Rihanna delivered a stunning performance for her anticipated Super Bowl halftime show. On Sunday night, the “Lift Me Up” singer gave a set that captured the essence of her 17-year career. She performed career-making records like “Diamonds” and bangers like “Pour It Up” and “Bitch Better Have My Money.” Most praised Rihanna for returning to the stage, especially since she revealed that she’s pregnant with her second child. It was a 13-minute reminder of Rihanna’s impact since she emerged with her debut single “Pon De Replay.”
Rihanna previously revealed that she had trouble narrowing down her setlist at first. During her press conference with Nadeska Alexis, Rih explained that she re-did her set nearly 40 times to ensure that it was perfect. “The setlist was the biggest challenge,” she said. “You're trying to cram seventeen years of work into thirteen minutes so it's difficult." And while Rihanna did a spectacular job with the set, many were surprised by some of her selections. She didn’t perform records like “Stay” or “S&M” but she delivered renditions of some of her biggest collabs.
Kanye’s Presence Was Felt During Rihanna’s Performance
While Ye is basically exiled from the entertainment industry due to his harmful anti-Semitic commentary, Rihanna still went forward with performing a few songs she’s worked on with him. She performed Jay-Z’s “Run This Town,” which seems like a pretty obvious selection for the Super Bowl,” as well as Ye’s “All Of The Lights.” Additionally, she performed “Bitch Better Have My Money,” which boasts co-production from Ye, Deputy, Travis Scott, and Wondagurl. Needless to say, Rihanna paid tribute to her long-standing collaborative relationship with Ye over the years.
In addition to the performance of “All Of The Lights,” some fans felt as though Rihanna subtly paid homage to Kanye, who joked about being her special guest, during her set. A few people suggested the all-red jumper look took inspiration from Ye’s red puffer jacket that he wore during the Donda listening sessions. Some even joked that Ye directed the whole set, especially with the use of the hanging stage, which Ye famously used during the Life Of Pablo tour. Still, Rihanna’s decision to perform some records she collaborated on with Ye left some feeling as though she should’ve brought him out and others disgusted by the inclusion.