Rihanna has just pulled off an incredible set after taking to the stage for her long-awaited Super Bowl halftime performance.
While NFL fans have been gearing up to see the Philadelphia Eagles take on the Kansas City Chiefs in the 57th final, the rest of us have been waiting to see what the popstar had planned for her set. And it was amazing:
In what was her first live gig in over five years, the 34-year-old singer descended from the rafters, dressed in a striking red outfit and flanked by a group of dancers.
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She then treated the thousands in the stadium and millions watching back at home to a medley of her hits, including 'We Found Love', 'Diamonds', 'Rude Boy', 'Umbrella', and 'Work', to name just a few.
Fans watching were blown away by the spectacle, which ended with Rihanna rising back into the air on her floating platform.
Praising Rihanna for the set, one viewer said: "Now THAT was a halftime show!! DAMN.
"Everyone involved in the direction, choreography, staging, dancing, and construction deserves so much credit for that #SuperBowl HT show."
Speaking about her decision to perform at the Super Bowl, despite having boycotted it for several years, Rihanna previously said that it was about time.
She said: "I felt like it was now or never for me. The Super Bowl is one of the biggest stages in the world, it's an entertainer's dream to be on a stage like that."
But while she tore the roof off Arizona's State Farm Stadium, Rihanna won't receive a penny for her performance.
As is customary, performers don't get anything for their halftime set.
This is down to the fact that they're getting to play in front of the largest audience they'll most likely ever have, which will no doubt have a big impact on their record sales.
For example, when Lady Gaga took part in 2017, her album and song sales skyrocketed by 1,000 percent.
In 2020, Jennifer Lopez gained a whopping 2.3 million new followers across social media channels after she and Shakira performed.
And last year saw Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Mary J. Blige, Kendrick Lamar, Eminem and 50 Cent take to the stage.
As a result, each of them enjoyed a boost to their bank balance as well.
For example, in the week after the Super Bowl, Dr. Dre saw album sales rise by 183 percent, along with a 105 percent hike in on-demand streams too.
The show also marks Rihanna's return to the spotlight, having released her first new music in six years in 2022 with Black Panther: Wakanda Forever song 'Lift Me Up'.
So it's a great opportunity for her to get some free publicity. Which won't hurt sales, I wouldn't imagine.
Topics: Rihanna, Music, Sport, Super Bowl
Dominic Smithers