At Sunday’s Super Bowl, Rihanna performed an exciting and hit-filled half-time concert, but when she unveiled an unexpected special guest, social media erupted. The Bajan singer was asked if there would be any surprises during her concert at Arizona’s State Farm Stadium in an interview last week. “I’m thinking about bringing someone,” she replied. “I’m not sure, we’ll see.”
Rihanna was actually dropping hints that she was expecting her second kid at the time, but nobody noticed
Fans naturally concluded Rihanna was referring to one of the several musicians she has worked with throughout her successful career. It seems plausible and in keeping with the half-time show tradition of unexpected duets that Jay-Z, Drake, or Eminem would make a guest appearance.
But none of them was mentioned by Rihanna. Rihanna was actually dropping hints that she was expecting her second kid at the time, but nobody noticed. Although the singer didn’t perform any brand-new music during her appearance at the Super Bowl on Sunday, the baby bump she showed off nearly crashed the internet.
Better Have My Money was Rihanna’s first song
As a throng of enthusiastic dancers, all dressed in white, gathered below, Rihanna made her appearance on one of several floating platforms while donning an all-red bespoke jumpsuit designed by Loewe. Better Have My Money was the singer’s first song, which was an amusing introduction given that she wasn’t being paid for her appearance at the Super Bowl. The crowd erupted in applause.
The dancers beneath the 34-year-old while Rihanna charmed the audience from above displayed razor-sharp choreography that they would carry throughout the entire performance. In front-loading her set with some of her most danceable and up-tempo songs, such as Only Girl (In The World) and the brilliant Where Have You Been, the singer blasted through a number of well-known tunes.
She performed only the first verse or chorus of certain songs while jamming a tonne of hits into a brief 14-minute set
Even after Rihanna had been brought to the earth, the half-time performance was not lacking in spectacle. She started singing the ecstatic We Found Love as fireworks were set off above the stadium. It was a wise choice to stick to her huge back catalog, one of the best in pop, despite rumors that the artist may use the occasion to perform new music not materializing. The performer performed only the first verse or chorus of certain songs while jamming a tonne of hits into a brief 14-minute set. But massive singles like Rude Boy were countered with the less well-known and slightly harder-edged Pour It Up.
The set list utilized some of her most well-known collaborations, which was somewhat disappointing because none of her collaborators actually joined her on stage. There were no cameos by Jay-Z, Ye (previously Kanye West), or DJ Khaled, who often appear on Run This Town, All of the Lights, and Wild Thoughts during her performances of those songs. However, their absence had no impact. By this time, everyone’s focus was firmly fixed on a completely new and highly noticeable special visitor.
As admirers rushed to express their theories regarding Rihanna’s alleged baby bump, confusion first swept social media. Many others pointed out that the singer, who is well known for her body positivity, might just have been showcasing her curvier form as a result of her previous pregnancy.
Her bump was evident during the performance, although she did not make it as obvious a point to attract attention
Rihanna’s bump was evident during the performance, although she did not make it as obvious a point to attract attention to it as Beyoncé did at the MTV VMAs in 2011, when she famously dropped her microphone, unbuttoned her jacket, and caressed her stomach. On Sunday, though, as Rihanna’s set developed, fans grew more and more certain that she was carrying a second child—nine months after she and her partner A$AP Rocky welcomed their son.
As her fans argued about which trimester the singer might be in, Rihanna’s handlers made the good news official within an hour of the show’s conclusion. The response on social media was mostly positive, even though some fans admitted to a hint of regret as this will probably spell another delay for Rihanna’s eagerly anticipated ninth studio album.
