Rihanna’s 2023 Super Bowl halftime performance inspired the masses — so much that age was no factor. As previously reported by REVOLT, one group of elderly women at Arcadia Senior Living Bowling Green in Kentucky recently went viral for recreating the moment on TikTok. And as a “thank you,” JAY-Z sent the facility a token of his appreciation.
“JAY-Z sent us 100 red roses,” Paige Oakes, the director of community relations, told Insider in an article published yesterday (March 5). In the viral TikTok, a group of nursing home residents dressed up to mimic Rihanna’s Feb. 12 show. At the tender age of 87 years old, Dora Martin dressed up as the “Lift Me Up” songstress and gave her best impression of how an icon moves. “It makes you [feel] younger to know that you can keep up with them,” Martin shared with the outlet. “We love TikTok here at Roc Nation,” a card attached to the floral arrangement read. It was signed by none other than Jigga himself. Photos were posted on the company’s Facebook page.
As many may know, the mogul is credited with discovering and signing RihRih and boosting her career to international superstar status. He has also partnered with the NFL for multiple social justice initiatives. “Rihanna is a generational talent, a woman of humble beginnings who has surpassed expectations at every turn. A person born on the small island of Barbados who became one of the most prominent artists ever. Self-made in business and entertainment,” JAY-Z said in a statement after it was announced she’d be taking the stage.
While the grannies may have shut the internet down with their Super Bowl halftime rendition, Oakes and Maitlin Nuckols, Arcadia’s director of life engagement, mentioned they did have to show a few of the residents how to use the social networking app. “Some of them knew what it was. Some of them, we had to kind of tell them what it was. But overall, it was a great response. They love to do anything fun and engaging,” Nuckols noted. And how long did it take them to recreate the performance? “You would be surprised. It was actually our first take. And that is no joke,” Nuckols said.
See the viral performance below.