Rihanna is the latest pop star to give Brazilian funk music a global boost. During her halftime show at the Super Bowl yesterday (Feb. 12), the superstar performed a Brazilian funk remix of “Rude Boy.”
Rihanna performed a medley of her greatest hits last night. While she sang most of the album versions of her hits that we all know and love, for “Rude Boy,” she switched up the song’s original sound. Brazilian funk, or funk carioca, was created in the favelas of Brazil by Afro-Brazilian artists. The genre has since gone more global, with Brazilian superstars like Anitta and Ludmilla proudly showcasing the sound. Now, Rihanna is the latest artist to amplify Brazilian funk music.
Rihanna performed the Brazilian funk remix of “Rude Boy” by Brazilian DJ Klean. Last month, the 20-year-old producer tweeted in Portuguese, “Really, nothing is impossible. Believe in your dreams.” Following Rihanna’s performance of his remix, he retweeted that message with a smiley face. Klean originally released his remix of “Rude Boy” in 2020.
Anitta and Ludmilla celebrated Rihanna’s embrace of the genre on a global stage at the Super Bowl. They reposted the moment of Rihanna performing Klean’s remix of “Rude Boy” to their Instagram stories. “Brazilian funk time,” Anitta wrote in her post. “Damnnnnn,” Ludmilla wrote in Portuguese.
Rihanna previously invited Anitta to perform at her Savage x Fenty show last November.
Rihanna’s Brazilian fans were proud to see her now take the genre to the Super Bowl. “Rihanna brought the so-criminalized Brazilian funk rhythm to the #SuperBowl stage. This is legendary. thank you queen! THIS IS RUDE BOY BRAZILIAN FUNK!” wrote one fan. “Rihanna bringing Brazilian funk into the most watched event of the United States. What a day,” added another fan.
During the halftime show, Rihanna also revealed that she is pregnant with her second child. During the performance, she also took a moment to plug her Fenty Beauty line in true RiRi fashion.