From Where We Are

Rihanna’s Super Bowl comeback excites students

Breaking news: A football game will open and close for a Rihanna concert in early February.

A photo of Rihanna staring into the camera.

Rihanna's last solo album was released in 2016. (Photo courtesy of Budiey)

By Matthew Tsai and Tyler Pak

Matthew Tsai grabs students’ opinions on Rihanna performing at Super Bowl LVII, which will be her first live performance in five years.

She’s a fashion icon. She’s a nonprofit founder. She’s a national hero of Barbados. But more, importantly, she’s headlining the Super Bowl LVII Halftime Show.

That’s right, Rihanna is back on stage to sing for the first time since the 2018 Grammys, and Twitter is losing its mind. And so are USC students.

Micaela De La Vega: It is about time that Rihanna gets back into music. And ever since she stopped making music, I’ve just been waiting for her next album or performance. I would actually tune into Super Bowl even though I’m not a football fan just because of her.

Her most recent solo album was released in January 2016. Since then, Rihanna has become the wealthiest female musician in the world, had a son with ASAP Rocky, and expanded her ever-growing Fenty Cosmetics and fashion empire.

Rihanna has teased her ninth solo album for years. Now, there’s memes galore circulating the Internet, joking that she might savagely leave her fans unsatisfied yet again.

Donald Wald: I think it’s cool. I mean, everybody loves Riri. There’s rumors that she’s gonna pop up, then do an ad for her fashion line, and that’s it. I’d be disappointed cuz I need me some “Disturbia.”

Rihanna will take the stage February 12, 2023, in Glendale, Arizona, at Super Bowl LVII.