Rihanna at the Super Bowl: Divided Opinions

“I'm thinking of bringing someone, I'm not sure. We'll see”, was the phrase with which Rihanna put public opinion to speculate at a press conference prior to her show at Super Bowl LVII about a guest. Finally, the Barbados-born singer brought the most unexpected companion: her baby on the way. With her presentation she revealed her pregnancy and to some extent celebrated it.

Rihanna's show left an atmosphere charged with divided opinions. Some were surprised by the new news that he gave and others disappointed by the lack of extra elements in the 13 minutes that he sang. Some more were absorbed by seeing her dancing and maintaining her tone of voice in front of 60 thousand people with a noticeable pregnancy. There was also a shower of comparisons between her and other artists like Beyoncé or Shakira, who have also made presentations while pregnant.

The expectation was total for his presentation. For example, in the front row, Cara Delevigne wore a T-shirt that read: "Rihanna's concert interrupted by a football game, weird, but whatever." In her first second, Rihanna revealed her surprise guest and went on to perform the most aggressive song in the set, "Bitch Better Have My Money."

He dedicated almost a minute to each song, since in total he ended up presenting 12 of his hits. The closing was powerful with “Umbrella” and “Diamonds”, which had its rise with the platform it spent the most time on. Her proposal was minimalist: we saw her on a platform that rose and fell along with an army of dancers on a red catwalk.

Despite the rumors, there were no announcements of new music or tours. In addition, with the pregnancy it seems that the long-awaited musical return will have to be postponed. For now, her fans will have to settle for what she did for the "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever" soundtrack.

The truth is that she continues to highlight her taste for Brazilian funk. When it was his turn to sing "Rude Boy" he took the opportunity to mix it with the Latin American rhythm. In the past, she has invited Brazilian Anitta to perform on her Fenty X Savage releases and has now incorporated the subgenre into her setlist.

The tribute to his native Barbados was reflected in the trailer for his show, in which he dedicated the audiovisual piece to the girls of his country, thus recalling his past on the Caribbean island. Some of that could have been expected in the show, but in the end, only her stage presence and her voice were enough, with the added bonus of celebrating her motherhood in what could be the most longed-for setting for a musician.

Also read: How true is what Harry Styles said in his Grammy Awards speech?

Outfits

Speaking of the new football-themed clothing line at Fenty X Savage, the fashion in his show wouldn't take a backseat.

Her outfit stood out in head-to-toe red made up of a Loewe corseted jumpsuit made by Jonathan Anderson. His sneakers were the reference MM6 Maison Margiela x Salomon Cross Low and he wore two Alaïa jackets. His fiery red contrasted with the outfits of his dancers in white. Among the notable accessories were her red gloves and her diamond-trimmed Jacob & Co watch.

As if that were not enough, in the middle of her presentation the singer took the opportunity to give herself a make-up touch-up. The action was a wink to promote his Fenty Beauty brand . Thus, the artist did not miss an opportunity to take advantage of her presence at the Super Bowl to continue strengthening her facet as a businesswoman.

What Rihanna did at the Super Bowl was probably not what most expected in terms of staging. However, nothing will take away from how powerful and iconic it is to have the character of giving one of the most important shows while pregnant. Due to the unprecedented nature of the occasion, it is unfair to compare it with the other shows. One of the few troubles of the night is due to the uncertainty of his new music, and for now we have to keep waiting.