Rihanna Performs Her Greatest Hits on Aerial Platforms During the 2023 Super Bowl Halftime Show

Rihanna’s boyfriend — and father of their 9-month-old son — A$AP Rocky supported her from the stands

 

Rihanna took the stage at Super Bowl LVII for the Apple Music Halftime Show Sunday night, and dazzled the crowd with a career-spanning setlist in what was her first public performance since 2018.

The singer ran through an incredible set that began with “Bitch 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” and “Umbrella,” before ending with a crowd-rising rendition of her hit song, “Diamond.”

Rihanna at Super Bowl 2023. MATT SLOCUM/AP/SHUTTERSTOCK

The set started with Rihanna balancing on a platform hanging high above the field and ended with her walking up and down a stage that almost ran the length of the field. Throughout the show, she was surrounded by dancers wearing white puffy spacesuits.

Rihanna mostly stuck to one outfit throughout the show; a red Loewe jumpsuit with a shiny plastic breast piece. She topped off her show-stopping look with a high ponytail, with some pieces braided. Rihanna also wore dangly diamond earrings — a perfect nod to her finale song — and MM6 Maison Margiela x Salomon Cross Low sneakers in orange. For her final song, she rocked a custom Alaïa leather maxi puffer coat with integrated gloves designed by Pieter Mulier.

Rihanna performing at Super Bowl LVII. EZRA SHAW/GETTY

The 34-year-old 2023 Super Bowl Halftime performer also revealed a baby bump, and became the first pregnant woman to star in the halftime show.

Rihanna played up the big reveal in the opening moments of her performance, rubbing her stomach and leaving the zipper of her outfit — a jumpsuit layered over a close-fitting bodysuit and sculpted bandeau — down to reveal her belly.

Rihanna’s boyfriend — and father of their 9-month-old son — A$AP Rocky supported her from the stands, even taking video of the singer on his phone while she performed.

The “Needed Me” singer previously played coy as to what fans should expect from the performance at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, but said at a press conference on Thursday that narrowing down her prolific song catalog into just 13 minutes “was the biggest challenge.”

Rihanna at Super Bowl 2023. MIKE COPPOLA/GETTY

“That was the hardest, hardest part — deciding how to maximize 13 minutes but also celebrate,” she said, noting there were some 39 versions of the setlist. “That’s what this show is gonna be — it’s gonna be a celebration of my catalog in the best way that we could’ve put it together.”

Though Rihanna has remained largely out of the musical spotlight since the release of her last album Anti in 2016, she’s stayed plenty busy.

The nine-time Grammy winner launched the uber-successful Fenty Beauty in 2017 (which helped her become Forbes’ youngest self-made billionaire) and also welcomed her first child with A$AP Rocky in May.

Rihanna said Thursday that the birth of her son was one of the main reasons she decided to tackle the halftime show, as she wanted to show him what representation looks like.

“When you become a mom, there’s something that just happens where you feel like you can take on the world. You can do anything, and the Super Bowl is one of the biggest stages in the world,” she said. “So, as scary as that was… there’s something exhilarating about the challenge of it all, and it’s important for me to do this this year. It’s important for representation. It’s important for my son to see that.”

Rihanna didn’t offer too many details as to what her performance would contain but did tease that she’d be incorporating elements of Caribbean culture as a nod to her native Barbados.

“That’s a big part of why this is important for me to do this show — representation, representing for immigrants, representing for my country of Barbados, representing for Black women everywhere,” she said.

“That’s really important,” she added. “That’s key, for people to see the possibilities. And I’m honored to be here. I’m honored to be doing this, this year.”

Super Bowl LVII, in which the Philadelphia Eagles take on the Kansas City Chiefs, is airing now on Fox.