What songs could Rihanna play at the Super Bowl? Her most-searched hits may give a clue

Simone Jasper

Rihanna is set to take the stage at the Super Bowl halftime show, and one song has clearly been on a lot of fans’ minds.

The 2016 song “Work” tops a nationwide list of the most-searched Rihanna tunes ahead of the big game, according to data Google shared with McClatchy News.

So, which songs could Rihanna, a nine-time Grammy award winner with 32 Billboard top 10 hits in her career, perform at the halftime show on Feb. 12?

The other top-ranking hits may provide clues:

  • “Stay” at No. 2

  • “We Found Love” at No. 3

  • “Umbrella” at No. 4

  • “Love on the Brain” at No. 5

To create the most-searched song list, Google said it considered the Rihanna hits that received the highest volume of online interest across the United States. The data spans the history of Google Trends, ranging from 2004 — one year before her debut single “Pon de Replay” — to 2023.

The song “Work” led unique searches in several Southeastern and mid-Atlantic states.
The song “Work” led unique searches in several Southeastern and mid-Atlantic states.

“Work” — the No. 1 song on the list — topped the Billboard Hot 100 chart for several weeks in 2016. The popular tune featuring Drake draws inspiration from Jamaican dancehall music.

The song especially piqued interest in the Southeast and mid-Atlantic, where it led unique Rihanna-related searches in several states. That means the song was “over-represented” in those regions compared to other parts of the country, Google said.

Meanwhile, runner-up “Stay” topped unique searches in a wide swath of the country, including several Western states. And people were particularly curious about “We Found Love” in Hawaii and several states in the Northeast and Midwest, according to a map shared Feb. 9.

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The results were released before the Kansas City Chiefs face the Philadelphia Eagles for a chance to win the NFL title on Feb. 12. Rihanna, who last released an album in 2016, is set to headline the game’s halftime show after a yearslong pause in on-stage performances, Billboard reported.

So, which other Rihanna songs might we expect before the singer — ahem — takes a bow?

Nationwide, the others rounding out the top 10 on Google’s list were:

  • “Diamonds” at No. 6

  • “Take a Bow” at No. 7

  • “Needed Me” at No. 8

  • “Pour It Up” at No. 9

  • “Only Girl (In the World)“ at No. 10

Another hint about song selection could come from the superstar herself, who can be heard singing “Needed Me” in a Twitter post announcing the performance.

Meanwhile, Rihanna said she’s gone through about 39 different versions of her set list ahead of the big performance. The singer, who is from Barbados, also plans to highlight her Caribbean roots during the show, according to video posted on the NFL website.

“The set list was the biggest challenge,” she said. “That was the hardest, hardest part. Deciding how to maximize 13 minutes but also celebrate. That’s what this show is gonna to be, it’s gonna be a celebration of my catalog.”

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