Rihanna’s Tremendous Bowl halftime present was a being pregnant announcement and a best hits live performance

To like Rihanna, the musical celebrity, billionaire magnificence mogul, trend designer, part-time actress, present mom of 1 and future mom of two, is to be left ready and wanting. The subsequent single, the following make-up drop, the following outfit: Rihanna is likely one of the few people on this overexposed, over-curated world that folks merely can’t get sufficient of.

At Tremendous Bowl LVII, 5 years since her final stay efficiency (the 2018 Grammys) and 7 years since her final album (2016’s Anti), she confirmed us how simply — possibly too simply — she instructions stardom, by the use of how nice her earlier hits have been.

Levitating on a platform excessive above the sphere at some weak-in-the-knees toes within the air, Rihanna — draped in pink with an identical crimson lip, little question some shade of Fenty Magnificence — descended upon Arizona’s State Farm Stadium with a command: “Bitch higher have my cash.” Rihanna is the one billionaire in existence who may ask for extra money and never have or not it’s cheesy. Rihanna doesn’t want extra money, however no matter Rihanna needs, she will get, with tens of millions of followers cheering her on.

For what it’s value, the NFL famously doesn’t pay its halftime performers, however it does cowl manufacturing prices, of which there at all times appears to be no expense spared. This 12 months, a number of platforms had been suspended and lowered, lifted, and lowered time and again in synchronization together with her run of songs; the set appeared like a large audio equalizer. The route and digicam work had been on level, with large photographs capturing the dimensions and grandeur of the floating levels. Although easy, the visible impact was nonetheless bigger than life, matching the gravitational pull of Rihanna’s largest hits.

After her financial menace, Rihanna eased right into a medley of a few of her most memorable dance singles. “The place Have You Been” bopped into “Solely Lady” which seamlessly slinked into “We Discovered Love.” Though these comprised the membership soundtrack of the final twenty years, Rihanna principally grooved alongside reservedly, leaving the huffing and puffing to her dancers and a lot of the aesthetic work to the large set items.

To be honest, Rihanna’s reps confirmed she is pregnant together with her second baby after a speculative social media frenzy (that stomach rub did imply one thing!). It’s additionally value noting that Rihanna’s calling card has by no means been full-throttle dancing. She is a hitmaker; it’s concerning the sound. Her voice is an engine that may take any track in any style to the highest of the charts. She sings, we dance. That’s the way it goes.

If there was a degree within the evening the place the star appeared to be having fun with herself most, it was through the phase the place the tempo slowed, and he or she sashayed into “Impolite Boy,” “Work,” and “Pour It Up.” With the cameras up shut, she cracked a wry smile right here and flashed a squint there. A grasp of face-ography. As she transitioned to her remaining set of songs, one of many dancers handed her what appeared to be a Fenty compact (web sleuths deduced it was her model’s $34 blotting powder) and the make-up entrepreneur dusted her nostril and undereyes.

It was time for Rihanna’s closeup.

Freshly powdered, Rihanna eased her method to heart stage through “All the Lights” and “Run This City,” solo, deigning to deliver on collaborators Jay-Z and Kanye West for what would have been quintessential Tremendous Bowl cameos. After which identical to she entered the stadium, she planted herself on a kind of death-defying platforms and ascended excessive above the sphere, powering by “Umbrella” and “Diamonds,” two of the largest singles of her profession. In each songs, you may hear that particular sheen in her voice, a glowing metallic sound — just like the style and soar of completely chilled champagne. It’s that particular high quality in Rihanna’s voice that’s created so many memorable songs, and criss-crossed so many genres.

The dancers cleared. The stage dimmed apart from one single highlight. Excessive above the sphere Rihanna shined brilliant, on a pedestal. She makes stardom look really easy, and left us, as at all times, wanting a bit of bit extra.