Rihanna just performed a full concert for the first time in years, but fans don't seem to think that it was worth the wait. The mogul hasn’t performed much since she stopped releasing new music in 2018, instead choosing to focus on her business endeavors. More recently, that focus has turned to being a mom to her two kids with boyfriend ASAP Rocky. The couple welcomed sons Rza and Riot in 2022 and 2023, respectively. But over the weekend, the singer took a break from momming and performed at the pre-wedding festivities for an Indian billionaire, and based on the videos of the performance that are circulating, it may not have lived up to the hype.
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Rihanna hasn't performed live in over six years.
Rihanna performed at the pre-wedding bash for Indian billionaire heir Anant Ambani and his bride-to-be, Radhika Merchant, in Jamnagar, India. According to the Daily Mail, Anant’s father, Mukesh Ambani, paid the singer $6.3 million to perform at the party. This was the first full concert she’s performed in eight years, and the set list included a whopping 19 of her biggest hits.
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Fans didn't think her heart was in her performance.
While Rihanna only took the stage for those invited to the party, naturally, people took videos of the show, and the videos began to circulate. Many of her fans have been eager to see her return to the stage, and they had a lot to say about it.
"I adore Rihanna, but sloppiness was the main issue with the performance in India," one tweet read. "That's just a lack of rehearsal. Baby girl's heart wasn't in it, and that's fine. Pisces queens don't go full out for stuff they don't care about."
Some people think her having kids affected her ability to perform.
Some users were quick to come to Rihanna’s defense, pointing out that she has two young children at home. She gave birth to her first son RZA in May 2022, and during her performance at the 2023 Super Bowl Halftime Show, Rihanna revealed that she was pregnant again. Son Riot Rose was born in August 2023.
"Rihanna literally look like a lady who recently gave birth," one X user commented. "I recommend YALL go f—ing run marathons after u push out a baby."
Another wrote: "Rihanna is 36 and popped 2 kids back to back. Did yall think she was gone be in peak performance shape?"
"She just had 2 kids back to back and she doesn’t care about music," someone else tweeted. "I think our hopes for that old Rihanna is over."
Still, they think she should have looked more invested.
Regardless, fans still believe that she should have stepped up her game, especially given the rumored fee she received.
"Pissed because she was paid millions for this performance and she is giving such 'damn here you go' energy," one person wrote. "She looks so beautiful but it’s not giving rehearsed for very long or really that invested in giving a professional well thought out performance."
Rihanna doesn't really need to perform anymore.
But some people swear that the India performance is just who Rihanna is as a performer. Others simply hadn’t noticed before.
"I’ve always said she’s an incredibly lazy performer … she never took the time to improve her performances," one person claimed.
"Rihanna has always performed like this," another chimed in. "Not at the start of her career but quickly after. She performed in front of all their biggest stars & is giving low energy & singing here & there."
