The halftime show of the Super Bowl has everyone abuzz. Me? I enjoyed watching Rihanna’s high-flying act. From the sounds of those who were actually in the audience, they were wowed and gratified by her performance. And now, a few days later, the complaints and criticisms are rolling in like steam engines. I always say that if artists did not create, critics would have no work to criticize.
Admittedly, I am quite a bit older than Rhianna and I do not know her songs nor have I seen her former stage acts; but honestly, I thoroughly enjoyed it. First, thankfully, she was not scantily clad, and we did not have to look at her body parts. She was well-covered and though now the baby bump has taken over social media, I perceive her as a brave, sassy, accomplished singer who sang, “We are going to own this town tonight.” And she did.
Her Michael Jackson thump caused an uproar amongst some, but it is what it is. He did it all the time, but now suddenly, there is this outrage. She certainly, “gave them something to talk about,” as Bonnie Raitt so prolifically sang in one of her songs. I re-watched it on YouTube, and I enjoyed it, again.
I watched one of her interviews that she gave prior to the performance. She was wondering how she could use the right songs from her extensive catalog and put them into a 13-minute act. She told the interviewer that she had 39 versions of the performance and was constantly tweaking it as she went along the way.
Also, she was suspended 60 feet in the air and one of the producers said that she was afraid of heights. They had been practicing daily since November, so that she could get used to being that high up in the air. Amazingly, the ground crew had eight minutes to construct the stage and secure her on the moving platforms. Thank goodness, all went off without a hitch.
Again, I did not know her music, but the lyrics to some of her songs such as, B… Better Have My Money, Only Girl in the World, Umbrella, Work and Diamonds are still playing in my head. Let us face it, art is art. To the haters, I would ask, “Where is your work?” And lastly, they are saying that she did not get paid. Well, I will close by saying that billionaire Rhianna did us a huge favor by simply being there. She is currently flooding the social media feeds and all other forms of media!
Lynn M.
February 16, 2023
Lynn M's Thoughts & Feelings 