The idea of having to sift through a discography that contains 893 hit songs and whittle it down to come up with a 15-minute setlist is not something I envy. This is going to be monumental, I think. What a great way to stage a comeback.
I trust that whoever did the Vanguard medleys will come through once again. But the Super Bowl medleys are always good. Jennifer Lopez's was also very nicely done. Also, why do I always forget that ''Work'' is her own single? I always think she's the featured artist...
I assume Only Girl, Diamonds, Umbrella and We Found Love are locked in. I would be shocked if any of these didn't get some sort of attention. What's My Name, Work, Rude Boy, Don't Stop the Music I'd also say were highly likely. We'll get 1 or 2 songs from the new album (depending on when she releases the lead - I feel like we'll get the first single this autumn/winter and the second single and album around the time of the Super Bowl). That doesn't leave much space for any kind of unexpected curveballs from her discography but I hope we get at least one.
Sometimes I think there’s something quite powerful about leaving some major hits out of a setlist. Hits to spare, leave them wanting more.
She clearly adores Love On the Brain so I think it's possible that it'll get a spot. But then again, Diamonds is already there as the slow-ish moment and I highly doubt that one is getting omitted, so we'll see. I also hope for no guests. We don't need even a second of time being taken up by someone else when there are like 50 hits fighting for a spot on the setlist.
We need a Wait Is Over/Hard intro into: Only Girl with Where Have You Been Dance Break Umbrella Rude Boy/Work mash up New Song Diamonds We Found Love Too many hits to choose from, but the above I think captures her career while being endless back-to-back bangers.
Am I the only one getting nostalgic about this? Some of the happiest memories of my teenage years spent listening to her music - particularly 2010/11.
The music scene she’s returning to isn’t the same one she left in 2016, but I’m very confident she knows what she’s doing. She has definitely been missed.
Me too. The way I distinctly remember dancing to: - Don’t Stop The Music at one of the first ever parties I went to when I was like 14 - Rude Boy at my Year 11 Prom - Love The Way You Lie with the emo girlies in the Sixth Form Common Room - We Found Love when I first started going clubbing and actually coming out of the closet whilst that song was playing* - Work during the uni days She soundtracked my entire youth man. *This was not a coincidence. I was in the car with my pal and I knew I wanted to tell them but I couldn’t do it whilst a shit song was playing. I waited and waited through all sorts of rubbish, convincing myself that I couldn’t soundtrack this moment with something I didn’t love. Finally We Found Love came on and I knew it was time. I will forever be bound to that song because of it, and I’m so glad I chose it to soundtrack that moment. I get totally emotional whenever I hear it.
If J-Lo can fit 12 songs in six minutes and still make it good, Rihanna can fit all her big singles and more in 13 minutes.
Gaga should be the template, her’s is such an underrated show. Play the hits, give them room to breathe, kill it from first note to last. On another note, not that I would expect Rihanna to address this part so soon, but I wonder why after being very public for so long about why she wouldn’t do the show, she’s changed her mind now, for 2023.
She has 24 top 10s from her own discography alone (!!!), plus 7 top 10s as a feature. Some will be pretty easy to cut (Take a Bow, Unfaithful, Russian Roulette, Hate That I Love You...) but she's definitely going to have to cut some huge singles. She just has too many hits. All of her US top 10s: Pon de Replay SOS Unfaithful Break it Off Umbrella Hate That I Love You Don't Stop The Music Take a Bow Disturbia Russian Roulette Hard Rude Boy Only Girl What's My Name? S&M Cheers (Drink To That) We Found Love Where Have You Been? Diamonds Stay FourFiveSeconds Work Needed Me Love on The Brain Live Your Life w/ T.I Run This Town w/ Jay-Z Love The Way You Lie w/ Eminem Take Care w/ Drake The Monster w/ Eminem This Is What You Came For w/ Calvin Harris Wild Thoughts w/ DJ Khalid & Bryson Tiller
If we're only pulling from the above list... this would make a compact setlist. Umbrella Don't Stop the Music Disturbia Rude Boy Only Girl We Found Love Work This Is What You Came For Wild Thoughts
