super bowl halftime show

Rihanna Inspired By Beyoncé For Super Bowl Halftime Show

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Two of the biggest (and most Stanned) pop stars in the world share a lot of things: talent, mass impact, but also respect for one another. Before her Super Bowl halftime show, Rihanna said that Beyoncé inspired her and prepared her for the gig. Moreover, she gave the RENAISSANCE star such praise during a conversation with Nate Burleson on NFL and iHeart Radio’s The Process. While the star singer has plenty of performance experience, her first show on the football field is a massive task. However, she did her homework on one of the most grandiose and show-stopping performers the Super Bowl’s ever seen.

NEW YORK, NY – MARCH 30: (Exclusive Coverage) Beyonce and Rihanna attend the Tidal launch event #TIDALforALL at Skylight at Moynihan Station on March 30, 2015 in New York City. (Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images For Roc Nation)

“I watched Beyoncé’s halftime performances a couple of times,” the “We Found Love” star expressed. “She is a beast and a whole other level. Just to be inspired, really.” Furthermore, Queen Bee appeared at two big football games over the past decade. Firstly, she performed a headlining solo show in 2013, and joined Bruno Mars and Coldplay in 2016. Overall, she showed herself to be an incredible performer, which people can’t wait to see on her upcoming tour. Still, with ticket prices and availability being a huge hassle, it’ll be tough to witness the “Drunk in Love” icon.

However, Stephen A. Smith of all people compared these two stars ahead of RiRi’s performance. “I don’t want to say I’m not excited,” he said when asked whether he’s hype for her show. “She’s fantastic. That’s not where I’m going with this. Ladies and gentlemen, she’s a lot of things. She’s spectacular, actually. And congratulations on new mamahood. There’s one thing she’s not: she ain’t Beyoncé… Rihanna’s music is fantastic. She’s great, she’s a sister. I love her dearly, I listen to her music. I’m gonna support her ’til the cows come home! I’m just telling you, for me, there’s Beyoncé, there’s everybody else.”

While a lot of people took issue with his comments, he did clarify that it’s just a personal taste thing. However, he didn’t do so without calling out harsh critics quick to jump down his throat. “I think Rihanna’s fantastic. Now, you agree, fine. You disagree? Fine. How we get to the point, ‘Why he gotta pit two Black women…’ Really?! I just can’t be a fan of both? But I prefer Beyoncé over Rihanna. That’s a crime! I didn’t know that.” Regardless of what your take is, stay tuned to HNHH for the latest on these two superstars.

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Rihanna’s Representative Confirms She’s Pregnant With Her Second Child After The Super Bowl Halftime Show

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Rihanna’s Super Bowl LVII Halftime Show performance turned out to be full of surprises but the biggest one was the reveal that she’s pregnant with her and ASAP Rocky’s second child. A representative for the singer confirmed as much to The Hollywood Reporter amidst rampant speculation on Twitter after the performance.

At the beginning of the set, as Rihanna appeared on a floating platform high above the field, she opened her coat during a rendition of “Bitch Better Have My Money” to reveal what looked very much like a baby bump. Of course, the quick turnaround between babies #1 and 2 had many fans flustered over whether she was normalizing postpartum baby weight — a valid cause, to be sure — or boasting a new bundle of joy.

Fortunately, none of us had to wait very long for a confirmation.

Ahead of the show, Rihanna seemingly teased the reveal in an interview with Nate Burleson on NFL+ Friday night. When asked whether she’d have any special guests during the show, she cheekily said, “I’m thinking about bringing someone.” It just turns out the “someone” was not a musical star (yet), but the new addition to Rih and Rocky’s rapidly growing family.

Fans, of course, had a field day with the news — pun intended — although some were distraught that they might not be getting that new album or tour anytime soon.

Rihanna Representative Confirms She’s Pregnant With Second Child

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A representative from her team just reportedly confirmed that Rihanna is pregnant with her second child. Moreover, this confirmation comes after the star’s spectacular Super Bowl halftime show, where she played a slew of hits both on and off of awe-inspiring elevated platforms. Furthermore, someone from her team confirmed her pregnancy to The Hollywood Reporter. Of course, this confirmation came after rampant speculation online from the moment fans saw RiRi’s belly. While it’s always advised to be skeptical, it seems people were so hungry to know that the celebrations came quick.

HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA – OCTOBER 26: Rihanna and A$AP Rocky attend Marvel Studios’ “Black Panther 2: Wakanda Forever” Premiere at Dolby Theatre on October 26, 2022 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic)

Still, it’s understandable if you were too caught up in the show’s hit parade to notice. However, it all started when the 34-year-old singer opened her red coat during her rendition of “B***h Better Have My Money.” When she revealed her belly to the screen many saw a baby bump right away. Even though it’s a quick conclusion to reach, many wondered whether she simply had postpartum weight. Normalizing such things is a valid cause and an important one, but it looks like it’s a conversation for another time.

Moreover, people have seemingly split opinions on her show. Although she can rock a colosseum all by herself, many felt disappointed by a lack of guest performances. However, the Fenty mogul hinted at the most special guest of all well before anyone knew. On Friday night, she had an interview with Nate Burleson on NFL+. When he asked her whether she thought of bringing special guests, her answer was curious, and we all should’ve seen it. “I’m thinking about bringing someone,” she replied simply. While people speculated about Jay-Z or T.I., the true special appearance was something unheard of at previous big game shows.

Meanwhile, the “Diamonds” singer is already a proud mother of one with her boo A$AP Rocky. “When you become a mom, there’s just something that happens that makes you feel like you could take on the world,” she expressed. “You could do anything. The Super Bowl is one of the biggest stages in the world. It’s important for me to do this this year, it’s important for representation. It’s important for my son.” Stay tuned to HNHH for the latest on Rihanna and her incredible career and family.

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Rihanna’s Super Bowl LVII Halftime Show Performance Included A Slew Of Her Biggest Hits

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The moment everyone was waiting for — or at least, non-football fans and everybody outside of Philly, Kansas City, and Phoenix (where the game was held) — has arrived: Rihanna’s Super Bowl LVII Halftime Show performance has brought the house down.

While the set included such hits as “Rude Boy,” “Work,” and “We Found Love.” The set opened with “Bitch Better Have My Money” as Rihanna stood on a suspended platform high above the field, and as it dropped down to hover just over the field, she launched into a dance breakdown-driven “Where Have You Been” and “Only Girl.” She even threw in a little of DJ Khaled’s “Wild Thoughts,” as a treat. The final song was “Diamonds,” a showstopping number that once again saw her ascend to the top of the stadium as thousands of fans’ phone lights glittered around her like, well, diamonds in the sky.

It’s obviously difficult to squeeze 15+ years into just 13 minutes of performance — as evidenced by Rihanna remixing the set no fewer than 39 times — but fortunately, all those comparisons between Rihanna and Beyoncé turned out to be good for something. Rihanna watched Beyoncé’s 2013 and 2016 Super Bowl Halftime performances for inspiration, telling iHeartRadio, “She is a beast and a whole other level. Just to be inspired, really.”

In addition to the challenge of compressing so much music into such a short amount of time, Rihanna also had to contend with conservative pushback to her playing the Halftime Show. Ronny Jackson, a Republican Congressman from Texas, tweeted, “Why is the NFL showcasing this crap? Rihanna SHOULD NOT be the halftime performer!!” However, he was quickly (and rightly) shouted down by Twitter users who recognized his outburst for the cry for attention it obviously was.

Now that the performance itself is in the rearview, fans are looking forward to Rihanna’s next move — hoping for a new album or tour announcement — although she’s warned that just because she’s returned to the stage, doesn’t mean she’s automatically jumping headfirst back into the music spotlight. But we can hope!

Watch Rihanna’s Super Bowl LVII Halftime Show performance above.

This post is being updated.

Rihanna’s Super Bowl Halftime Show Stuns The World

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After all the wait, hype, and about seven years of waiting for Rihanna to return to the music stage, her Super Bowl halftime show was quite the sight. From her insane stage design, engaging choreography, and abundant catalog of hits, the performance offered a lot to both stadium audiences and fans watching from their couch. While no special guests appeared, the singer gave a wonderful performance and oozed confidence as she sang her best hits. Also, she even took the chance to plug some Fenty products during her performance, as she used a mirror and blush.

Rihanna performs at the Apple Super Bowl LVII Halftime Show held at State Farm Stadium on February 12, 2023 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Christopher Polk/Variety via Getty Images)

To start things off, she played a short video with her track “What’s My Name?” When we finally saw RiRi above the football field- wait, above the field? Furthermore, she stood on a suspended platform far above the field, with other stages reserved for some of her backup dancers. Her actual performance, though, began with her banger, “B***h Better Have My Money.” Also, she showed off a beautiful red ensemble as she sang and floated up and down. Eventually, the star singer returned to Earth, but went back and forth between her main stage and the floating platforms.

