Everyone has a different conception of what a good Super Bowl Halftime Show should be. For some, it is flashy staging, high-energy performances, highly produced, with impressive vocals and a strong ability to command an excited crowd. For others, it is a little more flexible. Perhaps the artist can follow a different path, or be chosen from a non-traditional genre.

Rihanna’s performance felt like it had the potential to disappoint both crowds. It was not quite at the same caliber as past halftime performances in terms of production and her vocals did not use either extreme of her impressive vocal range. For those with a more flexible view on the show, Rihanna’s music and songs did not do anything particularly unique.

When I reviewed the last Halftime Show, though the genre of music was not my preferred genre, I still saw immense artistic value in the performance for those who appreciated it. 

Hip-hop has a lot to say and is a great medium for activism, storytelling and art in all of its complexities. Rihanna’s style of music is not my cup of tea either and in addition, I did not see a lot of artistic value in this performance. Most of these lyrics felt mediocre and beyond that, I struggled to understand them due to the poor acoustics.

I always sympathize with performers in stadiums because the acoustics are genuinely terrible. Stadiums such as these are not designed with music in mind, but with the goal of packing as many people as possible into the stands. Echoes abound and timing can be thrown off terribly. Earpieces are of course helpful, but can not possibly replace really being able to hear yourself sing. Thus, I was not incredibly surprised to not see Rihanna attempt any crazy riffs or incredible high notes. I was, however, surprised to hear that most of her notes were slightly flat, which bothered me throughout. It cannot be ignored that Rihanna did a halftime performance while pregnant. This is enormously impressive and I give her immense amounts of credit for doing it. Watching her on platforms and dancing impressively while pregnant was a feat I will not soon forget and it amazes me to see women do incredible things such as this. This could potentially play into why she was unable to access her full range. Singing is a craft that requires a lot of fine-tuning and pregnancy could feasibly affect her technique immensely. Nonetheless, I was excited to hear a few notes on the lower end of her range, a talent which receives significantly less attention than the opposite feat. 

I appreciated Rihanna’s outfit a lot. It did not attempt to cover her pregnancy, but rather embraced her for the way she looks naturally and the color was stunning. This is not something often seen. Her hair and makeup were impressive as well, but I cannot say I was a fan of her PR stunt to advertise her own brand during the show, this felt tacky.

The entire show felt somewhat underwhelming to me, but that is perhaps because I am used to a lot more. I actually appreciated the mostly laid back performance that was given. I do not think that something needs to be expensive or visually complex to be satisfying. The minimalist stage and maneuvering platforms worked well and made great use of the space available in a stadium. The camerawork impressed me as well.

I liked the laid back performance this year and I hope this becomes a trend in future years. This element was quite encouraging to me because I believe corporate America believes everything needs to be big and flashy to be successful. This type of performance holds so much potential; I just wish that it had not fallen so flat in terms of the actual vocals. Sadly, I do not see this performance holding up or being memorable at all.

Image from Associated Press via ABC News