What we’re not gonna do is criticize Rihanna’s halftime performance for being ‘boring’

If you watched the Rihanna halftime show last night and thought anything other than “Wow, this beautiful, talented, and pregnant woman floating ethereally and powerfully midair is a delight,” then I have one question for you: WHY? HOW? (OK, two questions, but they’re tangentially related.)

Despite the halftime show being a fun, eye-catching performance with Rihanna—who hasn’t performed live in about 7 years, regally capturing her audience like the queen she is—the internet is going to internet, and some people made it clear that they weren’t impressed by it.

Maybe these people have unrealistic expectations, maybe they’re just grumpy Eagles fans. Who knows? But one thing is for sure—that performance was not boring. And it’s frustrating when people (especially those who have never been pregnant) insult Rihanna for what they consider a “dull” performance.

Related: You weren’t seeing things—Rihanna is pregnant again!

Now I admit there’s nothing more annoying than the “let me play devil’s advocate for a minute” person, but I’m going to be that person right now. Because what do a vast majority of male performers who aren’t Bruno Mars or a 2000s boy band do onstage? What do they give us? What do they serve? A whole lotta standing and walking, that’s what.

Additionally, Rihanna is pregnant. And before anyone chimes in with, “I ran a marathon while pregnant” please remember that every single pregnancy is different. And are we forgetting that she was riding a floating platform suspended above a gigantic stadium with only a tether separating her from the law of gravity? That was amazing! And entertaining! The opposite of boring, in my opinion.

And another thing—don’t compare her to Beyonce. Just don’t. These are two different women with two very different catalogs of music.

Related: Rihanna shares first image of her son on TikTok—and WOW is he cute!

If you still think it was a dull show, may I ask what you expect from artists in general? Let alone those who are pregnant? What exactly did Rihanna owe us last night that we didn’t get? Jeez.

Regardless of any criticisms, if there’s one person who has made being unapologetically unbothered her entire persona, it’s Rihanna. She’s going to do what she wants to do, on her own timeline, all while delivering top-notch beauty products to boot.

The show was aesthetically gorgeous, the song medley was top-notch and anyone who’s had a baby knows that even walking to the mailbox some days deserves a round of applause. We wanted to hear her hit songs and that’s what we got. She deserves respect, not rage.