Pregnant Rihanna makes spectacular Super Bowl comeback
February 13, 2023
Popstar Rihanna returned to the stage at the 2023 Super Bowl halftime in Arizona. Her pregnancy attracted as much attention as her performance.
Rihanna at the Super Bowl 2023Image: Brendan Mcdermid/REUTERS
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Rihanna emerged on stage wearing a puffy, bright red jumpsuit with a bustier and bodysuit underneath that fueled speculation that the singer was pregnant. Her representative later revealed that the singer was indeed expecting her second child.
The popstar was singing during the halftime break in the annual playoff game of the US National Football League (NFL) between the teams Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs.
Rihanna and her dance troupe, including performers wearing white puffy suits, danced on rectangular platforms that hovered over the audience.
Fans waiting for a musical surprise were disappointed. Instead, the singer's performance was a nostalgic tour of her past hits.
She sang her most popular songs, including "Diamonds," "Umbrella," "Wild Thoughts," "Run this Town," "Bitch Better Have My Money" and "All of the Lights." She also delivered smash hits "Where Have You Been," "Only Girl in The World" and "We Found Love."
Rihanna surrounded by dancers at the halftime showImage: Gregory Shamus/AFP/Getty Images
RiRi returns to Superbowl
Rihanna, or RiRi, as she is popularly known, had turned down the Super Bowl in 2019 after former quarterback Colin Kaepernick was ousted from the NFL for kneeling in protest about systemic racism and police brutality. "I just couldn't be a sellout," the star said to Vogue at the time.
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But the Barbados-born singer said she was accepting the coveted slot this time because it was "important for representation" and because she wanted her son to see her perform there, AFP reported.
The 34-year-old gave birth to her first child with boyfriend, rapper A$AP Rocky, last year in May.
Speaking before her performance on Sunday, Rihanna told US media that motherhood ultimately inspired her to perform at the show.
"When you become a mom, there's something that just happens where you feel you could take on the world — you can do anything," she said. "And the Super Bowl is one of the biggest stages in the world, so as scary as that was … there's something exhilarating about the challenge of it all," she said.
Rihanna's last album, "Anti," was released in 2016 and the star has taken a break from recording since then, other than performing occasionally and recording music for the movie "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever," which is nominated for several Oscars this year.
Memorable Super Bowl musical performances
Halftime shows are the highlight of the annual Super Bowl in the United States. This year, Rihanna takes the stage. Here are some of the event's most exciting performances over the years.
Superstar Rihanna returns to the stage for this year's legendary Super Bowl halftime show. The Barbados-born billionaire has most recently dedicated herself to her successful cosmetics, underwear and fashion brands. Her new Fenty collection is already on display at the stadium's NFL Shop (pictured above). In 2019, she turned down the coveted event in solidarity with quarterback Colin Kaepernick.
Image: Ross D. Franklin/AP Photo/picture alliance
2022 featured rap and hip-hop
Rap legend Eminem made a statement against racism at the 2022 Super Bowl. After his hit "Lose Yourself," he knelt down, imitating the former NFL player Colin Kaepernick's protest — a gesture against police violence toward Black people. He was joined on stage by Dr. Dre, Kendrick Lamar, Mary J. Blige and also Snoop Dogg, who was sued for sexual assault just days before the event.
Image: Mike Segar/REUTERS
New era with Michael Jackson
Brass band music once filled the 12-minute intermission at the NFL Super Bowl, but in recent decades the halftime show has become a global marketing opportunity for pop superstars. Michael Jackson was probably the first to recognize the potential. His 1993 performance completely changed the segment, making it the spectacle it is known for today.
Image: Rusty Kennedy/AP/picture alliance
Into the next millennium
More celebrities can't be a bad thing — that might have been the idea behind the halftime show in 2001. Aerosmith (pictured left) and Britney Spears (right), 'N Sync, Nelly, Mary J. Blige, Ben Stiller, Adam Sandler and Chris Rock were part of the show. People loved the colorful mix of comedians, rappers, teen stars and pop music.
