By Jordan Heller
DNAinfo Reporter/Producer
TIMES SQUARE — Pop megastar Rihanna rocked Times Square at sunset Monday, for a special performance for the MTV show "The Seven" that caught Midtown office workers, commuters and tourists by surprise.
The singer climbed a pop-up stage on Broadway between 42nd and 43rd streets about 5:20 p.m. to throngs of fans and unwitting passersby, people on the scene said.
"It was pretty amazing to see Rihanna on a small stage in Times Square," said Hema Bansak of Connecticut.
Jill Keogh, the owner of Top Knotch Productions, a New York-based company that set up the stage, said it was a dynamic performance.
"It was packed — high adrenalin, high energy, high octane right in the middle of Times Square," Keogh said.
Dressed in black tights, tight white shorts and a multicolored top, Rihanna performed just one song, "What's My Name?" before bolting off the stage.
The audience chanted "Ri-han-na, Ri-han-na" in unison until the pop star returned to the stage and performed "Only Girl," fans said.
"It was loud," said Bansak. "But the crowd was louder."
Rihanna's new album, called "Loud," drops Tuesday.
A video of the performance can be seen here.
