Rihanna‘s much-anticipated Super Bowl performance had social media buzzing on Sunday night.
The singer and mogul came out dressed in all red from head to toe and performed snippets of more than a dozen of her popular hits.
As expected, the internet reacted with fanfare and joy as she took to the stage for her first major performance in years.
My reaction when Rihanna first song is Bitch Better have my money after 6 years pic.twitter.com/l6txyJgNNO
— Jobless Yb Fan (@ShisuiTheDonn__) February 13, 2023
rihanna is in a league of her own..nobody can touch her at this point in her career ⚓️🎈pic.twitter.com/szGsg3F71E
— ♊︎ (@saintsmoons) February 13, 2023
A queen!
A national treasure!
A Rasole bajan 🇧🇧 I PROUD!!@rihanna @RihannaDaily pic.twitter.com/kSuU1YTTbo— Assilem🐝 (@Female_Th0r) February 13, 2023
The 34-year-old superstar performed hits such as “Umbrella,” “Work,” “Rude Boy,” “B***h Better Have My Money” and “Diamonds.”
Speaking at a press conference on Thursday, Rihanna said it was difficult to choose which songs she wants to perform.
“That was the hardest, hardest part: deciding how to maximize 13 minutes but also celebrate. 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,” she told Apple Music host Nadeska Alexis. “You’re trying to cram 17 years of work into 13 minutes, so it’s difficult. Some songs we have to lose because of that, and that’s gonna be OK, but I think we did a pretty good job of narrowing it down.”
She also said that she was going through many versions of the setlist, adding, “There are probably about 39 versions of the setlist right now. Every little change counts, whether I want a guitar cut out, something muted, something added, or just put in a whole new song, or take out a whole song. Every time I make a change, something has to be updated, and that’s the new version.”
The complete setlist included:
“Bitch Better Have My Money,” “Where Have You Been,” “Only Girl (In the World),” “We Found Love,” “Rude Boy,” “Work,” “Pour It Up,” “All of the Lights,” “Run This Town,” “Umbrella” and “Diamonds.”
She was lifted into the sky during the performance for the last three songs.
Catch clips of the performance below:
rihanna opening the show with ‘bitch better have my money’ 🔥 #superbowl pic.twitter.com/xsvtNVxIRq
— 2000s (@PopCulture2000s) February 13, 2023
Yes. Yes. Yes. 💃 @Rihanna #AppleMusicHalftime pic.twitter.com/1aaU8TOpNQ
— NFL (@NFL) February 13, 2023
Everything. @Rihanna #AppleMusicHalftime pic.twitter.com/shK5n9wCcN
— NFL (@NFL) February 13, 2023
Moooood @rihanna #AppleMusicHalftime pic.twitter.com/lPAvtGFNqz
— NFL (@NFL) February 13, 2023