By Andrew Dalton
Rihanna was above it all. And pregnant to boot.
She began and ended the Super Bowl 57 halftime show hovering high above the field at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona.
The performance lacked the surprise guests stars included in many previous Super Bowl halftimes, save one — her representative revealed afterward that the singer is pregnant with her second child.
Rihanna wore a puffy, bright red jumpsuit with tight, rubbery garb underneath that showed a baby bump that fueled a wave of social media speculation until the big revelation. She stood on a transparent rectangular platform that raised and lowered as she belted out the lyrics to “Bitch Better Have My Money” over the turf where the Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs were battling moments earlier.
Dancers wearing white ski-style suits and shaded goggles had their own suspended platforms that moved in concert with hers.
She and the dancers were lowered to a long stage that matched her outfit as she sped through hits including "Work," “Where Have You Been,” and “Only Girl,” belting out “Want you to make me feel like I’m the only girl in the world.”
There were also none of the constant costume changes and scene shifts from previous years. The theme — and the color scheme — stayed the same throughout the 13-minute show, with red lights bathing the stage at times and golden fireworks exploding in the air above her.
The long stage allowed for extended pull-away shots as she stared down the camera and overhead tracking shots of Rihanna and her dancers.
At one point she powdered her face and checked it in a mirror before getting back on the mic.
Lights sparkled from the stands as she was hoisted alone back into the air and sang “Diamonds” — with its refrain of “shine bright like a diamond” — as the set closed.
Rihanna's performance was her first solo performance event in seven years, and her first since becoming a mother for the first time nine months ago.
feature image: AP Photo/Brynn Anderson
