Rihanna delivered an amazing 13-minute set during the Super Bowl Halftime Show, featuring some of her best career hits, from “Bitch Better Have My Money” to “Umbrella.” The internet had been looking forward to this moment for months (for some, even years) and it was everything we hoped for and more. Honestly, we’re still recovering.
The excitement was palpable online, as viewers praised Rihanna’s setlist, magnificent outfits, and glorious return to the stage. The buzziest part of all was Rih revealing her second pregnancy onstage.
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The anticipation for this halftime show seemed higher than ever, especially since, in recent years, Rihanna has shifted her focus from music to her beauty and fashion empires. (And she just gave birth to her first child last May.) But when she was announced as the Super Bowl headliner in September, the hype built up not only her performance, but also the possibility of her releasing new music—and maybe even going on tour.
Rihanna is well aware of the cultural significance of her Super Bowl performance. She said during a press conference ahead of the big game, “I mean, it’s a long way from home, right? It’s a long way from home. It’s a beautiful journey that I’m on, and I could’ve never guessed that I would have made it here. So it’s a celebration of that. I’m excited to do that. I’m really excited to have Barbados on the Super Bowl stage.”
And a celebration it was. Take a look at how the best reactions below.
People got emotional when she appeared onstage for the first time in years.
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Though, her suspended stage looked familiar…
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And so did those costumes.
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Everyone was speculating if she was expecting again, and began celebrating the news.
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She promoted Fenty of course!
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A$AP Rocky was spotted in the audience.
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And so was Adele.
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And no one was the same by the time it was done.
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Erica Gonzales is the Senior Culture Editor at ELLE.com, where she oversees coverage on TV, movies, music, books, and more. She was previously an editor at HarpersBAZAAR.com. There is a 75 percent chance she’s listening to Lorde right now.
