World News
After a long absence, pregnant Rihanna returns to the Super Bowl stage.
Feb
Rihanna chose to frame the performance as a celebration of her illustrious pop career rather than inviting any other performers to the stage. The pregnancy announcement was made during the concert.
Rihanna headlined the Super Bowl halftime show on Sunday, performing live for the first time in nearly four years. She ran through a quick-fire medley of her hits and made a significant announcement about herself without saying a word: a representative for the singer confirmed that she is expecting a child.
The 34-year-old actress screamed out No. 1 hits including “We Found Love,” “Diamonds,” and “Only Girl (in the World),” pushing into the faster and dancier portions of her discography while dressed in ruby red and displaying her expanding pregnancy. She did not bring any other artists to the stage, preferring to frame the set as a celebration of her illustrious pop career, despite performing portions of several songs that feature prominent rappers, including Kanye West’s “All of the Lights,” on which Rihanna appears, “Work,” her hit single with Drake, and “Umbrella,” which features Jay-Z. (Recently, Lady Gaga and The Weeknd did the same.)
Making a profile for herself as a fashion and cosmetics tycoon, Rihanna has spent a lot of time away from the music industry; her most recent album, “Anti,” was released in January 2016. In 2021, Forbes assessed her net worth at $1.7 billion. Ever the astute entrepreneur, Rihanna included a little product promotion in her halftime show when she took a little break to reapply some Fenty Beauty powder.
Rihanna performed while perched above the audience on a raised platform that lowered from above, and some of her dancers stayed in this position for the duration of the performance. The staging was dramatic and aesthetically arresting. In only 13 minutes, she ripped through 12 songs, demonstrating the astounding breadth of her hit-making repertoire: “Rude Boy” from her 2009 album “Rated R,” “Where Have You Been” from her 2011 album “Talk That Talk,” and “Pour It Up” from her 2012 album “Unapologetic.” The song “Lift Me Up” from the soundtrack to “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,” for which she garnered her first Academy Award nomination, was her most recent hit; however, she did not perform it.
Rihanna sang her dramatic song “Diamonds” in a red puffer coat, and the stage rose again.
There is a good chance that the long wait for a new Rihanna album will continue. Contrary to rumors, she did not play any brand-new songs, and she has not yet made any announcements about her upcoming ninth album. As she said in an interview with The Associated Press soon after it was revealed she would perform the halftime show, “Super Bowl is one thing. Another item is brand-new music. Fans, do you hear that?
Set List:
“Wild Thoughts”
“Pour It Up”
“All of the Lights”
“Run This Town”
“Bitch Better Have My Money”
“Where Have You Been”
“Only Girl (in the World)”
“We Found Love”
“Rude Boy”
“Work”
From Haotees
