Super Bowl 2023: Rihanna announces pregnancy in halftime show while other singers revealed baby bumps on stage

Although many were expecting Rihanna’s return to the stage at the 2023 Super Bowl to be the start of a musical comeback, with rumours of a world tour circulating, the star instead used the halftime show as a platform to announce her pregnancy.

Rihanna, who took to the stage in Arizona after six years away, revealed her baby bump while performing hit songs such as ‘Diamonds’, ‘Where Have You Been’ and ‘Only Girl (in the World)’.

Prior to her halftime performance, Rihanna had spoken about finding it almost ‘impossible’ to balance work and life, especially after starting rehearsals just three months after giving birth to her first child with partner A$AP Rocky.

Crucially, the Savage x Fenty star expressed that it was ‘important’ for her to perform at the Super Bowl not only for representation but to also show her young son.

Rihanna said: “Representing for immigrants, representing for my country Barbados, representing for black women everywhere… I just think that’s really important, (it’s) key for people to see the possibilities, and I’m honoured to be doing this.”

Following Rihanna’s 13-minute show it certainly also seemed important for the Grammy Award winner to perform to share the amazing news of her second pregnancy and prove that she can still ‘work’ while expecting baby number two.

As well as becoming the first Barbadian singer to sing at the Super Bowl, she also became the first pregnant woman to star on the global platform, rubbing her small baby bump.

However, Rihanna is not the ‘only girl’ to showcase their baby bumps while performing on stage - PeopleWorld takes a look:

Queen Bey performed at the Video Music Awards in 2011 when she was expecting her first daughter Blue Ivy, and announced her pregnancy in a way only Beyoncé can do.

The Love on Top singer said: “Tonight I want you to stand up on your feet. I want you to feel the love that’s growing inside of me,” while unbuttoning her blazer and cradling her stomach.

Fast forward a decade, and Cardi B took it upon herself to make her baby announcement in a similar way at the BET Awards.

The award-winning rapper stepped on to the stage in 2021 to perform alongside Migos, wearing a sheer Dolce and Gabbana jumpsuit that emphasised her growing baby bump - her second pregnancy with Migos’ Offset.

Some may say it was Cardi B who has pioneered the on-stage pregnancy reveal as the ‘WAP’ performer also announced she was expecting her daughter Kulture, in 2018, when she appeared on Saturday Night Live.

So although fans were expecting Rihanna to make an announcement in terms of a tour or a new album during her Super Bowl halftime show, they were beyond excited to see that it was Rihanna expecting a baby instead.