Rihanna is still a Gen Z icon and the Super Bowl proved it

Fans were delighted with Rihanna's recent Super Bowl halftime performance as she sung her classic hits such as 'B**** Better Have My Money', 'Only Girl (In the World),' 'We Found Love,' 'Rude Boy,' 'Umbrella,' 'Diamonds' and more.

(We also can't forget the surprising moment she stunned viewers by revealing she is pregnant with her second child).

Given how the event has taken over pretty much every social media platform, Rihanna's performance has solidified her status as a Gen Z icon.

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It's been seven years since Rihanna has released an album, with 2016's ANTI and the 34-year-old singer from Barbados last performed live as part of the 2017 DJ Khaled collaboration "Wild Thoughts" at 2018 Grammy Awards (though in October 2022, she released a single for from the Black Panther: Wakanda Forever soundtrack, with the ballad 'Lift Me Up.')

Despite taking a step back from music, Gen Z has remained engaged with Rihanna, as a new Morning Consult survey shows that nearly half (48 per cent) of Americans are interested in watching the Super Bowl halftime show with Rihanna, driven by Gen Zers (66 per cent) and millennials (61 per cent).

Though interest in this year's Super Bowl halftime show was down in all ages categories from last year when Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Mary J. Blige and Kendrick Lamar performed, it's clear that Gen Z are among some of Rihanna's biggest supporters.

In the poll sample of 2,210 U.S. adults, nearly half (49 per cent) of adults said they are Rihanna fans. Among generations, Gen Zers are most likely to identify as Rihanna fans at 75 per cent followed by millennials (66 per cent), Gen Xers (51 per cent ) and baby boomers (24 per cent).

While Rihanna has taken a break from music, she has very much remained in the spotlight thanks to her successful ventures such as her Fenty Beauty brand and Savage X Fenty lingerie company.

Both of ventures have tapped into the Gen Z market by ensuring the product range is diverse and inclusive, utilizing platforms such as TikTok, and collaborating with influencers.

And it's worked as Rihanna was number one on the list as the top global business icons that inspire young Brits, a NatWest poll of 2,000 young adults found, SWNS reported.

"Everyone knows her, but I wouldn’t wait for her music. I think everything she’s done with Fenty is amazing, especially with how inclusive it is. I feel like she’s known more for her businesses outside of music," one fan told VICE.

On social media, it's no surprise that the Super Bowl was being dubbed as the "Rihanna concert."

Ahead of her performance, a Super Bowl-inspired Savage x Fenty 17-piece Super Bowl-inspired collection was released earlier this month which included a T-shirt that read: “Rihanna concert interrupted by a football game, weird but whatever," with celebs such as Cara Delevingne sporting the top.

The businesswoman also didn't miss an opportunity mid-performance to fix her make-up using products from her Fenty Beauty brand.

While we don't know when Rihanna will next release an album or go on tour, her fans of all ages certainly have enjoyed seeing her up on stage again.

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