Rihanna’s Halftime Show

During this year’s 57th Super Bowl, Rihanna was invited to perform during halftime. The show consisted of a set list with some of fans most favorite songs, in sync dancers, and bright white costumes. Rihanna also kicked off the show by revealing that she was pregnant with a second baby. Fans of the halftime show also thoroughly enjoyed watching the American Sign Language interpreter, Justina Miles. 

This year’s Super Bowl took place in Glendale, Arizona at the State Farm Stadium. The Kansas City Chiefs took this winner title home with a final score of 38 against the Philadelphia Eagles. 

The last time we saw Rihannaon stage was at the Grammys in 2018, so when she announced on September 25th that she would perform at the Superbowl, fans went wild. By posting a picture of her hand holding a NFL football on Instagram, she confirmed that she would be performing at halftime. 

Rihanna’s show consisted of 280 backup dancers dressed in all white while Rihanna dressed in an all red outfit. Many people described the dancers as marshmallows since they wore white from head to toe. The performance was choreographed by Parris Goebel, who also choreographed Jenifer Lopez’s halftime performance in 2020. The stage looked fairly simple but was more complicated behind the scenes. Rihanna and some of her dancers stood on rectangular platforms that appeared to be floating in the air. Jesse Collins, the executive producer of the Super Bowl LVII halftime show stated that the idea came from Rihanna’s creative director and choreographer to put the show in the air. He also said Rihanna loved being at the top (60 feet) even though she is scared of heights. Rihanna performed a mash-up of some of her most beloved songs. Some of the 12 songs that she performed included, “Only Girl (In the World), “Work”, “Umbrella”, “Diamonds” and many more favorites. She opened the show by singing “B—- Better Have My Money” and closed the show with “Diamonds.” 

When the camera first zoomed out and showed the whole view, it was revealed that Rhianna is pregnant. At first it wasn’t clear for many fans, as some thought that her belly might just have been the after effects of giving birth to her first baby back in May of 2022, but not long after many sources confirmed that she is, in fact, pregnant. This is her second child with her boyfriend A$AP Rocky. Some fans speculated that the two had tied the knot in February, but no official sources have confirmed nor denied this claim. Considering the state of Rihanna’s pregnancy, it is impressive that she was able to dance, sing, and perform while being pregnant. 

Not only was Rihanna a big hit on Superbowl Sunday, but the ASL interpreter Justina Miles also gained some attraction after her high energy performance went viral. Miles is the first deaf person to sign at the Super Bowl according to CBS Mornings, and is also a nursing student. Miles says that she was able to hear some of the music during the show even though she is legally deaf, according to a test that tells you how deaf you are. Miles also says that when she prepped for the show, she made sure to memorize the lyrics and beat, so those watching can see the beat rather than hear the beat. 

With Rihanna headlining the Super Bowl halftime show, especially after a very long music hiatus, more people tuned into the halftime show compared to the actual football game. Rihanna’s show consisted of much time and planning and was successful in the end. Her pregnancy announcement shocked many people and ultimately boosted her performance. With high energy and excitement, Justina Miles brought attention to the ASL world and hopefully helped deaf people enjoy the show just as much as those who can hear.