by “Rihanna” was already trending on Twitter ahead of her eagerly anticipated Super Bowl LVII halftime show, her first live performance since 2019. But when the Fenty mogul appeared at State Farm Stadium in Arizona, too “pregnant” has become a trendy term.
Major media outlets such as the independentTMZ, PageSix, Pop Crave, Consequence AND the sun everyone quickly jumped to the conclusion that Rihanna was pregnant with her second child, with the singer’s rep confirming the shocking news to the Hollywood Reporter and other publications about an hour later. Rihanna has now made history as the first woman to host a Super Bowl halftime show while pregnant.
Though Rihanna didn’t make an official pregnancy announcement to the big game, a reveal of Beyoncé’s onstage baby bump at the 2011 MTV Video Music Awards, her repeated belly rub — which was prominently displayed in an avant-athleisure red bodysuit and bustier modeled with a matching low-rise belt – it was apparently a similar signal. The pop icon first made the internet-breaking gesture during her opening number, a (censored) version of “Bitch Better Have My Money,” while suspended above the 50-yard line on a platform of hydraulically illuminated glass; when she soared into the sky during her triumphant, firework-enhanced final number, “Diamonds,” she gave her stomach another quick but impossible to ignore stroke.
The 13-minute show’s notable lack of advanced choreography, costume changes, and other massive production gimmicks, at least compared to other recent halftime shows like the year’s Dr. Dre-curated all-star hip-hop tour de force Last, the pandemic-era Weeknd’s top-rated show, Jennifer Lopez and Shakira’s 2020 double bill, or Lady Gaga’s electrifying appearance in 2017 — all also indicated that Rihanna was taking it easy for good reason.
And finally, while Rihanna wasn’t joined by any superstar guests during her 12-song medley — no Calvin Harris for “We Found Love,” no Drake for “Work,” not even Jay-Z for “Umbrella” — she I had cheekily hinted to CBS’ Nate Burleson that a surprise “special guest” might appear on stage with her, which fans now believe was a reference to her unborn child.
In May 2022, Rihanna welcomed her first child, a son, with her partner, rapper A$AP Rocky. Speaking at a press conference on Thursday, the singer, whose full name is Robyn Rihanna Fenty, admitted she was hesitant when the NFL initially approached her — when she was just three months old after giving birth — about performing in the 2023 Super Bowl. But she then revealed that motherhood boosted her confidence, saying, “When you become a mom, something happens where you feel like you can take on the world. You can do anything and the Super Bowl is one of the biggest stages in the world. So as scary as it was… there’s something exhilarating about the challenge of it all, and it’s important for me to do that this year. It is important for the representation. It’s important that my son sees it.”
However, the multi-hyphenated entertainer also confessed that finding work-life balance was tough after giving birth. “Balance is nearly impossible, because no matter how you look at it, work is always something that robs you of time with your child,” she explained. “That’s the currency now, and that’s where it goes. The extent of how much it weighs. When you’re making decisions about what you’re going to say yes to, it has to be worth it.
Rihanna hasn’t released a full-length album since her critical acclaim in 2016 Antialthough she appeared on two tracks in last year’s one Black Panther: Wakanda Forever soundtrack and is reportedly working on her ninth studio album while still trying to maintain work-life balance. He certainly had enough classic material from his illustrious 18-year career to create a hit-packed Super Bowl lineup; in fact, he went through 39 different versions of that set list before settling on the greatest hits magazine detailed below:
“Bitch, you better have my money”
“Where have you been?”
“Only Girl in the World”
“We found Love”
“Rude Boy”
“Work”
“Wild Thoughts”
“Pour it up”
“All the Lights”
“Run This Town”
“Umbrella”
“Diamonds”
Super Bowl LVII, featuring the Philadelphia Eagles taking on the Kansas City Chiefs, took place on February 12 at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. Other musical performers during the pregame show included country superstar Chris Stapleton, 12-time Grammy winner Babyface, and Emmy Award-winning actress and singer Sheryl Lee Ralph.
Follow Lyndsey on Facebook, Chirping, Instagram, Amazonia
