Onstage, bathed in golden light and standing in front of a packed-out audience, Rihanna appeared at the Global Citizen Festival in 2016 to headline the New York City-based festival. Cheers rang out from the crowd when they heard the intro to her 2016 hit single, ‘Love On The Brain’. Taking a departure from her usual R&B sound, ‘Love On The Brain’ was a soul-inspired hit that took everyone by surprise, from critics to fans, making it a unique and special moment of her set that night.
Rihanna showcased her acrobatic vocals as she gave everything she had to the song, making for a captivating and emotional performance. Making the experience even more powerful was the reaction from the crowd, who sang at the top of their voices throughout the song. Music Man readers will love to see the enchanting atmosphere of the performance in the online video, which has now received over a whopping 250M views and has fans leaving comments like “She felt everything. This is a performance!”
Rihanna’s set at the Global Citizen Festival was filled with singles that Music Man fans will remember from throughout her extensive career, including ‘We Found Love’, ‘Umbrella’, and ‘Work’. While these iconic R&B hits thrilled fans, ‘Love On The Brain’ wasn’t the only song she played that night that showcased her genre versatility too. The year prior, Rihanna had released the folk-pop track ‘FourFiveSeconds’ – a collaboration with Kanye West and Beatles legend Paul McCartney.
Despite not being joined by her collaborators at the festival, Rihanna decided to perform the hit single, which spent 28 weeks in the charts. A cheer went up as the song began to play, and Rihanna invited the audience to sing with her. They took her invitation to heart, belting out the lyrics with her. The performance once again highlighted her ability to shift genres and connect deeply with the emotions of her songs, as evidenced by the flood of comments praising her raw performance.
Rihanna was undeniably one of the most prolific artists of the 2000s and 2010s, and her appearance at the Global Citizen Festival 2016 just goes to show why she was so popular. With an incomparable voice, powerful performance skills, and a showcase of her genre diversity, her appearance was a reminder of why Rihanna had remained on top of the charts for so long. Despite having a new album in the works since 2018, Rihanna has taken some time away to focus on other projects, such as her Fenty Beauty cosmetics line. However, returning to watch her Global Citizen Festival performance is a strong reminder of why so many are desperate to see her return to the world of music and are awaiting the release of her album with bated breath.
If you would like to hear more from this talented artist, you can subscribe to her YouTube Channel for more incredible music. Follow her on Facebook and visit her Website for the latest updates and releases.