Image: Gary Bogdon/Orlando Sentinel/Zuma/picture alliance
U2's musical commemoration
During their concert in 2002, Irish band U2 honored the people who died in the attack on the World Trade Center in New York on September 11, 2001. The names of the victims were displayed on a banner in the background. At the end of the song "Where The Streets Have No Name," lead singer Bono revealed the Stars and Stripes in the inner lining of his jacket as a sign of solidarity.
Image: pa\afp Jeff Haynes/dpa/picture alliance
Janet Jackson and Justin Timberlake: 'Nipplegate'
Most people will remember the 2004 show only for the biggest scandal in the recent history of the Super Bowl. Four other stars performed at the show, but what stuck was Justin Timberlake tearing off a piece of Jackson's outfit during the song "Rock Your Body," exposing her breast. Since that incident, the Super Bowl has been broadcast with a 5-second delay.
Image: epa Wise/dpa/picture-alliance
'Purple Rain' in the rain
Long live Prince! Often considered one of the best halftime shows of all time, Prince delivered the performance of a lifetime in 2007 under difficult conditions, as it rained throughout. When Prince sang "Purple Rain" at the end of his concert, it was a truly magical moment in Super Bowl history.
Image: Jim Prisching/Chicago Tribune/picture alliance
Madonna styled as Cleopatra
The Super Bowl halftime show has taken on a life of its own, and some people tune in just for the show. In the US, 114 million people watched Madonna's performance in 2012 — almost 3 million more than watched the game. Dressed as Cleopatra, the Queen of Pop was accompanied by LMFAO, Nicki Minaj and CeeLo Green.
Image: Larry W. Smith/epa/dpa/picture alliance
Beyonce and Coldplay
Not every halftime show is outstanding. Bruno Mars and Beyonce brought momentum to the stage at the 50th anniversary in 2016, but Coldplay's performance came across as a bit stuffy.
Image: Tannen Maury/epa/dpa/picture alliance
Lady Gaga's subtle protest
Dressed in a futuristic cowgirl outfit, Lady Gaga started her 2017 performance on the roof of the stadium, jumped off the ledge and was lowered onto the stage. She sang Woody Guthrie's "This Land Is Your Land," an unofficial national anthem of the United States. Donald Trump was president at the time, and her show was seen as a subtle protest.
Image: Kevin Dietsch/UPI/Newscom/picture alliance
Latina power
For the 2020 halftime show, shortly before the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, Shakira and Jennifer Lopez teamed up. A guest appearance by J. Lo's daughter Emme was a nice touch: the 11-year-old sang along to "Let's Get Loud" and the Springsteen classic, "Born In The USA."
Image: Patrick Semansky/AP/picture alliance
The Weeknd performs with pandemic restrictions
As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, Abel Tesfaye aka The Weeknd had to follow strict security and distancing rules in 2021, all the while playing to an audience of cardboard cutouts. Like all the other artists at a Super Bowl halftime show, he was not paid. In fact, he spent $7 million (€6.1 million) to create the show according to his own wishes.
Image: Ashley Landis/AP/picture alliance
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Big payoff
According to Forbes magazine, the singer will not be getting paid for her performance at Super Bowl 2023, with NFL sponsors including Pepsi and Apple footing a large share of the bill for her act.
Super Bowl halftime shows usually cost upwards of $10 million, according to Forbes, and while A-listers usually don't get paid for their performances, most benefit hugely from their presence at the show.
In the past, singers like Shakira, Bruno Mars, Justin Timberlake and Jennifer Lopez have added hundreds of thousands of followers to their social media accounts while sales of their merchandise skyrocketed.
In Rihanna's case, her luxury beauty lingerie brands, Fenty Beauty and Savage X Fenty, are expected to score big from the spectacle, especially with Valentine's Day being just around the corner.
