Rihanna Super Bowl 57 Halftime Show - A Legacy of Creation
Glitter, sparkle, chrome, fringe, billowing fabric, skin and sass did not receive an invitation to 2023’s Super Bowl halftime show. Recording artist Rihanna redefined spectacle by arranging other visual cues to express boldness, strength, confidence and yes, femininity. Shifting from sexual desire to corporal capability, Rihanna’s subtle display of her baby bump and a contoured breast plate communicated fertility goddess instead of sex goddess. Every inch of Rihanna’s body covered in loose fitting bold red coveralls, auto mechanic chic, reminds us this mechanic creates life and art simultaneously for us to witness in real time. What could be more powerful? Successfully elevating the visual language for women in power, I feel refreshed & liberated as an artist. I feel as though her performance brought the marvel of creation into the light and for the first time I feel seen in mainstream entertainment. My desire to make, as most women feel, far outweighs my desire to be desired, instead chasing a legacy of creation rather than the fading beauty of a flower and the fading superficial power that comes with it. Fine art on display for the world, dance entirely performed by men with tribal choreography communicating community rather than desire. Far too often dance presents a mating narrative, a very narrow use of a powerful creative expression. Our bodies create so much more than desire. The strong men of color covered head to toe in loose fitting white hooded jackets and face covering eye wear worked in unison as one body supporting Rihanna’s message of creation and hope. Finally removing all traces of sex from performance, except for the evolutionary reason we have it, the baby bump, Rihanna reminded the world atop a suspended stage 150 feet high to shine bright like diamonds in the sky. A performance that felt more like a plea and a reminder to us, rather than a seduction, that the world awaits the creations we all have to give. And with that I am off to my studio.
Photograph by Kevin Mazur / Roc Nation / Getty / The New Yorker