Rihanna performs hits at Super Bowl – with a very special guest

Glendale, Arizona – Rihanna made her long-awaited return to the stage at the Super Bowl half-time show on Sunday (Monday morning Singapore time) with a career-spanning medley of pop bangers, but it was her baby bump that dominated the conversation.

The megastar appeared in the State Farm Arena in Glendale, Arizona, on a floating stage, donning a clingy, all-red ensemble featuring a moulded bustier – and a belt below what many viewers deduced was another mini RiRi in the making.

Representatives for the singer confirmed the speculation to trade magazines Rolling Stone and The Hollywood Reporter: Rihanna is pregnant with her second child.

The 34-year-old welcomed her first child, a son, with American rapper A$AP Rocky, 34, in May 2022.

Musically speaking, fans who hoped for some fresh tracks were disappointed: Rihanna’s night on the world’s biggest stage offered a nostalgia tour of hits past.

She delivered club smashes including Where Have You Been, Only Girl (In the World) and the time-tested We Found Love.

Rude Boy, B**** Better Have My Money, Work and All Of The Lights were also on the set list as a sea of dancers performed stunning acrobatics.

Wild Thoughts, Run This Town and, of course, Umbrella and Diamonds rounded out the show.

She did not, as many stars do, bring out guest artistes, commanding the stage all on her own.

The evening marked a reversal after Rihanna previously turned down the gig in protest of the National Football League’s handling of race issues.

But in accepting the coveted slot this time around, the Barbados-born singer said it was “important for representation”.

“It’s important for my son to see this.”

Since releasing Anti in early 2016, Robyn Rihanna Fenty has taken a break from recording, but has by no means taken it easy. She has become a billionaire, parlaying her music achievements into successful make-up, lingerie and high-fashion brands.

Since her last album, Rihanna has performed occasional features and, more recently, recorded music for the Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022) soundtrack.

But the album she has been teasing for years remains the stuff of myth – and seems it would stay so awhile longer. AFP