Rihanna Reveals She Studied Beyonce’s Performance to Prepare for Super Bowl Halftime Show

We love to see legends taking inspiration from other icons.
Rihanna performed onstage during the Apple Music Super Bowl LVII Halftime Show.

Rihanna performed onstage during the Apple Music Super Bowl LVII Halftime Show.


Rihanna delivered a fabulous performance at Sunday night’s Super Bowl halftime show. It’s no surprise that she prepared by watching Beyoncé’s previous performance at the Big Game.

On an episode of The Process with Nate Burleson, the 34-year-old said she studied the “Drunk In Love” singer’s 2013 solo halftime show act as well as her 2016 performance alongside Bruno Mars and headliner Coldplay.

The “Work” singer also sneakily revealed on the podcast that there would be a surprise guest involved in her set, which we now know is the baby she’s expecting with A$AP Rocky. The couple welcomed their first son together in May.

In an Apple Music press conference ahead of Sunday’s game, Rihanna said she was so focused on perfecting her set that she “totally forgot” about her upcoming birthday and Valentine’s Day. The Fenty Beauty founder turns 35 on Feb. 20. 

During her set, the “Lift Me Up” singer performed a medley of her greatest hits, including “Only Girl in the World,” “We Found Love,” “Rude Boy,” “Umbrella” and “Diamonds.”

“That was the hardest, hardest part: deciding how to maximize 13 minutes but also celebrate,” she said about struggling to create her setlist. “That’s what this show is gonna be. It’s gonna be a celebration of my catalog in the best way that we could’ve put it together. You’re trying to cram 17 years of work. Some songs we have to lose because of that, and that’s gonna be O.K., but I think we did a pretty good job of narrowing it down.”

Rihanna added that she went through 39 versions of her potential set list before settling on the iconic 12 songs that she delivered on Feb. 12.

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Ananya Panchal
ANANYA PANCHAL

Ananya Panchal is a writer on the Lifestyle and Trending News team for SI Swimsuit, where she covers fashion, beauty, pop culture and the internet’s favorite personalities and trends. She joined the brand in 2022 after roles at Bustle, the San Francisco Chronicle and the TODAY Show. Panchal loves to write about fashion in all its forms—from standout runway moments and evolving street style to the best accessories to elevate each season’s wardrobe (she rarely goes anywhere without a stack of jewelry and a coffee in hand). A self-proclaimed beauty fanatic, she’s always on the hunt for must-have products and loves breaking down viral trends. Her favorite series at the moment is spotlighting female founders and the stories behind the brands they’ve built—especially those shaping the future of fashion, wellness and tech. She is based between New York City and San Francisco and, when she’s not writing, can be found rewatching One Tree Hill, playing sudoku, trying new restaurants or ranking her favorite Disney Channel Original Movies. She holds a bachelor’s degree in communications and journalism with a minor in criminal justice from Boston University.