At Sunday’s Super Bowl, Rihanna performed an exciting and hit-filled half-time concert, but when she unveiled an unexpected special guest, social media erupted.
If there would be any surprises during her performance at Arizona’s State Farm Stadium, Rihanna was asked in an interview last week.
The Bajan singer responded, “I’m thinking about bringing someone. I’m not sure, we’ll see.”
Fans naturally concluded she was referring to one of the several musicians she has worked with throughout her successful career. It seems likely and in keeping with the half-time show tradition of unexpected duets that Jay-Z, Drake, or Eminem would make a guest appearance.
But none of them were mentioned by Rihanna. She was actually dropping hints that she was expecting her second child at the time, but nobody noticed.
Although the singer didn’t perform any brand-new music during her appearance at the Super Bowl on Sunday, the baby bump she showed off nearly crashed the internet.
As a throng of enthusiastic dancers, all dressed in white, gathered below, Rihanna made her appearance on one of several floating platforms while donning an all-red bespoke jumpsuit designed by Loewe.
Better Have My Money was the singer’s first song, which was an amusing start given that she was not being paid for her appearance at the Super Bowl. The crowd erupted in applause (as is custom for half-time headliners).
Her dancers performed beneath her at breakneck speed in a display of razor-sharp choreography as the 34-year-old captivated the audience from above, a display of choreography that they would sustain throughout the entire performance.
In front-loading her set with some of her most danceable and up-tempo songs, such as Only Girl (In The World) and the terrific Where Have You Been, the singer blasted through several of her most well-known singles.
The half-time entertainment was not lacking in spectacle. She started singing the ecstatic We Found Love as fireworks were set off above the stadium.
The performer crammed a tonne of hits into a condensed 14-minute set, frequently simply singing the first verse or chorus of certain songs. But massive singles like Rude Boy were countered with the less well-known and slightly harder-edged Pour It Up. The set also made use of some of her most notable partnerships, which was frustrating because none of them actually joined her on stage.
There were no cameos by Jay-Z, Ye (previously Kanye West), or DJ Khaled, who often appear on Run This Town, All of the Lights, and Wild Thoughts during her performances of those songs. However, their absence had no impact. By this time, everyone’s focus was firmly fixed on a completely new and highly noticeable special visitor.