Rihanna’s Super Bowl Halftime Show Setlist

In fact, the 34-year-old’s setlist transitioned and mashed up with itself perfectly. For example, she transitioned her next track, “Where Have You Been,” into “Only Girl In The World” as her white-dressed backup dancers seemed like a hive mind of great dance. Then, she played more classics like “We Found Love” with fireworks, “S&M,” “Rude Boy,” and “Work.” In addition, she went seamlessly into “Wild Thoughts” before walking off stage and transitioning into “Pour It Up.” Most surprisingly, she played a short snippet of the Kanye West track “All Of The Lights,” where she gives an iconic vocal line.

Rounding out her performance, she rose again after playing “Run This Town” with a live band. Finally, she graced fans with two of her most iconic songs to end it off: “Umbrella” and “Diamonds,” during which she might’ve made a crazy announcement. Moreover, many people believe that Rihanna is pregnant with her second child, though that just might be the Internet reading too deeply into a belly. Regardless, let us know what you thought of Rihanna’s show down below and come back to HNHH for the latest updates.

DJ Khaled Gives Rihanna Sweet Message Before Super Bowl Halftime Show

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DJ Khaled had a sweet message for Rihanna ahead of her Super Bowl halftime show later today (February 12). Moreover, the We The Best mogul spoke to Page Six at Michael Rubin’s Fanatics party at the Arizona Biltmore. While he celebrated Super Bowl weekend along with dozens of A-list stars, he’s more excited for the grand event than anything else. In fact, RiRi and Khaled previously worked on the track “Wild Thoughts” together, which became one of that year’s biggest hits. Before she hits the stage and wows us all, the New Orleans-born hitmaker gave her some encouraging words.

NEW YORK, NY – JANUARY 28: Recording artists Bryson Tiller, Rihanna and DJ Khaled perform onstage during the 60th Annual GRAMMY Awards at Madison Square Garden on January 28, 2018 in New York City. (Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for NARAS)

“RiRi, I love you so much,” he expressed. “Congratulations in advance. They changed the name of Super Bowl. It’s called ‘RiRi Super Bowl.’ I’mma have my airhorn ready and I’m going to order me a cheeseburger well done. I’mma sit back, relax, watch the show… come on! It’s Super Bowl!” Also, the publication asked Khaled whether he’d be performing as a special guest. “I’m coming as a fan and Rihanna’s my sister,” he stated, dancing around the inquiry. “I can’t wait to see it. I’m here to support,” he told press present. In addition, he clarified that he’s rooting for the “Diamonds” singer over the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles. “We’re all winners,” he said.

Also, he even performed a bit of his song “All I Do Is Win (Remix),” yelling to the crowd “Welcome to Rubinpalooza!” Elsewhere, he chatted with everyone from Odell Beckham Jr. to Kevin Hart. Other attendees at the event included Jay-Z, Drake, Travis Scott, Winnie Harlow, Teyana Taylor, and many more. Before celebrities from all over gathered to celebrate, Rihanna gave a press conference recently about her show.

“We’ve been working on it for a while, and every day it just gets closer and closer to the finished product,” she shared. “It’s a lot of preparation. This is the week that – it really is [about] being tested. Everyone, we’re just tightening up everything, everybody’s dialing in, everybody’s tuning up and [it’s] a lot of moving parts.” Let us know what song you’re looking forward to the most from Rihanna’s show in the comments below. Also, check back in with HNHH before and after the big game for the latest on Rihanna.

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Rihanna Is “The Best Singer Of All Time” According To Chris Martin Of Coldplay

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Just a day before Sunday’s Super Bowl (February 12), it’s really starting to settle in. Rihanna will grace the stage for a spectacular halftime show, and Chris Martin of Coldplay recently called her “the best singer of all time.” With that hype surrounding her performance, it’s no wonder fans can barely contain their anticipation. Moreover, that’s true of everyone, from the most humble of fans to the most lucrative of pop stars. Furthermore, Martin recently spoke to Zane Lowe about RiRi’s incredible talent, career longevity, and breadth of enterprise.

LOS ANGELES, CA – FEBRUARY 12: Singer Rihanna and musician Chris Martin of Coldplay perform onstage at the 54th Annual GRAMMY Awards held at Staples Center on February 12, 2012 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images)

“You have to be an idiot not to recognize that she’s the best singer of all time,” he told Lowe. While it’s quite the hot (and biased) take, we can’t fault the 45-year-old for his passion. Still, he continued to explain his admiration for the Barbadian hitmaker. “I don’t know Rihanna very well, I’m mainly just a fan. We performed with her a few times and it is rarer and rarer for her to just sing, which is what makes it even more special. In a strange way, it shows that she really, really wants to do it. No one can make Rihanna do anything at this point. I’m very biased because I’m such a big Rihanna fan. I mean, I think she could just walk out in sweatpants and sing, and that would be just great.” 

