First of all, yes, I have way too much time on my hands. I used to be a huge Rihanna stan back in her album releasing days, so maybe that's where this passion is coming from, because I really wanted to love this performance. I get that she's pregnant, and there's only so much she could do, but because of that I think this show should've and could've been elevated with more visual elements.

Intro
I think this needed something more interesting than just a hard cut to her standing there staring at the camera. She's pregnant, so she isn't gonna be riding in on a giant tiger or flying in from the sky, but I think it needed something more. It would have been nice if her name or logo was written and lit up on the bottom of her platform. The camera would've started on that as we hear her say "what's my name". Then as BBHMM begins, the camera starts to move upwards and outwards, slowly revealing Rihanna and the dancers.

We Found Love
This needed something cool during the drop, like confetti shooting up into the sky on either side of the stage. Just something to make it more climatic.

Work & Wild Thoughts
This is where a few props would've been nice. Some fake palm trees, a little tiki bar with a sexy bartender, something to go with the breezy, summer vibe of the songs. It would've been easy for them to pop a few things up during Rude Boy and have them ready for Work and Wild Thoughts on the main stage/other side of the stage. This just breaks things up visually and keeps it interesting.

 

Birthday Cake

Get rid of this and replace it with Pose or Phresh Out The Runway as her and a few dancers strut over to the other side of the stage. The transition with her just casually walking over to the other side with the Birthday Cake intro felt a bit awkward.

Pour It Up

Have poles slowly popping up out of the stage for the dancers to play with. Nothing too sexual or suggestive, just something that they can move in and around a little, either that or they could have had fake money falling from above them, or maybe even both.

All Of The Lights
Dim the stadium and the stage and give the dancers some lights so that Rihanna and everyone else are mostly lit up with just the lights from the dancers. That would've looked gorgeous, and would have made sense as she sings "want you to see all of the lights".

Run This Town
This was fine, and having the band on the stage is exactly what I mean when I say the show needs more to break it up visually.

Diamonds
Rihanna's platform is the only thing that should've been lit up here. The stage and the other platforms shouldn't have been visible. Just her floating in the sky with lights and "diamonds" in the background. They also could have given the dancers some lights again (maybe a dark blue color) to create some cool visuals on the ground while she was up there.

 

A tiny outfit change somewhere in the middle would've been nice too, even if it was just popping on some shades and accessories during Work and Wild Thoughts for that summery vibe.

 

Nothing too crazy or off-brand, just little things that I think would've made it pop more. None of this would have been a strain on Rihanna, and considering everything the previous Halftime shows have pulled off, I'm sure none of this would've been hard for them to do.

First step: Exchange the performer with the sign language interpreter for a better SBHTS

The only thing that needed to be done would be to replace the headliner. 

Make it even more minimalist by removing the stage and the dancers. They love that

Just now, Illuminati said:

Make it even more minimalist by removing the stage and the dancers. They love that

She should have done it on the street too and broadcast it live on the stage to really sell the urban minimalism concept

28 minutes ago, *-ChriZ-* said:

First step: Exchange the performer with the sign language interpreter for a better SBHTS

 

20 minutes ago, wastedpotential said:

The only thing that needed to be done would be to replace the headliner. 

Came here to say these, the second one especially since the music was also garbage 

I honestly thought the show was unique to not have any props, production etc other than the stage & dancers. It would be all or nothing for me if I was reworking the show. The intro is also iconic and very on brand for Rihanna, I wouldn't change a thing about that. 

 

I would just change

- Extend WFL to include the second verse / second breakdown

- Include What's My Name (similar to the VMA version) after Rude Boy

- Shorten All Of the Lights and extend its breakdown

- Remove Run This Town 

- Extend Umbrella and rework it to have better choreo etc (it deserved better than what it got) 

I liked it but I do think it needed something else. The minimalism was great and she exudes coolness and nonchalant like no other but other than her signature dance moves, some props or shticks would have been appreciated. I liked the mixes of the songs too

I would just change some of the shots
Sometimes she is just walking the stage the camera is on her. That time should have been used to show something with the dancers and would make Rih look like she is doing more
Other than that it was a good performance. Great for pregnant Rih standarts 

Honestly, her staging was magnificent. Those floating platforms were ridiculous. Probably my favorite half-time show stage ever!

 

I think she should have postponed it until next year to give it all she could. She seemed to be pretty far along in her pregnancy...

CNN released an article saying that the SuperBowl rules changed and they can no longer have a big stage / a lot of props on the field due to the real grass that they use now for the game, which is why they used the platforms.

1 hour ago, Digitalism said:

I would just change some of the shots
Sometimes she is just walking the stage the camera is on her. That time should have been used to show something with the dancers and would make Rih look like she is doing more
Other than that it was a good performance. Great for pregnant Rih standarts 

This although the camera work was generally amazing, some shots could have captured her better.

I think the initial belly rub should have been better captured, that deserved to be a bigger moment than it was and not have the audience wondering if she was preggers for 15 minutes.

