There are plenty of reasons to tune in to the Super Bowl — there’s the commercials and the movie trailers — but it seems fair to say that this year’s halftime show was particularly exciting for many because it featured Rihanna, an iconic artist who hasn’t released a new album in a while.
How to watch it again
You can watch the full halftime show on the NFL’s YouTube page here.
Rihanna’s Halftime Show
The singer lit up the night in Glendale, Arizona, singing a medley of songs while dressed in a bright red jumpsuit she wore unzipped over a matching red bodysuit.
Rihanna played Bitch 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 of the Lights, Run This Town, Umbrella and Diamonds. That’s quite the repertoire.
Some suspected that Rihanna would be joined by one or two celebrity guests for the performance, but she didn’t need anyone else. But musician A$AP Rocky, her boyfriend, encouraged her.
The halftime show also saw Rihanna and others perform on elevated platforms, leading to at least one video game prank that was pretty good.
*presses up on D-pad*
rihanna: “work work work work work”
— Limmy K. (@subdivisionist) February 13, 2023
Rihanna pregnant?
During the performance, many speculated that Rihanna looked pregnant. Almost immediately after the show, her reps confirmed to both Rolling stone and The Hollywood Reporter that she is in fact expecting a child.
Until she shared that news, people wondered. “The whole timeline is scared to ask if Rihanna is pregnant,” one Twitter user joked.
ok so everyone just googled “rihanna pregnant” right
— David Mack (@davidmackau) February 13, 2023
Rihanna welcomed her first child, a baby boy, in May 2022. She has largely kept her son’s details hidden, including his name.
Here’s a little bit about Rihanna
Barbadian singer Rihanna is one of those musical artists who doesn’t have to use a last name. (It’s Fenty, though. She uses the name for her makeup and lingerie business.) She was on her own during this year’s halftime show, unlike in 2022, when Dr. Dre, Eminem, Snoop Dogg, Kendrick Lamar and Mary J. Blige all shared the spotlight.
Don’t you know Rihanna? She is a pop, fashion and music icon, a billionaire businesswoman and an actress who has starred in movies and TV shows. (Kids loved her as the voice of Tip in the 2015 DreamWorks movie Home.) She has won nine Grammy Awards and is one of the best-selling musical artists of all time, with 250 million records sold worldwide. While she hasn’t released a new album since 2016, she does have two songs — Lift Me Up and Born Again — on the soundtrack for Black Panther 2: Wakanda Forever.
Take it from Jay-Z, who signed the singer to Def Jam Records in 2004, and now owns Roc Nation, her management company and the NFL’s official entertainment partner.
“Rihanna is a generational talent, a woman of humble beginnings who has exceeded expectations every step of the way,” he said when Rihanna’s Super Bowl role was announced.
This is Apple Music’s first year sponsoring the Super Bowl halftime show, replacing Pepsi.
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