Rihanna made a highly anticipated return to the stage with a performance at the Super Bowl Halftime Show on Sunday.
The Feb 12th event marked her first performance in over five years and was a spectacle to behold. The nine-time Grammy winner kept her promise to represent all eras of her musical career, calling the halftime show a celebration of her entire catalog during an earlier press conference at Apple Music.
The 34-year-old Barbadian singer put on an amazing performance in front of a worldwide audience of millions at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, where the Philadelphia Eagles and the Kansas City Chiefs were competing.
This marks her first appearance on live television since 2018 when she teamed up with DJ Khaled to sing “Wild Thoughts” at the Grammy Awards.
Rihanna kicked off the performance while suspended high above the stage on a platform, singing her hit song “B**** Better Have My Money.” She was sporting a loose-fitting scarlet jumpsuit that hid her figure and was loosely secured on her.
Rihanna stepped out in style, sporting a suit paired with a bold pair of red sneakers. She took the stage, surrounded by a troupe of white-clad dancers, as the platform she was standing on descended towards the crowd.
The pop star kept her choreography simple, allowing her backup dancers to take the lead, as she ran through a set of 12 hit songs. The audience erupted as she transitioned into “Where Have You Been,” followed by her smash hit “Only Girl (In The World)”.
Her performance continued with crowd-pleasers like “We Found Love,” “Rude Boy,” and “Work,” although her collaborator Drake was not present for the latter. She also performed “Wild Thoughts” and “Pour It Up.”
But one bizarre stunt of RiRi shocked many fans and left them confused.
During her performance, there was a moment when the Fenty Beauty owner grabbed her crotch and butt before smelling and licking her fingers.
Many fans who watched a pregnant Rihanna perform their favorite songs during the ceremony felt uncomfortable by this bizarre gesture of the superstar.
“Am I the only one who’s bothered by fingering her crotch in a show kids were watching?” one wrote on Twitter.
“Apparently I’m the only person in Twitter who thinks Rihanna’s halftime show was terrible. Why is she touching her crotch in a show kids are watching? And why are her backup dancers dressed like hazmat COVID freaks that do those gross brain swab tests?” Liz Wheeler wrote.
“I really hate these “stars” that can’t get through a song without grapping their crotch. If you have talent, just sing and dance. This is not family friendly. Hopefully the kids at the Superbowl are too far away to see it. Pathetic Rihanna,” a third fan commented.
“Rihanna not only grabbed her crotch, she then like sniffed her hand and smiled. And, yes, for us it was a intended to be family-oriented event with our kids and a few friends. Why must we be bombarded with inappropriate content at a sporting event,” a fourth wrote.
“Yeah I know… the fact that I think Rihanna grabbing her crotch and bringing her hands to her face is gross is trashy makes me racist. Or, perhaps I have standards. That too,” another said.
“Uh oh, a fully clothed Rihanna’s hand was somewhat close to her crotch. Clearly family values have been completely lost in this country,” one angry user penned.
“Probably just me but I found Rihanna’s halftime show crude and lackluster. I don’t think rubbing one’s crotch and then sniffing your fingers amid a sea of pelvic thrusts-hers and her strippers-is art, much less entertainment. How proud the baby she’s carrying will be of her show” said another.
Let us know your thoughts in the comment section.
Source: Twitter
I really like her but her crazy actions were a bit much.
She can’t hold a candle to Beyonce.
I was watching thinking it was not all that spectacular then when i saw her grab herself and wipe her hand across her face I was like wtF!