Rihanna’s highly anticipated return to the stage has fans taking trips down memory lane.
Historic Numbers
The nostalgia during the Super Bowl LVII sparked the superstar’s streams on Spotify in the U.S. to skyrocket in just one day after her halftime performance, according to Spotify News.
Her opening song, “B*tch Better Have My Money,” saw a spike of 2,600 percent in streams, according to the company’s stats. Other tracks that were performed that saw record-breaking upticks in listeners on the streaming service are as follows:
- “Rude Boy” – 1,170 percent increase
- “We Found Love” – 1,160 percent increase
What’s more, the show’s closer, “Diamonds,” increased by more than 1,400 percent in streams.
Rihanna Fans Are Still Streaming Her Hits
Prior to the Super Bowl, her eighth studio album “ANTI” re-entered the Billboard 200 album charts as fans went into preparation for the halftime show.
.@rihanna's 'ANTI' returns to the top 100 on this week's Billboard 200.
— chart data (@chartdata) January 26, 2023
Now, they’re running back songs performed during her 13-minute set.
Her Inspiration
During a press conference ahead of Sunday night’s event, the Barbados native opened up about what inspired her return in the first place.
“I’m three months postpartum, like, should I be making major decisions like this now?’ Like, I might regret this,” said Rihanna when asked about her decision to hit the big stage, per TIME. “But when you become a mom, there’s something that just happens where you feel like you could take on the world, you could do anything.”
Rihanna's Big Night
When looking ahead to her performance, Rihanna’s goal was to just enjoy herself.
“I just want to play,” she told Apple Music host Nadeska Alexis. “I want to have fun. I want to have fun with the music.”
Not only did Rihanna do just that, but the performance came equipped with a baby reveal. Additionally, there was a surprise appearance from her first baby, FENTY Beauty. At one point during the show, she paused to touch up her makeup after one of her dancers pulled out a compact mirror from her legendary beauty line.
And while there’s no word on if there will be new music from the “Wild Thoughts” crooner, it looks like she has no plans of letting up when it comes to continuing her legacy whether it’s through business endeavors or her children.