Furthermore, the two’s collab track “Princess Diana” appeared on Coldplay’s fifth studio album, 2011’s Mylo Xyloto. It became a big hit, with a music video and various live performances to boot. Also, the praise from Martin means a lot, considering he knows a thing or two about Super Bowl halftime shows. In fact, Coldplay performed alongside Bruno Mars and Beyoncé at the 2015 game. Moreover, many might consider that performance one of the more beloved Super Bowls in recent memory.

Regardless, the “Diamonds” singer said that her 13-minute show is “almost impossible” to pull off. “I mean,” she said during an Apple Music press conference about the show. “It’s literally, like, 300 to 400 people breaking the stage down and building it back up and getting it out in eight minutes. It’s incredible, it’s almost impossible.” Whatever she’s got in store, everyone’s betting on her pulling it off. Check back in with HNHH for the latest on Rihanna and her amazing Super Bowl halftime show this year.

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The Super Bowl: How To Watch And What To Expect

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Super Bowl LVII is showcasing the highly anticipated game between the AFC champion, the Kansas City Chiefs, and the NFC Champion, the Philadelphia Eagles. The game will take place on February 12, 2023 in Glendale AZ. Kickoff will start at 6:30 P.M. ET/3:30 P.M. PT. The game will air on Fox and, in Spanish-speaking countries, on Fox Deportes. The game will also be available on FoxSports.com, as well as the Fox Sports App. This will be the 10th Super Bowl broadcast through Fox Sports. Kevin Burkhardt (play-by-play) and Greg Olsen (analyst) will have the game call. It will be their first Super Bowl assignment since the departure of Joe Buck and Troy Aikman.

The Spanish-language version of the network’s pregame show begins at 4 P.M. ET/1 P.M. PT. The English-language version of the network’s pregame will begin with Fox NFL Sunday at 1 P.M. ET/10 A.M. PT. Chris Stapleton will sing the national anthem prior to the game. Meanwhile, CODA Oscar-winner Troy Kotsur will perform the song ASL. Babyface will sing “America the Beautiful,” and Abbott Elementary star Sheryl Lee Ralph will perform “Lift Every Voice and Sing.” Ordinarily, the President of the United States interviews with pre-game hosts prior to the Super Bowl, but Joe Biden will not be doing that this year.

The Super Bowl

The Vince Lombardi trophy and helmets for the Chiefs and Eagles sit on a display ahead of Commissioner Roger Goodells Super Bowl LVII press conference at the Phoenix Convention Center. Picture date: Wednesday February 8, 2023. Super Bowl LVII will take place Sunday Feb. 12, 2023 between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles. (Photo by Anthony Behar/PA Images via Getty Images)

The halftime show will be headlined by none other than Rihanna. It is the first year for the performance to be branded under the Apple Music Super Bowl Halftime Show. DPS is producing the show with Roc Nation. Jesse Collins will executive produce, and Hamish Hamilton will direct. Last year’s star-studded halftime show featured Dr Dre, Kendrick Lamar, and Eminem. It was watched by 120 million people.

Throughout the day, Fox will also play the usual amount of popular, anticipated Super Bowl Commercials, including movie trailers for films like Fast X, Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, and Air. Last year, Neilsen estimated that 90& of the United States who had their TVs on during the hours of the Super Bowl were watching the game. The ratings flew to an estimated 112.3 million viewers across all NBC platforms (NBC, Telemundo, and Peacock). The Los Angeles Rams beat the Cincinnati Bengals 23-20.

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Rihanna Will Not Be Paid For Super Bowl Halftime Performance: Here’s Why

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This Sunday, Rihanna will be performing during the Super Bowl halftime show. Overall, this promises to be a truly incredible performance for the ages. After all, we are going to get to see RiRi out on center stage again. It has been a very long time since we have seen her out in a concert, and fans are extremely excited about it. Consequently, the artist is looking to put on a truly incredible show that is certainly going to create some sort of conversation.

If you remember, Rihanna was asked to perform at the Super Bowl back in 2019. However, she decided not to do it because she wanted to show support for Colin Kaepernick. At the time, her statement of solidarity what praised by many. Since then, times have changed especially with Jay-Z’s involvement with the league. In just a few days, she will be able to give us the performance of a lifetime, which could subsequently lead to her highly anticipated comeback tour.

