Rihanna’s Radiant Return to Live Music at the Apple Music Super Bowl LVII Halftime Show
By Jacob Krebs, Contributing Writer
Photo courtesy of Mike Coppola/Getty Images
Sunday’s Apple Music Super Bowl LVII Halftime Show marked the long-awaited return of musician, businesswoman, and fashion icon Robyn Rihanna Fenty, better known simply as Rihanna, to live music. The event was sponsored by Apple Music after a ten-year period with Pepsi. In what many may deem a simple performance for the largest stage in the world, Rihanna seamlessly navigated her hit-ridden discography with intrigue and taste.
Despite what some fans may believe, Rihanna has had quite the eventful past few years. Her beauty brand, Fenty Beauty, has revolutionized the cosmetics industry, blasting open the doors of inclusivity with its extensive shade ranges and commitment to gender neutrality. She also heads Savage X Fenty, a lingerie line. On top of this, Rihanna and her partner, A$AP Rocky, welcomed a son in May 2022.
To say that many have been eagerly waiting for Rihanna to release her ninth studio album is an understatement; it has become a social media pastime to evoke her name when other artists break their hiatuses. At the Apple Music Halftime Show Press Conference, she described the musical epoch she is currently in: “I’m feeling open to exploring, discovering, creating things that are new, things that are different, things that are off, weird, might not ever, like, make sense to my fans.”
Rihanna opened the show with the declarative “Bitch Better Have My Money,” descending from one of many aerial platforms onto a grounded, fluorescent red platform that spanned the length of the football field. The camera then introduced her dancers, who all sported puffy, white suits. As the platform went up and down, she sang “Where Have You Been” and “Only Girl (In the World),” then stepped off to perform an expertly crafted remix of “We Found Love,” “S&M,” and “Rude Boy.”
She joined her dancers as they traversed the stage to “Work” and “Wild Thoughts.” The beginning of “Pour It Up” was captured in a rotation shot, matching the song’s cool delivery. Before she sang “All of the Lights,” she fittingly fixed her makeup with Fenty Invisimatte Instant Setting + Blotting Powder. After that, she transitioned to the center stage, now fit with a band, to perform “Run This Town,” then hopped back onto an aerial platform to sing fan-favorite “Umbrella.”
The show concluded with Rihanna ascending to the top of State Farm Stadium to deliver a shimmering performance of “Diamonds,” after which she thanked Arizona for having her.
The show was marked by a clarity that characterizes Rihanna’s career. Its uniformity in set design and fashion gave the music room to breathe and highlighted her strength not only as a musician, but also as a cultural icon with a keen eye for visuals. This is best exemplified in her choice of attire, a Jonathan Anderson bodysuit and breastplate and a large Loewe coat, which acted as both an homage to the late fashion icon André Leon Talley and an announcement for her second pregnancy. Rihanna’s Super Bowl LVII Halftime Show is an obvious career highlight, perfectly encapsulating the singer’s smartness and subdued playfulness.
Looking toward the future, Rihanna is nominated for Best Original Song at the 95th Academy Awards for her ballad, “Lift Me Up,” written for the soundtrack to “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” as a tribute to the deceased Chadwick Boseman. The program will air on Sunday, March 12, at 7 p.m. on ABC.
