Rihanna has faced criticism from some fans following her surprise return to the stage during Jay-Z’s concert at Yankee Stadium in New York City.
The 38-year-old singer joined Jay-Z onstage on Sunday night to perform their 2009 collaboration, Run This Town.
She also performed her 2015 song, B*** Better Have My Money*, during the appearance.
The performance was Rihanna’s first public stage appearance since she headlined the Super Bowl LVII halftime show in 2023.
While some fans praised her stage presence and reunion with Jay-Z, others described the performance as lacking energy.
Several social media users claimed that Rihanna appeared tired and did not sing all the words to the songs.
One fan described the performance as a “hot mess,” while another accused the singer of giving up midway through a song.
Rihanna admits she is rusty
Rihanna acknowledged during the performance that she had been away from the stage for some time.
“Y’all know I’m rusty, right? It’s been a while. Y’all with me right now?” she told the audience.
Her comment generated further reactions online, with some fans saying she needed more preparation before returning to regular live performances.
Others defended the singer and said her lack of energy was understandable after a lengthy absence from the stage.
Jay-Z’s concert reportedly began after midnight following a security breach involving a large crowd of people without tickets at the stadium entrance.
The rapper apologised to concertgoers and explained that the delay was necessary to prevent people from being injured.
“There were like 10,000 people outside, and they closed all the doors because they rushed the door,” he said.
“I didn’t want to start music and have people get trampled. I’m really sorry for the inconvenience.”
Jay-Z’s three-night run at Yankee Stadium celebrated some of his albums, including the 30th anniversary of his debut album, Reasonable Doubt.
Other performers who appeared during the concerts included Beyoncé, Pharrell Williams, Usher, Teyana Taylor, Jermaine Dupri, The-Dream, Clipse, Jeezy, Fat Joe and Jadakiss
