Shining bright like a diamond! Rihanna brought down the house during her halftime show performance at Super Bowl LVII.
Rihanna, 34, sang a medley of her hits at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona on Sunday, February 12. The “Umbrella” singer donned a red jumpsuit while belting out some of her most popular songs including “Diamonds” and “Bitch Better Have My Money.”
Prior to her appearance, previous Super Bowl performers took to social media to wish the Barbados native luck. “Remembering good times and wishing you the best vibes for tonight’s show, Rih!” Shakira, who led the 2020 halftime show alongside Jennifer Lopez, wrote via Twitter. “Sending you all the love. You got this @rihanna,” 2015 performer Katy Perry also tweeted.
Chris Brown, who dated the “Work” artist for three years before their tumultuous split in 2009, also seemingly supported his ex during her big moment. “Go girl,” he wrote via his Instagram Stories following the 13-minute show.
In September 2022, Rihanna announced that she would headline the major event by sharing a photo of what appeared to be her tattooed hand holding up an NFL-branded football.
The official NFL Instagram then confirmed the news by posting the same snap with the caption, “Let’s GO – @badgalriri @rocnation #SBLVII @applemusic @nflonfox.”
“We are thrilled to welcome Rihanna to the Apple Music Super Bowl Halftime Show stage,” Seth Dudowsky, NFL Head of Music, said in a statement at the time. “Rihanna is a once-in-a-generation artist who has been a cultural force throughout her career. We look forward to collaborating with Rihanna, Roc Nation and Apple Music to bring fans another historic Halftime Show performance.”
The “Monster” singer’s label and management company, Roc Nation, worked with the NFL and Apple on the program. According to the NFL’s official press release at the time, Roc Nation serves as an executive producer of the Apple Music Super Bowl Halftime Show as well as the “strategic entertainment advisor of the live performance.”
Following the big announcement, Jay-Z, who founded Roc Nation and has collaborated with Rihanna on some of her biggest hits, released a statement singing the musician’s praises.
“Rihanna is a generational talent, a woman of humble beginnings who has surpassed expectations at every turn,” the rapper, 53, shared in a September 2022 press release. “A person born on the small island of Barbados who became one of the most prominent artists ever. Self-made in business and entertainment.”
In January, the pop star teased fans about what was to come when she tweeted a 12-second “pregame” of her getting ready for the halftime show in her Savage X Fenty Game Day Collection. The video contained clips of Rihanna from different angles in a stunning Savage x Fenty outfit.
That same month, she announced her Game Day collection — which included everything from Rihanna-themed hats and jerseys.
The Super Bowl LVII halftime show marked Rihanna’s first major performance since Us Weekly confirmed she had given birth to her son — whom she shares with ASAP Rocky — in May 2022.
While the proud parents have not yet publicly announced their son’s name, a source told Us prior to his birth that Rihanna intended to honor her “Barbados heritage … [as well as] A$AP’s roots” with his moniker. “They want both of their cultures included,” the insider added: “It is very important to them to keep where they are from passed down to their child.”
The “We Found Love” artist and New York native were friends for years before sparking romance speculation. In January 2022, the pair announced they were expecting with a photo shoot in the Harlem neighborhood of New York City — where the “Good for You” rapper is originally from.
“I wouldn’t say [we were] planning [to start a family]. But certainly not planning against it,” the Fenty Beauty founder told Vogue in April about her pregnancy. “I don’t know when I ovulate or any of that type of s–t. We just had fun. And then it was just there on the test.”
Rihanna noted that told the “Praise the Lord” artist immediately. “I called him inside and showed him,” the “Bitch Better Have My Money” singer revealed. “Then I was in the doctor’s office the next morning and our journey began.”
Rocky, for his part, gushed about his love to GQ in May 2021, saying his life is “so much better” with her in it.
“So much better when you got The One. She amounts to probably, like, a million of the other ones. I think when you know, you know. She’s The One,” he said.
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