credit – TIME; Getty Images (8)

Rihanna is finally returning to music seven years after the release of her last album. ANTI. Since then she has been involved in many different ventures including her hugely successful makeup brand, fifty beautya skin care line called Fenty skina lingerie and fashion brand, Savage X Fenty, and to be the mother of a little boy on top of that. The 34-year-old mogul has had her hands full, but now she’s marking her return to music by taking to the biggest stage on earth: the Super Bowl Halftime Show.

Rihanna’s official return to music came with the release of Marvel’s Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, for which she contributed two songs to the soundtrack, “Lift Me Up” and “Born Again”. The former received both a Golden Globe and Academy Award nominations for Best Original Song.

The announcement that Rihanna would perform at this year’s game came a few years after she refused to perform at the halftime show in 2019, as a show of solidarity with Colin Kaepernick, who in 2016 began kneeling during the national anthem as a form of protest against racial injustice and police brutality. “I wouldn’t dare. What for?” she said Fashion 2019: “Who benefits? Not my people. I just couldn’t be a sell out. I could not be an enabler. There are things within this organization that I do not agree with at all and I had no intention of serving them in any way.”

However, she is now just days away from appearing in the coveted spot, and many fans are hoping that more new music and possibly a tour will soon follow. As we look forward to the show, two TIME writers look back at Rihanna’s best live performances and rank the top 10 in descending order.

10th BRIT Awards, 2016 – “Consideration” and “Work” with SZA and Drake

The long-standing chemistry between Rihanna and Drake was on full display during her performance at the 2016 BRIT Awards, where she opened up a magnetic show with a rendition of “Consideration,” along with a sweet cameo from SZA, who wasn’t just featured in the song was on view, but co-written. The real action came later, however, when Rihanna began a sultry rendition of “Work,” her all-white fringed ensemble glowing under the stage’s soft pink and blue lights in homage to the graphic of the song’s music video. Adding to the heat of the performance was a surprise performance from Drake, who managed to deliver his verses on the track without getting distracted – quite a feat considering Rihanna danced at him the entire time, much to the delight of the audience.

9. Saturday night live2015 – “Bitch Better Have My Money”

Rihanna’s 2015 performance of “Bitch Better Have My Money” continues on her fifth performance Saturday night live had the production level of a sketch on the show, thanks to its impressive and eclectic set design, which featured a moving car (complete with a woman being held hostage in the back seat) and a true story of its own. She began the performance in her “car,” following the song’s narration as portrayed in its memorable music video, before entering a choreographed routine with her backup dancers and finally indulging in enthusiastic air guitar with her band SNL Performance that went beyond the program’s usual stripped-down offerings.

8th. MTV Video Music Awards, 2012 – “Cockiness” and “We Found Love”

Rihanna and boyfriend A$AP Rocky have been linked for years, but they first sparked romance rumors during Rihanna’s performance at the 2012 MTV Video Music Awards, where she performed “Cockiness,” an interlude from her 2011 album speak this conversation. The song had just been remixed with one of the year’s most popular rappers – A$AP Rocky. The two became very close on stage and seemed comfortable after he surprised the crowd by joining the performance. After showing off their flirty chemistry, Rihanna took the stage back to perform her dance/EDM hit “We Found Love” with Calvin Harris in an on-site DJ booth. Rihanna’s choreography and vocals stayed on par as she sang and danced through the energetic performance.

7th MTV Video Music Awards, 2016 – “Work”, “Rude Boy” and “What’s My Name”

While many people remember the 2016 MTV VMAs as the event where Rihanna memorably rebuffed Drake while presenting her with the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award, it’s worth noting the four energetic performances she gave that evening in honor of her lifetime achievement to revisit – all with different themes and costume changes. One of the most captivating moments of the night was her dancehall-inspired performance, where she, dressed in fishnets and durag, performed a medley of “Work”, “Rudeboy” and “What’s My Name” mixed with reggae beats and the Beenie Man -Classic “Who Am I”. The performance was an apparent homage to her Caribbean roots, a cultural thread running through her discography, and featured choreography that fittingly felt more like a night at a dance hall than a rehearsed routine.

6. Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show, 2012 – “Diamonds” and “Phresh Out the Runway”

Ahead of the release of their seventh studio album unapologetically, Rihanna was tapped to appear at the 2012 Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show — an annual event whose decline has coincided with the rise of Rihanna’s own annual Savage X Fenty shows, which feature a variety of models. The 2012 show featured high quality musical performances as the supermodels strutted the runways. Although event organizers knew Rihanna would give an electrifying performance, they might not have expected her to outshine the models. In her first performance, she sang “Diamonds” and immediately took control of the stage as the gates opened and the Victoria’s Secret angels fluttered around her. Returning for the final performance of the night, Rihanna performed a new song aptly named “Phresh Out The Runway.” As the song ends and the last model exits, she takes the opportunity to strut down the runway while making direct eye contact with the camera that exudes swagger and confidence.

5. Diamond Ball, 2014 – “Pour It Up” (orchestral version)

The Diamond Ball is a star-studded event that Rihanna hosted every year with her Clara Lionel Foundation prior to the pandemic. At the inaugural Diamond Ball in 2014, Rihanna was introduced by Brad Pitt before taking the stage to perform “Pour It Up.” But this version was unlike any other she had done in the past. There is no official video of her performance, so the best version is from a participant’s cell phone video. Instead of the booming bass, clapping, and persistent hi-hats, she swaps out the backing track for a full live orchestra with a conductor and a drummer for an epic rendition of the strippers’ anthem.

4. Closing Ceremony of the Paralympic Games in London, 2012 – “Princess of China” with Coldplay/ “We Found Love”/ and “Run This Town”

In her nearly two-decade career, Rihanna has worked with the world’s biggest stars, from Jay-Z, Calvin Harris and Pharrell Williams to Drake and Coldplay. On their 2011 album Mylo Xyloto, the latter band hired the bayan singer’s wild vocals for the track “Princess of China”. In September 2012, Coldplay, Rihanna and Jay-Z reunited in London to perform at the Paralympic Games Closing Ceremony. Rihanna begins the performance with a theatrical performance. She dons a fire engine red ensemble as she sails across the field on a weathered ship before meeting Chris Martin and the band on stage. She then puts on a sensual performance with the frontman as they sing and caress each other. The song ends and she is lifted out of the air while singing a piano version of her hit “We Found Love,” a Calvin Harris collaboration, before the full EDM beat drops. The stadium erupts into a euphoric dance club as the song reaches its climax.

3. AOL Sessions, 2010 – “Russian Roulette”

In 2010, Rihanna’s public role changed. She spoke openly about the abuse she experienced at the hands of her ex-boyfriend, Chris Brown. Her musical direction shifted from fun, frilly to pop girl Good girl gone bad to the darker, gloomier Rated R. This album explores themes of anger, hurt and pain through songs like “Stupid in Love” and “Cold Case Love”. During the album promotion cycle for Rated R, Rihanna, then 22, appeared at the “AOL Sessions” to give a stellar performance of her emotional single “Russian Roulette.” In addition to outstanding singing, she shows a sovereign stage presence, which should only improve in the following years.

2. Rock in Rio, 2015 – “Unfaithful”, “Love the Way You Lie” and “Take a Bow”

Rihanna is no stranger to delivering an energetic performance with choreography and vocals, but her ballads show the true power of her voice. Her voice is simply captivating when she’s on the mic and giving it all she’s got, as evidenced by her 2015 headlining performance at Rock in Rio. She asked the crowd, “Do you like my slow shit?” before delivering a medley of stripped down versions of her ballads, beginning with “Unfaithful.” She sings the chorus with enthusiasm and ease, seamlessly transitioning into “Love the Way You Lie” and singing a condensed version before ending with “Take a Bow,” where she adds a few runs and doesn’t miss a single note. This performance is an excellent example of her mastery of a medley and her ability to entertain the audience even when she slows things down.

1. Billboard Music Awards, 2016 – “Love in the Brain”

Ask any member of the Navy, Rihanna’s militantly loyal fanbase, what live performance encapsulates the essence of the superstar, and they’ll lead you to her stunning, passionate rendition of the ballad “Love on the Brain” at the 2016 Billboard Music Awards. Bathed in green lights on an atmospheric, minimalist and slightly post-apocalyptic stage, she delivered powerful vocals while clad in a green fur stole and matching sunglasses, making for a musical (and visual) moment that stole the show and this Just like the song, when it comes to Rihanna, we just can’t get enough.

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