Rihanna Shines Bright Like a Diamond: Column
Rihanna at Super Bowl 2023. Photo by MATT SLOCUM/AP/SHUTTERSTOCK
Risking a pregnancy 60 feet above the air on live television is equivalent to walking a few steps for the talented Rihanna. As soon as Rihanna sang “B**ch Better Have My Money,” she replaced her 7-year stage absence with fond memories of how her music impacted me.
At five years old, during my swimming lessons, my instructor would have “Umbrella” playing on repeat. Picture a group of five little girls waiting their turn to practice freestyle and singing the chorus of “Umbrella” at the top of their lungs. Rihanna’s powerful voice undoubtedly implored us to dominate all the swimming styles leaving us feeling self-empowered. Fast forward a few years, middle school me would go on to win a soccer tournament with Rihanna’s “This Is What You Came For” playing in the background. Ironically, the song playing in the background fits the scene where we “came for the championship,” which is similar to what the lyrics describe.
The halftime show served as a big comeback party, full of the coolest transitions from her biggest hits, the most perfectly thought-out minimalist choreography that did not dim her spotlight, and the quickest, most efficient PR move ever. The struts and cohesive r&b styled moves allowed Rihanna to “shine bright like a diamond.” By far, the most impressive move of this whole performance and pregnancy announcement was her 3-second long ad for Fenty Beauty.During the transition of “All of The Lights,” she effortlessly touched up her makeup with her line’s powder. The simplicity of that PR move during the performance made it one of the most iconic moments of all Super Bowl Halftime show history. Her shameless plug reminded us all that there is nothing wrong with letting the world know of your talents and ideas in a not so humble, humble way. Within the first 12 hours, Fenty Beauty generated 6 million dollars, making her musically centered night a success and a business one as well.
The last 5 minutes of the Super Bowl gave us all goosebumps as she gave us an elegant, dramatic scene 60 feet above the field on a platform, making us worry for her safety. Quickly, our worries faded as she exuded power while wearing an all-cherry red outfit and filling the entire football field with enough backup dancers wearing all-white attire. The moment she revealed she was expecting a child while singing the lyrics “Shine Bright Like A Diamond” while feeling her stomach sent an emotional message to women worldwide. It served to remind women we can do it all and not just stick to the stereotypes we have been held to for years concerning our societal roles. Her artistic performance, business venture, and pregnancy reveal surpassed the expectations for what a halftime show performance should entail.
