Whether you’re grieving the Philadelphia Eagles’ loss or celebrating with the Kansas City Chiefs, Super Bowl LVII was filled with memorable moments. Football fans gathered in Glendale, Arizona, to witness the 57th annual Super Bowl. While Jalen Hurts and Patrick Mahones made history as the first Black quarterbacks to play against each other in a Super Bowl, the 2023 game featured other iconic, non-football-related moments.
Rihanna performs at Super Bowl LVII. (Photo Credit: Kevin Mazur)
To kick things off, Sheryl Lee Ralph opened the Super Bowl LVII Pregame with a performance of the Black national anthem, “Lift Every Voice and Sing.” With her vocals and wardrobe, the “Abbott Elementary” star honored Black culture on the Glendale, Arizona, field. Styled by her daughter, Ivy Coco, Ralph rocked a custom red jumpsuit by Black luxury designer Charles Harbison. The pregame show also featured R&B legend Babyface, who performed “America the Beautiful” in a classic matte black suit detailed with a monochromatic floral lapel.
Each year, fans anticipate who will headline the Super Bowl’s halftime show. This year, fans tuned in at the half for Rihanna’s first live performance in seven years, produced by Apple Music. Given her extensive catalog, her 13-minute performance did not disappoint. From the stage design to the costumes, the Barbados native gave us a performance to remember, serving a medley of her hit songs and revealing her new baby bump.
Making history as the first pregnant performer during the Super Bowl, the star commanded attention in an all-red ensemble styled by Jahleel Weaver. The star’s look included a monochromatic red jumpsuit with a glossy red bustier breastplate by Loewe. The look was paired with a long red leather puffer coat custom designed by Pieter Mulier of Alaïa, which was widely believed to be an homage to her friend and late fashion icon, André Leon Talley.
As the superstar performed while suspended 15 to 60 feet above the field, her backup dancers sported Savage x Fenty sports bras, tanks, and boxers made in a custom cream color for the performance. Similarly, in true mogul fashion, Rihanna’s Fenty Beauty made a guest appearance during her comeback performance. In addition to rocking a full face of Fenty beauty products, the star introduced two new products during her performance — the Fenty Icon Velvet Liquid Lipstick in the aptly named color “MVP” and her ‘Invisimatte Instant Setting + Blotting powder.
Sheryl Lee Ralph also wore Black-owned beauty brands for the big event. Makeup artist Mila Thomas used Fashion Fair cosmetics for much of Ralph’s glam, while her dramatic eye look was created with products from Danessa Myricks Beauty.
“I wanted to create an eye that was both luxurious and dramatic using smokey shades of black and gold,” said Thomas in a statement, noting the look was “inspired by the gold accents on Sheryl’s red performance suit.”
As previously reported by theGrio, Rihanna shared how anxious she was about the performance during an Apple Music media preview event.
“When you become a mom, there’s something that just happens where you feel like you can take on the world, you can do anything,” said Rihanna. “The Super Bowl is one of the biggest stages of the world. As scary as that was because I hadn’t been on stage in seven years, there’s something exhilarating about the challenge of it all. […] At the end of the day, if it flops or it flies, my name has to stand by that.”
After seeing Sunday’s jam-packed show, it’s safe to say Rihanna’s performance flew — literally.
Corrected: Monday, February 13 at 7:15 p.m. ET: An earlier version of this article referenced Sheryl Lee Ralph as wearing Fenty products for her Super Bowl performance. Both an Instagram post by makeup artist Mila Thomas and a press release clarified that Ralph’s look was created using Danessa Myricks Beauty and Fashion Fair; the article has been amended to reflect this.
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