Rihanna Performs ‘Lemon’ With Pharrell Williams at Diamond Ball 2019

Following her Savage x Fenty Fashion Week show, Rihanna hosted her star-studded Diamond Ball in New York on Thursday night, featuring guest performances from Pharrell Williams, DJ Khaled and Megan Thee Stallion. But the biggest surprise of the night came when Rihanna took the stage during Pharrell’s set and performed her verse from “Lemon,” her collaboration with Williams’ N.E.R.D. from 2017, for the first time live.

The performance felt very off-the-cuff, with Rihanna announcing her presence from the front of the audience with a microphone and climbing the stage while accompanied by a bodyguard. Between her many business ventures, it’s been a while since Rihanna sang or rapped for a crowd, let alone put out new music, and the audience was full of smartphones capturing the moment even as Rihanna laughed in amazement during her bars.

https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/rihanna-lemon-diamond-ball-2019-884144/