Rihanna‘s long-awaited return to the musical stage at Sunday’s Super Bowl LVII (February 12) is still the talk of the Web.
Cranking out her greatest hits like ‘Work,’ ‘We Found Love,’ ‘Diamonds,’ and more, the GRAMMY-winning diva dominated newsfeeds for the high-octane showing that was only outshone by the unveiling of her baby bump – confirming rumors she was pregnant with her second child.
And while fans and her celebrity peers took to social media in droves to sing her praises, names like Donald Trump and Howard Stern made headlines for doing the exact opposite.
After the former branded the 13-minute set the “worst halftime show in Super Bowl history,” the latter wondered why she even bothered to perform in the first place.
More inside.
A Rihanna cantando diamonds em cima de uma plataforma flutuante arrepia até a alma pic.twitter.com/grMaGbzz4f
— mai. 🕸️ (@maitholland) February 14, 2023
Taking to the air on his SiriusXM show Monday morning (February 13), Stern blasted the Pop star by claiming she had lip-synched “85 percent” of her performance.
“You know, I don’t even know why she bothered showing up. I gotta tell you. I love Rihanna’s voice. I think it’s a wonderful voice,” he said in response to a caller who asked if he thought she’d lip-synced her halftime show.
Continuing, Howard lauded the ‘Loud‘ songstress for her musical interpretation but was still skeptical about her live singing.
“I love how she interprets a song and every song they played there behind her was terrific. There was one point where she was singing toward the end of the performance when she actually was on the stage with the band — she was singing whatever song that was. But I would say now, again, I could be wrong, but I — in my opinion, 85 percent of that was lip-sync,” he shared.
Concluding his halftime show assessment, Stern – in typical fashion – ended with a crass joke.
“Well, the big giveaway — the big giveaway might be when she puts the microphone down by her knees and her lips aren’t moving. And the other voices are going,” he said before continuing, “I had a theory Rihanna was not lip syncing, but she put the microphone near her vagina so the new baby could sing. The baby was singing backup.”
At writing, Rih hasn’t responded to the shock jock’s criticism.
Rihanna’s a billionaire, ur just some old ass washed up p*** that nobody even remembers the reason why ur famous. BYE
I’m sorry but she sang most of the performance people are tripping and dumb. They love to hate on rihanna, but she keeps on winning.
Love rih but She was defiantly lipping
She was lipping to a pre recorded vocal. She was so lazy that she dropped her mic several times while
The track was still playing LOL. She sounds terrible in an arena imagine how she would sound singing live in a stadium. Yikes disaster alert!
Rihanna was lip-sync, deal with it! She wasn’t even dancing hard and still lip-sync… smh. This is the worst super bowl halftime show besides black eyed peas and maroon 5💅🏾
OMFG, guess Stern has to play to his audience of old folks who think Crosby, Stills & Nash or Aerosmith would be fitting halftime entertainment…
LOL!
All these GROWN MEN are talkin’ more about Rihanna’s singing, dancing & wardrobe than the actual Football game.
I see Lil’ Nas X ain’t t the only Queen around….
And she wasn’t even lip-syncing SMDH
Next year get a white artist to do it and see what them ratings look like. Anyone outside of Taylor swift will be boring and dry. Or add a black rapper like Katy Perry did. 🙄 anywho, Rihanna saved the whole damn event. Black artists are the big viewer draws. Even if she did lip sync, she ain’t the first and won’t be the last.
I was defending Rihanna as well saying, she didn’t lip sing at all. I was defending her against one of the fam, LGBT family. I do believed powered by Apple Music is one reason she had higher views than the game. Apple Music does more sense for representation than Pepsi. I like the commercials for Rihanna performance and the sit down that was premiered on Apple Music. I believe Apple Music reach more people
Yesss drag that lazy ashy pregnant h o e💅🏾 Comparing to Gaga, katy perry, Shakira & JLo’s performances, Rihanna ain’t s h I t
People are mean
That’s why the performance felt so lazy. She wasn’t singing AND her dancing was horrible. Howard is right she could have stayed at home.
It’s the first time I’ve ever become AWARE an artist was lip-syncing at Super Bowl because I saw it with my own eyes 👀
Perhaps others have done it discreetly in the past – especially coming out of heavy choreo or to avoid missing notes that are challenging with everything else you have to contend with – but with Rihanna it was so blatant 🙄
And blah-blah-blah she sang over a backing track of pre-recorded vocals – but when the mic is nowhere near your mouth and the vocal continues as if it is – it’s sloppy showmanship 🤷🏾♂️
At least MAINTAIN the illusion for our sake damit.
She needs to ditch music after this baby or COME HARDER.
🙅🏾♂️