this was a good rihanna performance, and see i said "rihanna" performance, because she is not beyonce, she is not whitney, she is not gaga, or britney or madonna. she is rihanna and she performes good enough to sell out arenas across the world, is she the best? no but no one said she was. everyone's problem is they constantly compare every artist, and people need to realize that everyone is unique you won't get the same type of performances, you are not going to see rihanna dancing like beyonce, just like you won't see beyonce giving lap dances, you won't see gaga dancing like beyonce either, but you will get a theatrical performance.

but at the end of the day, wether an artist is truly great, it is all only OPINIONS.