Rihanna, a nine-time Grammy award winner with a net worth of 1.4 billion USD has recently come out of hiding after the birth of her second son and re-entered the world of music. The multi-millionaire artist performed at a pre-wedding party for one of the richest men alive, Mukesh Ambani. Ambani convinced the artist to perform at his daughter’s pre-wedding with a payment of upwards of six million dollars. As one of the richest people alive, Ambani (who has a net worth of 112.3 billion USD) kept the party exclusive, only inviting the richest of India and America. Some notable faces include Mark Zuckerberg, Bill Gates, and Ivanka Trump. Many Bollywood stars also showed, including Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan, Kareena Kapoor, Karisma Kapoor, Ajay Devgn, Katrina Kaif, Saif Ali Khan, and many more.

However, the highlight of the night for many, including the bride herself was Rihanna’s performance. Many are now considering if her performance was up to par for the amount of money she was just paid. The bride, Radhika, even got a shout-out from the artist, however, some were angry watching this footage as Rihanna pronounced her name Rah-deek-ee. Many also pointed out the fact that Rihanna barely sang, barely danced, and did not look like she was having fun. It is important to consider Rihanna had just given birth to a child, and she was seen later in the night laughing and talking with the bride and groom. Although this was a great party for the Ambanis, many, including myself, were left wondering how performing at private shows undermines the value of not only Rihanna’s but any artist’s work in general.

rihanna singing ‘stay’… she sounds so good pic.twitter.com/yFmsavAlU7

— 2000s (@PopCulture2000s) March 1, 2024

Rihanna, who has not released an album since 2016, has not approached music ever since she launched her beauty brand, Fenty Beauty. For the amount she was paid, Rihanna seems to have come out of her hiding since her performance at the Super Bowl last year. However, this is not only about Rihanna, it is about every artist who seems to put on expensive private shows for their audiences. When doing this, one has to consider that private shows are only to be seen by the customer, first of all, dehumanizing the artist as a whole. The idea of “buying” their work just seems wrong and unethical. Also, the point of art is to inspire and impact a large group of people, whether it be through streaming or public world tours. By doing private shows like these, an artist limits the amount of people who see their art, making it “exclusive” and undermining the value of it by not letting the public enjoy it. The easiest way to tackle this is by going on public tours instead. Well-acclaimed artists like Rihanna, should not concern themselves with profit, they should concern themselves with their work, not only for their fans, but for themselves.

Experts say that when you stop focusing on profit, and start having fun, it is much more worth it than the money you gain. This is the exact reason why many artists start making music: it’s a passion rather than an income. For instance, a study done by Daniel Khaneman and Angus Deaton in the Health and Well-Being department of Princeton University says “Emotional well-being also rises with log income, but there is no further progress beyond an annual income of∼$75,000”. In my opinion, after making that kind of money, income should no longer be the focus for artists. The old saying that “money can’t buy happiness” is true to an extent. Nothing will be able to replace the happiness you gain from spending time with friends or family, or in artists’ case being able to connect with fans. Having fans in itself is considered a blessing, and they should cherish the connections they have on a larger level, rather than focusing on gaining profit from private shows. However, this is not to say that artists shouldn’t do private shows if they really want to, but I think that it undermines their art and their connections with their fans.

I have always wanted to go on a tour, more specifically, I desperately wanted tickets for Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour. I didn’t want to go because of the special effects or because everyone else was, I wanted to go because of how her music made me feel. I wanted to experience that in person, and I wanted to scream my heart out to the songs that made me feel so strongly. I know for sure this is a universal experience, and that many people feel the same way. I believe that when you listen to a song or are a fan of someone or something, you connect with it, in a way that makes you feel understood. By an artist taking that away through private shows, they lose sight of the meaning of their music and how it connects with their fanbase on a much larger scale.