On September 25, 2022, the National Football League announced the 2023 Super Bowl halftime performer: Rihanna. The internet went crazy. Conspiracies as to whether she would bring out A$AP Rocky or another performer circulated along with fans’ predictions for the set list. And on February 12, 2023, she showed up and surprised everyone, in one way or another.  

The Super Bowl is the most watched sporting event in the United States by far, this year with upwards of 100 million viewers. The Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles were the two teams that went all the way this football season, but with strategy and a lot of hard work, the Chiefs defeated the Eagles 38-35.   

However, this year’s Super Bowl had many historical moments, aside from Rihanna’s unbelievable performance. For starters, the traditional flyover to signal the end of the national anthem, and the beginning of the game, was conducted by its first ever all-female team. The crew was led by Lt. Peggy Dente and made history.  

Secondly, Super Bowl 57 is the first one to ever have two black starting quarterbacks – for the Chiefs, Patrick Mahomes, and for the Eagles, Jalen Hurts. This is monumental as only 11 starting quarterbacks have been black in Super Bowl history let alone both on either team.  

Lastly, this is the first Super Bowl to ever feature two brothers on opposing teams, Travis Kelce of the Chiefs and Jason Kelce of the Eagles. Their mom could be spotted throughout the game rocking her half-and-half gear.   

But now, back to Rihanna. 

Emma’s review: 

Opening with “B- Better Have my Money,” Rihanna was shown on a glass platform that was suspended high in the air. From the iconic opening song to the intricate formations made with the platforms as well as the dancers on the ground, she definitely started the performance out with a bang.   

She was featured having choreographed interactions with the dancers as well as individual choreography that was fun and entertaining. She combined two decades of hits into 12 songs and sang everything from “Umbrella” to “Rude Boy” to “Diamonds” and was sure to make every fan happy.  

Her bright red Fendi outfit was a stark contrast when placed in the middle of all of her background dancers’ all white outfits making her stick out. Their choreography was extremely well done and totally in sync making Rihanna’s small movements not only not a big deal but even better than if she had totally matched their movement. It was very pleasing to watch their large movements and then her small ones, almost as if she was controlling them.  

She ended the incredible performance with “Diamonds” and rose high in the air on her platform again wearing a floor-length bright red coat. There was also an incredible firework show throughout the performance, but especially at the end, that Rihanna was shown looking up to in awe showing her true satisfaction with her performance. Afterwards, it was officially confirmed that the global icon is pregnant with her second child, making everything she did ten times more impressive.  

Though she put on an incredible show, people still have complaints. If she had done more choreography than she did, she would be criticized for endangering her baby, and if she hadn’t touched her crotch or butt, she would be criticized for not staying true to herself.   

However, though she put on an incredible show, many still have their complaints. Whether it is that she “didn’t do enough moving” or her show was just plain boring, these criticisms show the reality behind the perfectionism that female performers are faced to strive for on a daily basis. When forcing these unrealistic expectations on these female performers, the line as to what is too much and what is not enough gets blurred and makes everyone miserable. For example, if she had done more choreography than she did, she would be criticized for endangering her baby.  

Regardless of these criticisms, and so many more, Rihanna put on one of the best Super Bowl halftime shows in modern times. The Rolling Stones may have to adjust their list of the best Super Bowl halftime performances, because Rihanna came to win that number 1 spot.  

Lindsey’s Review:

Lip Syncing?  

First of all, though I can understand why she would lip sync, everyone and their mother could tell she was doing it the majority of the time. She wasn’t even trying to hide it! She would take the mic away from her face while the track was still playing. It just felt lazy or unpracticed. I just expected a little more from a performer like Rihanna. 

No Costume or Set Changes  

While her red outfit was phenomenal, the background dancers left a lot to be desired. They were dressed as marshmallows. Literally. I expected a lot more creativity. Plus, there were no set changes, outfit changes, nothing. It lacked what artists like Lady Gaga and Shakira and JLo brought to the show: a performance! The floating stage was really cool… the first time around. The rest of the time, though, it left a lot to be desired. In the past, we have seen set changes between every song. Just think back to Katy Perry or Beyoncé; they had so much going on, and it made for a great show! Rihanna went with simplicity, and in my opinion, it wasn’t the right choice.  

No Special Guests 

While Rihanna has enough star power to put on a killer performance by herself, she could’ve used a little backup. Many speculated that Jay-Z would join her on stage for a short cameo, but fans were once again disappointed when he did not make the performance. With her performance already lacking in elaborate set design, she could have used a performer to back her up and add something to the performance.  

In Conclusion  

While each of these things individually are not a super big deal to me, the combination of these left me underwhelmed by Rihanna’s show. She is an incredible artist and a very talented singer. I enjoyed listening to her countless top hits, like “Diamonds,” “Run This Town,” and “Umbrella” – among many others – and I think she looked great, and the dancing looked great. It just feels like there was a lot missing from this performance overall.   

I have to admit, my expectations were very high for this performance. I expected Beyoncé in 2013, Katy Perry in 2015, even Justin Timberlake in 2018, but that’s not what we got. Maybe I was disappointed because I wanted so much more from her, for her. I know Rihanna is capable of amazing things, but this performance was kind of a flop.   

However, after finding out she is pregnant, I have to tip my hat off to her for working as hard as she has for the performance, whether it was spectacular or not.