Feb. 12, 2023, Rihanna took center (floating) stage during the halftime of Super Bowl LVII. After a near decade long musical hiatus, Rhianna answered her fans’ pleas to see the Barbados native perform live once more. Due to this industry break, her performance was one of the most highly anticipated halftime shows in history.

Slay or Nay?

That much anticipatory energy is bound to result in some very strong opinions. When giving feedback to the show, there is one thing the responses were not: neutral.

Typed at rapid speed and sent into the ether of snap judgments were endless polarizing opinions. Some fans lauded the artist for her timeless simplicity, while others complained that that minimalism resulted in lackluster entertainment. The show missing “that wow factor” has been a repeated lament. The more extreme negative opinions range from shaming the show for its perceived vulgarity and declaring the performance was “satanic.”

“The Navy” isn’t standing for that. Rihanna has an extremely loyal fanbase. One would have to in order to receive such an abounding reception after being off stage since 2016. Fans are celebrating Rihanna’s persistent stellar vocals and complimenting her inexhaustible swagger. The response to the performance illuminates the polarity of our current climate. If commenters on clickbait articles become enraged at strangers’ musical and aesthetic opinions, it is no wonder the divisiveness of larger issues can seem insurmountable.

Shine Bright Like a Diamond

One thing the performance was in its entirety was authentic to Ri Ri. Rihanna has been known for years to do things her way, on her time, and she’s certainly never shied away from a bold fashion statement. There has always been a “take it or leave it” attitude exuding from the singer, even before she was a nine-time Grammy-winning billionaire.

Unless her acting chops are as varied as her vocals, the artist looked to be free of nerves as she took what’s considered to be the world’s largest stage. The bold and minimalist color pallet allowed vocals and lyrics shine. Light was a paid actor in this performance. From the illuminated floating platforms to the spectacle of fireworks to the legion of digital stars that emerged during her “Shine Bright Like a Diamond” finale, the performance was a master class in the power of light. In a time when consumerism is at an all-time high and instant gratification is commonplace, it’s encouraging to see an artist show that you, and your individual talents, are enough to be “that wow factor.”

Surprise Guest Star

Like many Super Bowl headliners before her, Rihanna shined a bit of the spotlight on a surprise guest star. Well, two guest stars, really. Can we get a round of applause for the show’s American Sign Language interpreter, Justina Miles? Miles is a hard-of-hearing nursing student at HBCU Bowie State University. Miles quickly went viral on TikTok after fans admired her captivating ASL interpretation of Rihanna’s hits. When eyes made their way from Miles back to Rihanna, more excitement stirred as pregnancy rumors began.

The bold fashion statement in this performance was a new baby bump (under a killer red jumpsuit). Reps for Rihanna confirmed these rumors to be true the same evening. If that isn’t reputable enough, while still in the stadium, Diplo shared a photo of himself at the game captioned “Came for @badgalriri baby shower.” A new sailor has been inducted into the Rihanna Navy. To see the full performance, click here.

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