Every year, the Super Bowl features a hit musician in its halftime show to draw interest and boost its viewership. Anticipation for another Rihanna performance built up for the past five years, as the last time she performed live was at the 2018 Grammys. Naturally, fans were euphoric to see her back on the stage when it was announced she would be performing in this year’s halftime show.

However, fans’ excitement about Rihanna’s big comeback was short-lived when her energy and interest were clearly lacking throughout her performance. For a while now, Rihanna has achieved everything she could with her music career by winning nine Grammys and having 14 songs go No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. She is still recognized as one of the top female artists despite having not released new music for seven years; however, with Rihanna becoming a full-time business owner through her makeup brand Fenty Beauty,  it is clear she is more focused on being a mom, and this performance solidified her detachment from music. 

Her halftime show was a severe letdown. The performance’s concept was good, with the platforms rising and going down, but throughout it, Rihanna was surrounded by dancers dancing their hearts out while she was in the center seemingly marking the steps. You might expect this type of performance for some random award show — not the Super Bowl. 

Except for a homage to Fenty during her performance, nothing else was memorable until after the show when Rihanna announced her second pregnancy. When you think about it, Rihanna’s baby is probably the youngest person to ever perform at a Super Bowl Halftime Show. The knowledge of her pregnancy turned an otherwise mediocre performance into an impressive feat, and it explained why her movement seemed restricted throughout her performance. Knowing she’s pregnant, she killed it, being suspended in the air on a platform and completing a 13-minute set.

When Rihanna announced she would perform at the halftime show, fans and viewers were thrilled since she arguably has one of the perfect music catalogs for a show like this, as most of her hits are crowd pleasers and songs most people can dance to. It’s obvious she’s a legend when she had to skip some of her hits, including “Pon de Replay” or “Don’t Stop The Music.” Rihanna’s performance was more of a homage to the fans, reminding them of all of the hits she has given them over the years. But unfortunately, unlike what fans expected, this performance showed Rihanna is focused on starting a family, at least until her baby is born.