance at the 57th annual Super Bowl. She took the stage after the first half of the battle between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Kansas City Chiefs. The anticipation around the performance was all anyone could talk about since Rihanna had not sung to her audience since the 2018 Grammys with her rendition of ‘Wild Thoughts.’ The artist-turned-make-up mogul showed everyone that a hiatus only made her stronger.
When Rihanna appeared on my TV screen, I took in all the sights. She began her performance from a moveable platform in the air. She was dressed in bright red in a sea of white costumes from her backup dancers. Her dancers looked like marshmallows, but they delivered on every beat. Whether dancing on platforms in the air or changing formations on stage, they got the crowd up and out of their seats. The choreography to Rihanna’s song “Work” has attracted a following of people attempting to recreate it on TikTok. Parris Goebel, the New Zealand choreographer in charge of the halftime performance, delivered every beat. The fact that her choreography has taken a life of its own is a true testament to that.
“She danced. She sang. She did it all.”
Rihanna’s first note started with her staring directly into the camera as if she was calling out to her audience. She sang hits from her entire discography, from “Pour It Up” to “Diamonds,” shining a light on her music career that spans twenty years. Rihanna was back in her element, using the crowd’s applause to transition her from song after song. She danced. She sang. She did it all.
A theory on varied social media platforms mentioned how her choreography and vocals blended into one another to tell a cohesive story about love. It was an homage to her music career and fans that have followed her to Fenty Beauty and Savage x Fenty. Her thirteen-minute performance left the crowd (including me!) wanting more. Rihanna’s confidence reminds us that when we chase after our passions, we truly are unstoppable.
You might be asking yourself who Rihanna brought out as her special guest. The Super Bowl Halftime performance is infamous for bringing together various musical talents. For instance, JLo and Shakira invited Bad Bunny and J Balvin to the stage during the 54th Super Bowl. Rihanna being Rihanna, had a trick under her sleeve; Her special guest was with her all along. Soon after the performance, her representatives confirmed her second pregnancy. Congratulations Rihanna!
Not only did Rihanna kill the game, but she also did so while pregnant. As her fans, we can not wait to see what is next for this powerhouse (fingers crossed, it’s a new album).