Who performed at the Super Bowl in 2023? Looking back on Rihanna's epic halftime show

One year ago today, Super Bowl 2023 came to State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, where Rihanna made her entrance on a floating platform high above the field, rocking a stylish red jumpsuit and matching latex bustier while singing a snippet of “What’s My Name” as a lead-in to “Bitch Better Have My Money,” flanked by dancers dressed in white on floating platforms of their own.

All while noticeably pregnant with her second child.

As birth announcements go, it was a visually stunning futuristic spectacle.

Usher's Super Bowl 2024 halftime show: Here's the setlist and everyone who performed with him

Like Usher, Rihanna said the challenge was cramming it all in

At a press conference in downtown Phoenix days before she took the world’s biggest stage as the star of the Super Bowl 2023 halftime show, Rihanna said the biggest challenge was "trying to cram 17 years of work into 13 minutes.”

This year, Usher said his biggest challenge was trying to squeeze 30 years into a 13-minute show.

Imagine how McCartney felt.

Rihanna made it look easy though, seamlessly working her way through a dizzying celebration of her catalog that put the focus squarely on her must iconic hits, from “Umbrella” to “Work" and "We Found Love."

Unlike Usher, Rihanna had no special guests (or roller skates)

Unlike this year's halftime hero, Usher, whose Vegas-worthy spectacle was packed with special guests from Ludacris and Lil Jon to H.E.R., Alicia Keys and will.i.am, Rihanna had no special guests and got along just fine without them.

The choreography was dazzling, the field overflowing with dancers as Rihanna put them through the paces of a fast-moving medley of hits that made its way through such classics as “Where Have You Been,” “Only Girl (In the World)” and “We Found Love.”

It ended with Rihanna floating through the State Farm Stadium roof

It all built to a fireworks-laden finale that felt like it peaked on “Umbrella” until she segued into “Diamonds” as her floating platform took her back up to the open roof of State Farm Stadium, the brightest diamond in the Arizona sky.

Rihanna's Super Bowl 2023 setlist

• "Bitch Better Have My Money"

• "Where Have You Been"

• "Only Girl (In the World)"

• "We Found Love"

• "Rude Boy"

• "Work"

• "Wild Thoughts"

• "Pour It Up"

• "All of the Lights"

• "Run This Town"

• "Umbrella"

• "Diamonds"

Everyone who performed at Super Bowl 2023

Super Bowl 2023 had other notable musical performers. Country superstar Chris Stapleton sang the national anthem. His rendition had a Philadelphia Eagles coach in tears.

Arizona native Troy Kotsur, who won a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for "Coda," performed the national anthem in American Sign Language.

Emmy-winning actress Sheryl Lee Ralph performed “Lift Every Voice and Sing," the Black national anthem. Justina Miles signed “Lift Every Voice and Sing."

Twelve-time Grammy winner Babyface sang “America the Beautiful.”  And Colin Denny, a deaf member of the Navajo Nation in Arizona, signed “America the Beautiful.”

Reach the reporter at ed.masley@arizonarepublic.com or 602-444-4495. Follow him on Twitter @EdMasley.

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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Best Super Bowl halftime shows: When Rihanna played Glendale AZ