It’s heartbreaking that Naya Rivera is really gone. Unfortunately, she passed away in July 2020 after drowning in a lake at only 33 years old.

What makes her death even sadder is that her young son is now without a mother. Since Naya passed away, fans have been rewatching her TV show Glee more than ever.

Her time on the show impacted so many people in the LGBTQ community since she played Santana Lopez, an openly lesbian character.

Santana embraced her sexuality after realizing she was in love with her best friend Brittany. In real life, Naya was single at the time of her death after past relationships with Ryan Dorsey and Big Sean. Here are some of her top performances from Glee.

“Mine” (Season 4, Episode 4) Song originally by Taylor Swift

The emotional ballad starts with a few gentle guitar strums until Naya’s lovely voice takes on the first few lyrics. She sings the love song directly to Brittany creating one of the most heartfelt moments for the couple in the whole show.

“Don’t Rain On My Parade” (Season 5, Episode 9) Song originally by Barbra Streisand

Naya absolutely BODIED this performance of “Don’t Rain On My Parade” in front of Rachel Berry and a casting director.

She understood the assignment when she pranced out in her skin-tight blue dress to outshine anyone else who might’ve believed they could perform the song better.

“Here Comes The Sun” (Season 5, Episode 2) Song originally by The Beatles

Demi Lovato joined together with Naya for this beautiful cover of “Here Comes the Sun” by The Beatles. The way their voices harmonize together for this acoustic performance is flawless. The sparks between these two beauties result in a quick kiss on the lips after the song is over.

“Smooth Criminal” (Season 3, Episode 11) Song originally by Michael Jackson

Naya covered “Smooth Criminal” by Michael Jackson with the help of Grant Gustin who non-Glee watchers know as the titular character in The Flash.

This performance is part of Season 3, Episode 11 and they included the perfect amount of violin strumming to accompany the lyrics.

“Valerie” (Season 2, Episode 9) Song originally by Amy Winehouse

Naya’s performance of “Valerie” by the late Amy Winehouse is upbeat and fun to watch. Although she’s wearing matching dresses with her Glee club companions, she totally stands out.

This scene is special because it’s nice seeing Naya take the lead on stage with total confidence and star power.