Rihanna Proves (Yet Again) Pregnant People Can Do Anything
The pop icon and business mogul—and her pregnant belly—took the Super Bowl LVII halftime show stage to show just how amazing and capable pregnant people are.
By Tanay Howard
In her first public performance since the Grammys in 2018, pop icon Rihanna used Super Bowl LVII to show the world just how powerful parents are. The award-winning singer and entrepreneur performed 12 hits over 13 minutes, complete with backup dancers, aerial platforms, and a maternity look many will have etched into their minds for years to come.
Rihanna was able to keep much of her performance under wraps leading to the halftime show, which was exactly what many fans had been waiting for—for almost 7 years. While some were hoping this performance would lead to the announcement of more music or possibly a tour, Rihanna subtly let everybody know exactly what her focus is right now: parenthood. “When you become a mom, there is something that just happens where you feel like you can take on the world,” she reportedly told news outlets prior to taking the Super Bowl stage.
After the halftime show, one of her representatives confirmed what Twitter already had trending—Rihanna is expecting baby number two! It was also arguably one of the most epic celebrity pregnancy announcements yet. The soon-to-be mom of two under 2 just gave birth to her son with artist A$AP Rocky (who cheered her on in the cutest and most supportive way last night) in May of 2022.
Rihanna’s performance, of course, didn’t go without criticism. For it to be her first performance in more than seven years, many hoped to see special guests and more choreography from the rude gal herself. But in my opinion, Rihanna came out and gave exactly what she needed to give. (And I felt this way before her representative confirmed the pregnancy.)
I have been pregnant three times, and I can assure you I have never done an active 13 minutes of ANYTHING while making a person. I was in full “baby me while I carry this baby” mode. I loved that for me.
Despite what many want from her, I also love Rihanna’s focus on herself and her family. I can only begin to imagine the pressure that comes with being a billionaire fashion and pop icon with a fan base as large as the Rihanna Navy. Rihanna is beautifully handling motherhood, pregnancy, and successfully running the global brand FENTY—and yet people somehow still found a way to badmouth her performance.
Not that she had anything to prove to anyone, but Rihanna continues to show just how capable women and other pregnant people are of stepping up and getting the job done. Pregnant, newly postpartum, or deep into motherhood, we are continuing to show up in male-dominated industries and BOSS UP.
Her performance was unlike past halftime shows in many ways, but that is not a bad thing. As the first pregnant artist to headline the Super Bowl halftime show, she gave an amazing performance that honored both her fans and herself as an artist, business owner, and mother. I don’t know how anyone can ask for more than that. And they shouldn’t feel entitled to anything else.
