---
title: "Rihanna lights up Super Bowl stage with 'Diamonds'"
description: "Feb 12 (Reuters) - Pop and R&B superstar Rihanna made a grand return to the stage on Sunday, floating on a platform high above the Super Bowl field and performing hits from \"Umbrella\" to \"Diamonds.\""
type: "NewsArticle"
publisher: "Daily Maverick"
site: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za"
section: "Newsdeck"
author: "Reuters"
author_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/author/reuters/"
canonical_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2023-02-13-rihanna-lights-up-super-bowl-stage-with-diamonds/"
published: "2023-02-13T04:55:34"
lang: "en-ZA"
word_count: 154
---

# Rihanna lights up Super Bowl stage with 'Diamonds'

> Feb 12 (Reuters) - Pop and R&B superstar Rihanna made a grand return to the stage on Sunday, floating on a platform high above the Super Bowl field and performing hits from "Umbrella" to "Diamonds."

By Reuters · Published 13 February 2023, 06:55 SAST

## Key points
- Rihanna returned to the stage for her first performance in five years, as part of the pre-game show at the 2021 Super Bowl. She was joined by dancers dressed in white, while Chris Stapleton sang the U.S. national anthem and Troy Kotsur performed it in American Sign Language. Sheryl Lee Ralph also sang "Lift Every Voice and Sing," accompanied by a choir. The spectacle is estimated to have been viewed by over 100 million people around the world, making it one of music's biggest showcases.
- Rihanna made her first stage performance in five years at the Super Bowl in Glendale, Arizona.
- Chris Stapleton and Troy Kotsur performed the US national anthem, while Sheryl Lee Ralph sang "Lift Every Voice and Sing".
- The Super Bowl is the music industry's premiere showcase, with top performers including Lady Gaga, Beyonce and Prince.
- The telecast usually draws around 100 million viewers in the US alone.

## Content

By Lisa Richwine

Dressed in a hot pink jumpsuit, Rihanna sang as the platform gradually lowered to the ground at the stadium in Glendale, Arizona. She was surrounded by dozens of dancers dressed in white.

It was the 34-year-old Grammy winner's first stage performance in five years. Her last album, "Anti," was released in 2016.

The Super Bowl is the music industry's premiere showcase and has featured top performers including Lady Gaga, Beyonce, Prince, Madonna and the Rolling Stones. The telecast usually draws around 100 million viewers in the United States alone.

In the pre-game ceremony, country star Chris Stapleton sang the U.S. national anthem while Oscar-winning "CODA" star Troy Kotsur performed the song in American Sign Language.

Emmy-winning "Abbott Elementary" star Sheryl Lee Ralph sang "Lift Every Voice and Sing," a hymn that has become known as the Black national anthem, accompanied by a choir.

(Reporting by Lisa Richwine; Editing by Christian Schmollinger)