KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 14 —Rihanna’s half time performance at the Super Bowl had social media abuzz for most of yesterday.
But Justina Miles, the sign language interpreter also had a viral performance when she was seen giving an equally highly-charged interpretation of Rihanna’s performance.
Miles, 20, signed the pre-show’s Lift Every Voice and Sing, sung by Emmy-award-winning actress Sheryl Lee Ralph, and the Apple Music Super Bowl Halftime Show by Rihanna, CNBC reported.
Miles, the first female deaf performer for the Super Bowl’s halftime show, saw her running through 13 minutes of Rihanna’s biggest career hits, including B**** Better Have My Money, Work, Umbrella, and Diamonds.
“I value the opportunity to make it possible for all deaf people to enjoy these songs, and not have them miss out on the full Super Bowl experience,” she reportedly said.
the sign language interpreter is not fking around pic.twitter.com/zezhJ0QTsI
— Saint Hoax (@SaintHoax) February 13, 2023
Prior to her appearance at the Super Bowl, Miles also went viral in 2020 after her version of the TikTok #crushonyouchallenge was shared widely across social media.
In the video, Miles signs a verse and pays homage to rapper Lil’ Kim’s colorful 1997 Crush on You music video.
Hailing from Philadelphia, Miles is currently a nursing student at HBCU Bowie State University and is certified hard of hearing while her mother is deaf.
She is also an American Sign Language specialist.
Miles was also part of the USA team that went to the 2021-22 Deaflympics in Brazil and won a silver medal as part of the 4x100 women’s track relay team.