Rihanna gives first concert in 8 years (and divides opinions)
The artist received more than five million euros to perform 19 themes at a wedding in India.
Rihanna’s return to the music industry is one of the most anticipated in recent times. The artist’s most recent album, “Anti”, was released in 2016. The last time she gave a full-length concert was that same year — despite having given an approximately 14-minute show in 2023, at the Super Bowl.
This long pause was broken on Friday, March 1st. The 36-year-old artist (who also has a cosmetics brand called Fenty) performed at the wedding of Anant Ambani, the youngest son of Mukesh Ambani, director of Reliance Industries Limited (a company that operates in different sectors, from telecommunications and energy entertainment and textiles).
Mukesh is the richest person on the Asian continent. According to “Forbes”, his fortune is valued at around 103 billion euros.
At the concert that took place in Jamnagar, India, the singer performed 19 songs, including hits such as “We Found Love”, “Work”, “Diamonds”, “Rude Boy” and “Bitch Better Have My Money”.
Several media outlets in the United States reported that the singer received approximately 5.53 million euros for the show. Despite being a long-awaited return, few were able to see it. Fortunately, several videos of the performance were shared on social media (and opinions are divided).
???? Rihanna performing “Diamonds” at a billionaire wedding in India. pic.twitter.com/yEg3RKh9yE
— PAN (@forumpandlr) March 1, 2024
Some viewers describe his performance as “weak”. “It’s clear that Rihanna never liked making music. Proof of this is that she was never involved in any of the process of creating the things she sang. She never produced or composed. She just likes the money”, commented a user on X (formerly Twitter).
On the other hand, there are those who loved RiRi’s performance, as she is also known. “Rihanna’s performance of ‘Stay’ in India is fantastic. She sounds really, really good,” wrote one fan.
It is not yet known exactly when Rihanna will release new songs and the long-awaited album (it will be her ninth). “Entertainment Tonight” magazine, however, guarantees that this will happen later this year. Citing sources close to the artist, he also adds that the businesswoman will embark on a world tour in 2024 and 2025.