In a world full of pop superstars, it's not easy to find one so unencumbered by expectations that she could make the most of a Super Bowl halftime show without ever losing sight of her own stage persona. Last night, however, Rihanna made it happen with ease.
The singer's music has long been associated with Caribbean-inspired club hits, but her halftime performance was a more laid-back affair than you might have expected. Throughout the performance, she stood atop a series of suspended LED-lit platforms, barely bobbing in her red coveralls as a band of dancers performed gymnastic routines around her.
Besides her over-the-top dance hits, Rihanna has also made it a point to explore less obvious sides of her personality. For example, in her latest song, "We Found Love," the singer reworked an old-school love ballad into a bluesy, jazzy track that sounds a bit like British soul singer Duffy's work.
Another example is her video for the track, which has prompted an uproar from advocacy groups who say that she's encouraging violence against women. The clip features a character who's shot and killed a man after he sexually assaulted her, but Rihanna says she doesn't condone such acts.
As she has done in the past, Rihanna is now promoting the #MeToo movement and encouraging women to speak up about their experiences of abuse. She's also sharing her own story of how she was abused by former boyfriend Chris Brown.
