Well that was something special, wasn’t it? After months of buildup, Rihanna returned to music in style with a captivating performance at the Super Bowl Halftime Show. 

Although this publication’s humble predictions about possible guest stars was way off the mark, it really didn’t matter: Rihanna carried it sublimely all on her own at Arizona’s State Farm Stadium.

After going through 39 versions of the setlist, which might have had some casual observers worrying about the preparedness of the performance, the singer finally settled on a career-spanning setlist that shot hit after hit at a massive worldwide audience.

“The Super Bowl is one of the biggest stages in the world so as scary as that was, because I haven’t been on stage in seven years, there’s something exhilarating about the challenge of it all,” she revealed on Thursday in a pre-show interview for Apple Music, this year’s sponsors.

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How she lived up to the challenge and clearly put in the work, work, work, work, work, work (sorry). Wearing a striking red ensemble outfit, surrounded by mesmerising futuristic dancers dressed in stark white, she performed at Super Bowl 57 for her first concert since all the way back at the 2018 Grammys.

You can view Rihanna’s entire Super Bowl Halftime Show setlist below, and also check out some of the best social media reactions to her comeback performance.

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The Barbados singer follows the likes of Shakira, Justin Timberlake, Lady Gaga, and Madonna in headlining the famous Halftime Show. Last year’s edition show an ensemble effort from Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Mary J. Blige, and Kendrick Lamar.

For more on this topic, follow the Live Music Observer.

Rihanna Super Bowl 2023 Halftime Show setlist

  1. ‘B— Better Have My Money’
  2. ‘Where Have You Been?’
  3. ‘Only Girl in the World’
  4. ‘We Found Love’
  5. ‘Rude Boy’
  6. ‘Work’
  7. ‘Wild Thoughts’
  8. ‘Pour It Up’
  9. ‘All of the Lights’
  10. ‘Run This Town’
  11. ‘Umbrella’
  12. ‘Diamonds’

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