Rihanna has heard the chatter about how it’s been over six years since she released a record, and she wants y’all to hush.
That’s the gist of a teaser that dropped Friday morning promoting the nine-time Grammy winner and fashion mogul’s reemergence on the music scene, on arguably the most visible stage there is: The Super Bowl halftime show.
The spot opens on a black set, split with a single catwalk made of light. Overlapping voices tout that it’s been a while since we’ve gotten a record from the billionaire Barbadian superstar — “It’s been 2,190 days,” in fact, according to one voice.
“The last album we got from Rihanna was Anti in 2016,” another gripes. “RiRi where have you been?” shouts another, as Rihanna strides towards the camera, fluffing a shaggy chartreuse coat over a dramatic, low-cut pantsuit outfit and high heels, complimented with silver, double hoop earrings and a matching necklace decorated with crosses. Her hair is done up in tendril-like braids, and her eyes framed by shimmery blue eye shadow.
As the voices reach a cacophonous crescendo, the “catwalk” turns into a spotlight, revealing her completely. Rihanna then slowly raises her finger to her lips to say “shh,” as we hear a short snippet of her hit, “Needed Me.”
The screen then goes black, with a legend reading “Super Bowl LVII Halftime Show,” and the logo of its first-time sponsor, Apple Music.
The Super Bowl halftime show at will take place at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, on February 12.
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