Rihanna, Demi Lovato, Chris Martin & More Perform Global Citizen Festival 2016: Watch
Pop superstars sought to uplift at the Global Citizen Festival, the namesake organization’s annual effort to bring awareness to global poverty, among other issues affecting the world.
Earlier in the day came Demi Lovato, who dedicated “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman” to “women and girls all around the world.” (“Naturally,” with her powerful pipes, she tackled the Carole King ballad as famously sung by Aretha Franklin.) Kendrick Lamar had the crowd raising their fists to To Pimp a Butterfly‘s “Alright.”
Other featured artists included Ellie Goulding, Major Lazer, and Usher and the Kenyon Boys Choir, who covered Selena Gomez‘s “Kill ‘Em With Kindness.” (Selena, who was originally scheduled to perform, backed out at the last minute after announcing her break from touring.)
Coldplay frontman Chris Martin was the night’s unexpected VIP: After joining Pearl Jam to cover Patti Smith‘s “People Have the Power,” he covered Prince‘s “Raspberry Beret” and freestyled through ditties about why Rihanna could possibly be late to her own headlining set.
Rihanna could have ended with the Sia-penned “Diamonds.” But she instead powered through “FourFiveSeconds” and “Love on the Brain,” perhaps the most glorious proof of how far she has come as an artist. “We got global citizens in the house tonight — I myself, I’m from Barbados so I came a long way,” she said. “There are people all over the globe that need help.”
Watch highlights from the Global Citizen Festival below. See more clips at MSNBC.
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