Can we talk about Rihanna’s concert — oh, I mean the 2023 Super Bowl! The fact that Rihanna was scheduled to perform at the Super Bowl LVII Halftime Show drew my attention the most. I mean, I’m already figuring out Rihanna song lyric captions to post on my Instagram as we speak. It’s been nearly seven years since her last full-length album, Anti, was released in 2016, and while I’ve enjoyed the various singles and collaborations she’s done over the years, I’ve been desperate for Rihanna to perform on stage again. This will also mark her return to live performances since her last appearance at the Grammy Awards in 2018. It didn’t take long for people to freak out when Rihanna’s simple yet iconic “.” caption and image of her holding up a football on her Instagram back in September confirmed it.
For months, fans have speculated about which classic songs she will perform and whether she will release new music before then. In the end, she did release “Lift Me Up,” a song dedicated to late Black Panther star Chadwick Boseman. Rihanna confirmed in an interview ahead of her Super Bowl LVII halftime performance that the entire event would last 13 minutes and that it would be a celebration of her music catalog and also involved narrowing down 17 years of work into that time frame. With all that said, the wait is finally over, and we can finally talk about all of the amazing songs she performed.
Rihanna set the tone by performing “B*tch Better Have My Money” while suspended above the audience on an elevated stage — just like the superstar she is. She then performed a remixed version of “Where Have You Been?” before transitioning into “Only Girl (in the World).” For “We Found Love,” her heavenly vocals took over. She then did “Rude Boy” and “Work” for a brief moment before doing “Wild Thoughts.” She sang “Pour It Up” before reppin’ the Fenty brand by applying makeup and singing “All of the Lights” and “Run This Town.” Next, she performed “Umbrella” — one of the songs on my wishlist. She finished with a beautiful rendition of “Diamonds” as the fireworks went off and she rose upstage.
Here’s the full setlist, for your perusal:
- “B*tch Better Have My Money”
- “Where Have You Been?”
- “Only Girl (in the World)”
- “We Found Love”
- “Rude Boy”
- “Work”
- “Wild Thoughts”
- “Pour It Up”
- “All of the Lights”
- “Run This Town”
- “Umbrella”
- “Diamonds”
This looks like my next playlist. Thanks, Rihanna!