Super Bowl LVII: Rihanna steals the show at the 57th edition of the NFL playoffs

The Chiefs registered a historic victory in the iconic game, beating the Eagles in the last few seconds and Rihanna's performance cemented her status as a Diamond of pop history.

Date published: 13th Feb 2023

Another year and another edition of the biggest game in American sport has gone by, a game which many are already calling one of the best in recent memory. In momentous scenes, the Kansas City Chiefs defeated the Philadelphia Eagles 38-35. The game was decided by a game-winning field goal with eight seconds left, which Harrison Butker punted from 27 yards.

At the halfway point in the game, it was time for one of the biggest slots in world music, the Super Bowl halftime show, which Rihanna absolutely killed - to absolutely no one's surprise. The set was an amalgamation of all the biggest hits of her illustrious career as a global popstar, starting in dramatic style with some of her slower numbers, before crescendoing into an all-out party with some of her biggest hits. 

To be honest with you, with action in all aspects of the night, we're not sure what was better. 

Image: NFL on Facebook

During the proceedings on the pitch, the main talking point was undoubtedly the Chief's MVP quarterback, Patrick Mahomes, as he played half of the game basically on one leg. Mahomes reaggravated a right ankle injury late in the second quarter when an Eagles player fell on it in a tackle. 

At this point, the Chiefs trailed by 10 points, being in a 24-14 deficit to the Eagles, yet, Mahomes was not going to bow out early. After the injury, all he did was complete 13 of 14 passes, make 93 yards and even a pair of scores. Plus, if this wasn't already making your ankle hurt at the thought, with just under three minutes left to play with the scores tied, he outran the Eagle's defence with a 26-yard QB scramble that ended up setting up the game-winning field goal. 

The individual's performance led the Chiefs to their second Super Bowl in four seasons and saw Mahomes become only the seventh player to win both NFL MVP and Super Bowl MVP in the same season. 

The magic on the pitch was only exacerbated by the magic of Rihanna herself. In true iconic style, she appeared, head to toe in red, on a platform in the sky, surrounded by white-clad dancers on platforms too (just look at that entrance in the video above).

She opened proceedings with 'Bitch Better Have My Money' and smashed through shortened, expertly stitched-together run of some of the tracks that have made her the international musical force she is today. This included the likes of Where Have You Been, Only Girl (In The World), We Found Love, Rude Boy, Work, Wild Thoughts, Pour It Up, All of the Lights, Run This Town, Umbrella, and then finishing off with 'Diamond' during which the entire crowd was lit up, in a mesmeric end to the show, which was then perfectly capped off with fireworks that could be seen through the open roof.  

Opting for these floating platforms instead of a solid stage gave Rihanna's show a memorable edge, and even more so was the fact that she never brought anyone out with her, like many thought she may do, as is so often the case with the Superbowl halftime shows. 

Yet, as the show went on, and Rihanna's independent vibes rested on everyone's laurels, it felt more impactful than she didn't. Particularly as prior to the show she put an emphasis on her being the representation for Black women and immigrants. 

It was an incredible game of American Football that bookended an incredible return to live performance from one of the undisputed queens of pop music, plus, to all of her fan's splendour, she ended the show by revealing that she was pregnant with her second child. Some feat doing a show like that with a baby inside you, and we can love her any more than we already do. What a night, and what a show!

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Header image credit: NFL on Facebook