Solo Show Rocks Expectations Rihanna Makes History at 2023 Super Bowl

DILLON SECKINGTON

Features and Opinions Editor

Rihanna’s 2023 Super Bowl halftime performance was yet another enjoyable show in a historic setting. This year, the Super Bowl was held in Glendale Arizona, at the Arizona Cardinal’s State Farm Stadium. Although she had been previously offered a spot to perform years before and turned the chance down due to her stance on the NFL and Colin Kaepernick, this was Rihanna’s first time appearing in the Super Bowl halftime show.

Rihanna’s set began with “B—- Better Have My Money”. This was a great way to start the show, as the crowd became noticeably more attentive and attracted to what was happening on field and screen. Rihanna went on to play a number of her multitude of hits from over the years, such as “We Found Love”, “Pour It Up” and “Umbrella”. As is the case every year, the production of the show was tight and ran smoothly. Most of Rihanna’s set was performed from massive floating platforms, with dancers in the air and on the field. This alone made the show very visually pleasing and a fun departure from the stressful game. The songs were arranged nicely, in a way in which the fans could enjoy the show while also showing off Rihanna’s wide range of abilities.

While Rihanna did all she could, putting on a spectacular performance, the show still felt like there was more left on the table. A large majority of Super Bowl halftime shows feature more than one artist. For example, in the last Super Bowl, the 2022 Super Bowl, the halftime show featured Dr. Dre, 50 Cent, Eminem, Snoop Dogg and Mary J. Blige. And in the 2016 Super Bowl, fans saw Coldplay, Beyonce, Bruno Mars, Mark Ronson and more. This year, however, fans were presented with only one act. This is not to say that Rihanna did not put on a great show, but more variety and the aspect of surprise would have been nice.

On the other hand, one of the most interesting aspects of this year’s Super Bowl halftime show was the fact that Rihanna revealed her pregnancy for the first time. Sporting all red, Rihanna had not mentioned anything about being pregnant with her and A$AP Rocky’s second child. From the moment Rihanna appeared to fans and on screen, it was visible that the star was making a statement in Glendale.

One moment that felt rather odd during the 2023 Super Bowl halftime show came during the ninth song of the setlist. For some reason, Rihanna performed her parts from “All of the Lights”, a Kanye West song. While this may not have been an issue when the song was recorded or released, in light of West’s recent behavior, this was not the most tasteful selection.

As anticipated, the 2023 Super Bowl halftime show was a massive spectacle. Rihanna, being one of the biggest stars in the world, put on an amazing show. Although there wasn’t as much variety of styles and genres, Rihanna still blew the roof off of State Farm Stadium.