Top 10 Best Rihanna Performances of All Time

Rihanna is an adept chameleon. However, nobody expected her to channel Amy Winehouse. Prior to its release as a single, she performed “Love on the Brain” at the 2016 Billboard Music Awards to much acclaim. The soul song showcased a different side of Rihanna’s abilities as an artist. Instead of leaning on spectacle, the attention was fully on her vocal talent. She didn’t need an elaborate set or intense choreography. This was one of the notable times she truly brought the house down with just her voice. And as you watch her sing, you can just tell she’s having fun. This is Rihanna at her most comfortable and confident.

Whenever established pop stars perform on “American Idol”, we wonder if they would be able to win over an audience week after week. Judging by this Rihanna performance, she would soar to the top of the competition. She brought some spunk and spice to the stage when she appeared on the season 11 finale to perform “Where Have You Been.” The performance got off to a great start by leaning on dramatic drums and a big colorful cube. It only takes a moment before Rihanna comes out swinging and singing. As the performance ramps up we get lasers, great dancing and even mid-air dancers. Rihanna’s explosive EDM energy brought something fresh, daring and worth voting for.

What are we willing to do for Rihanna to perform this again? Honestly, just about anything. “Kiss It Better” is a fan favorite among the Rihanna Navy. You’d be hard-pressed to find a better performance of it than the one at 2016’s Made in America festival. Even though Rihanna accidentally drops her mic at the beginning, it doesn’t throw her off in the slightest. Rihanna overwhelms the stage with her sensuality and talent. As the song goes on, she completely loses herself in the number. Although Rihanna’s performing in front of a packed house, her performance comes off as intimate and personal. Watching her take laps around the stage to show appreciation to her fans after she’s done singing is icing on the cake.

Rihanna and Drake had previously displayed their sizzling chemistry in music videos like “What’s My Name” and “Take Care.” But that was nothing compared to seeing “Work” in person. For the live performance, Rihanna starts the song singing solo and expertly moving in fronta crew of backup dancers. Her motions on their own are hypnotic. The number becomes impossible to take our eyes off of when Drake arrives to turn up the heat. They’re so focused on each other, that it’s like they’re the only two in the room. Their chemistry is so palpable that it’s clear they didn't have to do very much acting to get in character. At the end of the steamy performance, Drake bows down. We would too!

“American Idol” wasn’t the only time Rihanna tore up a talent show. In 2012, she gave an absolutely stunning performance of “Diamonds” on the U.K. version of “The X Factor.” She immediately came off as both glamorous and understated at once. As fake rain poured down and smoke machines shot out fog, she kept up the momentum. The simple effects went a long way in conveying the song’s drama. As the storm raged and Rihanna basically got pressure-washed, she didn't flinch for an instant. Not many artists can sing so powerfully while standing in the eye of a storm. But Rihanna is a singular talent that can withstand the weather and take our breath away at once.

While this medley only captures a fraction of Rihanna’s hits, it still made for an unmissable performance. In a 2010 AOL Session, Rihanna took listeners on a wild ride through her then-career highlights. Since she was deep in the midst of her hard rock-inspired “Rated R” era, these renditions of her hits felt more like intimate jam sessions than large-scale pop productions. Rihanna effortlessly switches between different styles and arrangements with ease. It also helps that the nearly-20-minute set also gave us one of Rihanna’s all-time best looks. Although this was relatively early in her career, she feels like a veteran here. How ‘bout we give Rihanna a round of applause?

Rather than singing a few songs and calling it a day, the 2016 festival’s headliner gave a sprawling 26-song set to a massive crowd. It was yet another great exhibit of her versatility. Rihanna showed off many of the various styles and genres she’s covered in her first decade of fame without missing a beat. While she could be throwing everything into an upbeat track one moment, she could slow things down to give us a soulful ballad the next. It was also great to hear her revisit early hits like “Unfaithful” with more mature vocals. The extensive setlist is a great retrospective of the first decade and change of Rihanna’s fantastic career.

Although we already have “Love on the Brain” represented here, this Global Citizen Festival needed extra attention. Unlike the time she sang it in 2016, she hit us with this rendition right when she was gearing up to take a hiatus. Rihanna’s amazing performance here showed us exactly why we would miss her so much. Once again, she discards any theatrics to just stand and deliver a hit. Rihanna’s powerful vocals are perfectly accented by backup singers throughout. Additionally, the amount of emotion she puts into this performance makes us really feel what it’s like to experience the ups and downs of a turbulent relationship. While this thankfully wasn’t her last live performance, it would’ve been an amazing note to go out on.

At the 2010 AMAs, Rihanna hit us with a one-two-three punch of her #1 hits that year. She opened with a heartfelt solo version of “Love the Way You Lie”. Somehow, Rihanna made an already sobering song hit even harder with her emotional and deliberate performance. She followed that tear jerking rendition by turning up the heat on an amazing pair of songs. Rihanna lit up the room with stirring performances of “What’s My Name?” and “Only Girl (In the World).” When her vocals were combined with the stunning setpieces and awesome choreography, we got a performance that makes you want to dance and cheer. Rihanna’s AMA’s appearance here stands as one of her loudest performances.

On the same night Rihanna received the Video Vanguard Award at the 2016 VMAs, she celebrated with not one but four performances. We loved the dancehall-themed medley that honored her Caribbean roots. However, the trilogy that truly blew us away consisted of “Stay,” “Diamonds,” and “Love on the Brain”. The first song made us cry, the second uplifted us, and the closer shook us with its power. Each track was stunning on its own. Hearing them back-to-back on a night specifically honoring Rihanna was nothing short of magical. For anyone who had followed her career from the beginning, this night at the VMA’s felt like the moment she officially put on a musical crown. Long live Queen Riri!