Rihanna Paid In Exposure

Rihanna speaks during a press conference for the Apple Music Super Bowl 57 halftime show at the Phoenix Convention Center on February 9, 2023 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images)

According to Forbes, one of the more interesting elements at play here is the fact that Rihanna will not be paid for her Super Bowl halftime performance. Instead, she will simply be paid in exposure. If you are wondering why this is the case, well, the answer is actually quite simple. This is how things have always been done. Regardless of how famous of an artist you are, you never get paid for your performance. Instead, you get to have close 200 million sets of eyes on you. For artists like Lady Gaga, this has helped increase record sales tenfold. Overall, as Forbes notes, this boost in following and sales is hard to turn down.

That said, we are certain that Rihanna’s performance will be one to remember. The last couple of halftime shows have been very memorable, and we hope she continues that trend. Let us know what you expect from the artist, in the comments down below. Additionally, stay tuned to HNHH for more news and updates from around the entertainment world.

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The Source’s 5 Things We Want To See During Rihanna’s Super Bowl Halftime Performance

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Rihanna Teases Upcoming Super Bowl Halftime Performance

With the Super Bowl 2 days away, many are anticipating Rihanna’s return to the big stage. It has been 7 years since she released an album and went on tour. Even though within those 7 years, she grew her Savage X Fenty brand to astronomical heights, became a billionaire, and a mother, people are still waiting on new Rihanna music, only raising the stakes for her upcoming halftime performance. With that said, here are 5 things that we at The Source want to see during Rih’s performance.

1. Jay-Z Guest Appearance During “Run This Town”

“Run This Town” is arguably one of the best ensemble tracks ever to be released. When it dropped in 2009, the track reached #2 on Billboard and made a statement, with Hov even saying that he, Rihanna, and Kanye are on the song because they run this town. Little would we know, over a decade later, all three would become billionaires, despite one person on the song recently losing that status. But nonetheless, we think Rih should perform the track and have Jay-Z come out to do a verse, after all, there were reports of him helping Rihanna with her performance. We’d love to see Ye come and do his verse but we can only imagine the PR nightmare the NFL would face.

2. A Tour Announcement Following The Performance

Even though this wouldn’t take place during the halftime show, we want to get a tour announcement shortly following the performance. Rihanna’s last tour was in 2016 following her critically acclaimed album Anti. There has even been some speculation and rumors floating around saying that a world tour will be announced after the halftime show. According to PageSix, insiders are saying that Rih is gearing up to go on a world tour and has been hidden so well that even people in her crew don’t even know about it.

3. An New Album Announcement or Release

Much like the tour announcement, we’d love to get an announcement about a new Rihanna album after her performance. In the last 7 years, there’s no telling how many songs she’s recorded. The last song we got from her was just last year when she released “Lift Me Up,” from the Black Panther: Wakanda Forever soundtrack. Nonetheless, if there are rumors circulating about a tour drop, that must mean that there is some music to drop soon as well.

4. A Drake Guest Appearance

Some of the most memorable moments in a Super Bowl Halftime Show are the guest appearances. Remember what it was like to see Beyoncé come out during Super Bowl 50? We totally even forgot Coldplay was the main performer. We already said we’d like a Jay-Z guest appearance, but a Drake one might take the cake. Given the two’s history, both inside and outside of music, seeing them perform one of their songs on the stage together would be a great, and probably messy moment to witness. But it would show a lot of growth out of Drake who till this day laments about his exes.

5. A Statement

Rihanna boycotted the NFL in 2016 following the unfair treatment of Colin Kaepernick for kneeling during the national anthem. She said in an interview with Vogue at the time that she had actually been offered to perform at the Super Bowl but turned it down because she felt like she would be a “sellout” if she went forward with the opportunity. Fast forward to 2022, and Rihanna announces that she’s performing at Super Bowl LVII. Granted, things have changed since then, with Kaepernick settling a collusion case against the NFL in 2019 and the league partnering with Roc Nation through the Inspire Change Initiative. But there’s still obvious racism going on within the NFL, take the fact that there are only 3 black head coaches in a Black player-dominated league. There’s no doubt that Jay-Z had a big reason why Rihanna finally decided to perform at a Super Bowl, but the question is did Rihanna simply take the job to just perform and make a grand re-entrance into the spotlight, or will she take the opportunity to make a statement during her performance.

The post The Source’s 5 Things We Want To See During Rihanna’s Super Bowl Halftime Performance appeared first on The Source.