 

Also there was sometimes too many wide shots when there should have been close ups. The camera work during Diamonds >

 

__________

 

 

I would have changed the setlist, I didn't like the transitions or the mixing outside of the Rude Boy/Kiss It Better mix

 

 

40 minutes ago, chaeyonce said:

This although the camera work was generally amazing, some shots could have captured her better.

I think the initial belly rub should have been better captured, that deserved to be a bigger moment than it was and not have the audience wondering if she was preggers for 15 minutes.

 

Also there was sometimes too many wide shots when there should have been close ups. The camera work during Diamonds >

 

 

 

 

Sometimes the drones move way too fast and you just see a tiny rihanna
And that happens with all camera work
During the The we found love drop the camera moves away from her way too fast into the dancers and it doesn't build momentum. It has to feel like it's slowly increasing like the drop and the dancers never stop comming
The shots of her just walking during work and I think it was pour it up are a mess
and all of that has nothing to do with her performance and the setlist. This are just bad shots that make her look bad at some points and lazy when she is walking 

Better setlist. (i didn’t even  know a couple of the songs performed and she has more known hits)

More energy. (she was giving Valium)

More enthusiasm. (at least pretend you care)

Choreography. (She’s pregnant but that was just awkward)

Live singing. (Or at least lipsynch properly) 

Better outfit. (she’s worn better outfits in paparazzi pictures wtf) 

More variety (The show was very one note beginning to end, same vibe, same colour scheme, same energy, no set or costume changes) 

Add collaborators (Rihanna was never a great performer and it was critical for her to have guests to spice up the performance)

 

The floating stage was really cool though. 

 

 

https://www.plannedparenthood.org/

She needed a better outfit..a long flowy dress, showing off her bump and just stand there while the dancers in also better outfit did their thing. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

More Transitions/Thematic segments.

I love Riri but to be honest her show looked very linear-one dimensional. It blended together. The stage was amazing. Her energy was great for a pregnant woman but the production and concept of the show was very weak???. Loved the hordes of dancers but i didnt like the funny costumes. The show was great but could have been better. She's a billionarie. I expected a Show as expensive as The Weekend one cause she has the budget. 

The questions i have is:
-Rihanna planned a maximalist show but once she got pregnant she was unable to rehearse and changed the initial concept????
-The creative director of the show ****** up
-Rihanna thought a minimal show would be better??
-She was like***** i dont care. I dont have the energy for this?

Comparing:
Madonna show = Gladiators-Vogue/Music-Club-Lmfao/Cheerleader Part-Nicki/The Marching Band-Ceelo/Like A Prayer Choral
Katy Perry = The Lion/The Chess Thing/The Rock Part-Lenny/Beach Theme/Missy/Firework-Starry part
Lady Gaga = The Roof drone thing/Acrobatics/Born This Way Dancing/Playing Guitar/Piano sentimental Part/fiery Bad Romance 
Shakira-Jlo = She Wolf Intro/Rockhead/Bellydance/CardiB-Bad Bunny Part/Chantaje Salsa/Hips Dont Lie crowd surfing Meme/Jlo amazing choreo-club pole dance and more/Shakira-Jlo political statement and Reunion/African Waka Waka-Jlo dancing Salsa

Edited February 15, 20233 yr by AvadaKedavra

she needed more energy...please no one say she was worried about safety...nobody being suspended up & down in the air on a wobbly floating platform is concerned about safety. so please spare us. the sign language interpreter wasn't doing any real choreography & had more energy.

 

plus she needed a guest...doing it solo isn't the flex her fans think it is...b/c it was boring. anybody...jay z, eminem, kanye, etc would've added element of excitement & surprise that was missing from her show

ok well it already happened 

2 hours ago, Яeo. said:

CNN released an article saying that the SuperBowl rules changed and they can no longer have a big stage / a lot of props on the field due to the real grass that they use now for the game, which is why they used the platforms.

Oh no. That will ruin all the halftime shows. Pink and Taylor will be unable to give the best with their productions. RIP superbowl. 

12 hours ago, PrettyHurts said:

ok well it already happened 

Ok well people re-plan whole eras that happened years ago.

 

14 hours ago, Яeo. said:

CNN released an article saying that the SuperBowl rules changed and they can no longer have a big stage / a lot of props on the field due to the real grass that they use now for the game, which is why they used the platforms.

Seriously? That kind of sucks. I still feel like they could have done more with lighting and a few things here and there to make it more interesting.

the show is over 

 

the people who liked it liked it

 

the people who hated it hated it

 

its thursday

 

 

 

As people have said, the minimalism was very much intentional because of the grass field. 
 

they had a different stage planned but were told they couldn’t disrupt the grass. NFL players have been petitioning for grass fields because they’re softer on their bodies.

 

They did all they could given what they had. There’s a whole article here about the staging.

I do think the camera work could’ve been better though.

 

https://www.wired.com/story/super-bowl-rihanna-halftime-tech-flying/amp

Edited February 16, 20233 yr by yonsé

honestly i would’ve just removed wild thoughts shorten pour it up and somehow added pon de replay/don’t stop the music. she mashed them up before. with the initial disappointment out the way i’m starting to realize it’s very on brand for Rihanna.

It just needed more