Rihanna played zero games today (Feb. 12) when she hit the stage for her Super Bowl halftime show! From the minute the lights came up and the beat to “B**tch Better Have My Money” dropped, it was obvious that she was here to remind us all that “you needed me.”
The singer was clad in a red ‘fit and an oversized coat that camouflaged her midsection as she played up the use of lights throughout her set, leaving fans to question if her special guest was hiding in plain sight: Baby No. 2.
The performance was dubbed the “Fenty Bowl,” rightfully so, by the singer’s loyal fanbase, the Navy. For someone who had not stepped foot on a stage to perform in seven years, Rihanna breezed through hit after hit without missing a beat. The mini concert — because, let’s be honest, that was more than a 13-minute break that just happened to take place on the most-watched game day of the football season — featured some of the beauty mogul’s most successful records.
Ahead of the Super Bowl, Rihanna teased that she was considering bringing out a special guest. Fans speculated that it could be anyone from JAY-Z, Kanye West, Drake, T.I., Jeezy or superproducer Pharrell. She also revealed that there were 39 variations of the setlist as she and her team worked to create the perfect flow of records to showcase her successful music career.
In the end, the halftime show tracklist included chart-toppers such as “Where Have You Been,” “Only Girl in the World,” “We Found Love,” “Rude Boy,” “Wild Thoughts” and more. And, well, that special guest was only up for debate for a few minutes as her rep confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter that she is indeed expecting.
The Fenty founder was asked to headline the halftime show in 2018 but ultimately turned down the opportunity. “It feels like it could have only been now,” said Rihanna during a pre-Super Bowl press conference. The Grammy Award-winner said her son played a part in her decision to accept the challenge of delivering a world-class show in front of millions of viewers.
The Bajan artist explained, “When you become a mom, there’s something that just happens where you feel like you can take on the world… I haven’t been on stage in seven years. There’s something exhilarating about the challenge of it all. It’s important for me to do this this year. It’s important for representation. It’s important for my son to see that.”
It looks like fans will be waiting for more than just new music after all!