Rihanna unveils pregnancy during hit Super Bowl halftime performance
Seven years since she last performed, Rihanna returned to the stage Sunday for the Apple Music Super Bowl halftime show. The star, who delivered a stunning performance, had fans even more excited by another surprise: a baby bump.
The singer is pregnant with her second child, the star's rep confirmed to "Good Morning America" following the Super Bowl. Rihanna and A$AP Rocky welcomed their first son in May 2022.
At mid-game, the "Love on the Brain" singer took the stage at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, and performed a medley of her greatest hits, including "Diamonds," "Umbrella" and "Work."
The star opened on a floating stage and dazzled in an all-red jumpsuit, showing off her baby bump, before moving the main stage between an army of dancers dressed in white hooded jumpsuits.
In September, the National Football League announced that Rihanna would be leading the halftime show by posting an image to social media of the singer's hand holding a football with the caption, "Let's go."
Leading up to her halftime show, Apple Music teased her performance with a trailer, which included soundbytes from news outlets talking about her highly anticipated return.
While the Super Bowl halftime show is the first time in years that Rihanna has performed her music, the singer, who also owns fashion label Savage x Fenty and cosmetic company Fenty Beauty, released the song ""Lift Me Up"" for the "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever" movie soundtrack.
The song has been nominated for a 2023 Golden Globe and is also nominated for a 2023 Academy Award.
Rihanna's last album, "ANTI," was released seven years ago, and fans have been hoping her Super Bowl halftime show leads to new music. While she didn't say beforehand whether new music was on its way, Rihanna said she wants to have fun with music.
"Musically, I'm feeling open to exploring, discovering, creating things that are new, things that are different, off, weird, that may not ever make sense to my fans," she said earlier this week at the Apple Music Halftime Show press conference. "I just want to play and have fun."
Apart from music and her clothing and cosmetics line, the singer has been busy being a mom. In May 2022, Rihanna gave birth to a baby boy, who she shares with boyfriend A$AP Rocky.
Rihanna’s Super Bowl setlist:
- “B- Better Have My Money”
- “Where Have You Been”
- “Only Girl (In the World)”
- “Diamonds”
- A mash-up of “S&M” and “Rude Boy”
- “Work”
- “Wild Thoughts”
- “Pour It Up”
- “All of the Lights”
- “Run This Town”
- “Umbrella”
