Rihanna’s first full live show in 8 years split fans. Some called her lazy, while others said she’s just a low-energy performer.

Rihanna gave her first full show in eight years at the pre-wedding party of an Indian billionaire heir.
Some critics called Rihanna a ‘lazy performer’ after the low-energy performance at Anant Ambani’s party.
Fans defended the singer, saying she was still recovering after giving birth last year.

Rihanna came out of semi-retirement for her first full live concert in eight years on Friday, sparking a mixed reaction with what was called a low-energy performance.

Rihanna performed in Jamnagar, India, on the first night of a pre-wedding bash for Anant Ambani, the son of Indian billionaire Mukesh Ambani, and his fiancé, Radhika Merchant.

One of the biggest stars of the 2010s, Rihanna stopped performing and releasing music in 2018. But Rihanna made a comeback in the past two years, releasing two new songs in 2022, performing at the 2023 Super Bowl Halftime show, and singing one of her new songs at the 2023 Academy Awards.

The pre-wedding party was Rihanna’s first full concert in eight years, where she performed 19 songs, including hits such as “Work” and “Diamonds,” according to NME.

It’s unclear how much Rihanna was paid for the performance, but the Daily Mail reported that the starting price was about $6 million, citing an unnamed source. Users on X criticized videos of Rihanna’s concert, saying it didn’t look like it was worth millions of dollars.

“I adore Rihanna, but sloppiness was the main issue with the performance in India,” one user wrote. “That’s just a lack of rehearsal. Baby girl’s heart wasn’t in it, and that’s fine. Pisces queens don’t go full out for stuff they don’t care about.”

Other fans defended Rihanna, saying that the singer normally gives low-energy performances.

Freelance writer Ashley Reese wrote: “She always performed like this live lol.”

Fans are speculating Rihanna is pregnant with her third child

Some Rihanna defenders said fans should be more sympathetic to the singer because this is her first performance after two pregnancies.

Rihanna gave birth to her first son with A$AP Rocky in May 2022 and had another baby boy with the rapper in August 2023.

Rihanna was pregnant during her Super Bowl and Academy Awards performances, reducing her ability to dance. Some fans speculated over the weekend that Rihanna’s low-energy performance was a sign she’s pregnant again.

In December 2023, Rihanna hinted that she was open to more children when she told E! News host Justin Sylvester that the only thing she has struggled to have in her life is daughters.

“I’m batting at 75 percent for a boy next time. So, we’ll just keep our fingers crossed,” she said.

Representatives for Rihanna did not immediately respond to a comment request from Business Insider.