 Rihanna first performed " S & M " at the BRIT Awards on February 15 , 2011 , as part of a medley which incorporated two of her previous singles from Loud , " Only Girl ( In the World ) " and " What 's My Name ? " . Rihanna had planned to perform " S & M " only , to coincide with its release as a single in the United Kingdom , but she was instructed by the BRIT Awards corporation to " tone down the sexual references in the song 's lyrics " . The singer was reported to be angered at being requested to change her act and that she was asked to consider performing a different song instead . She changed the arrangement because the BRIT Awards corporation wanted to avoid complaints similar to those received following the finale of the seventh series of The X Factor , on December 11 , 2010 . Rihanna was criticized for wearing a provocative outfit and for performing a suggestive dance routine on The X Factor , branded as " disgusting " , before the watershed , a system in the United Kingdom which does not allow adult content to be broadcast before 9 pm . 
