It’s being hailed as one of the greatest pregnancy reveals in history, but really — who cares? Rihanna’s performance at the Super Bowl Halftime Show on Sunday was immense, spectacular and visually extraordinary, but let’s talk about the fact that:
a) she wasn’t paid
b) she did it pregnant
Let’s address the two factors separately:
UNPAID LABOUR
Only the world’s biggest stars have a chance to sign up to perform at the Super Bowl Halftime show — previous artists include Prince, Michael Jackson, Beyonce and Jennifer Lopez. The exposure they get is unparalleled.
According to sports business analysts Joe Pompliano, the Super Bowl is watched by 200 million people globally, and the headlining performer is essentially getting a “15-minute commercial for free”.
“Justin Timberlake saw a 534% increase in music sales after Super Bowl 52,” Pompilano tweeted. “Travis Scott’s performance fee went from $500k to $1M after Super Bowl 53. Jennifer Lopez & Shakira gained 3M followers after Super Bowl 54.”
Taking on one of the biggest stages in the world isn’t about a direct monetary return — it’s the cultural impact and popularity spike that’s the reward.
“That is much more valuable than her performance fee,” Pompliano said. “And it’s even better when artists time it up with a tour,” though Rihanna has not announced any shows in the foreseeable future.
Pompliano explained that artists are given between $US10 – $US15 million budget to spend on production costs, though that figure covers “2000 to 3000 part-time workers, including set design, security, dancers, and marketing.”
“Some artists end up spending millions of dollars of their own money on the performance. The Weeknd spent $7 million of personal cash on his show at Super Bowl 55, and Dr. Dre reportedly spent a similar amount last year.”
Apple reportedly paid $250 million for the rights to the Super Bowl halftime show over the next five years, and is paying Rihanna several million dollars for a documentary about her performance on Sunday at the State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona — her first solo performance since the 2018 Grammys.
I suppose it wasn’t completely ironic that Rihanna chose to open her set with “Bitch better have my money”, which has the lyrics including: “Bitch better have my money / Y’all should know me well enough / Bitch better have my money / Please don’t call me on my bluff / Pay me what you owe me.”
PREGNANT WOMAN WORKING
It’s not everyday a pregnant woman takes on one the biggest stages in the world. Rihanna’s 13-minute extravaganza on Sunday was her first performance since giving birth to her first child last May.
At a press conference last Thursday, the 34-year old artist told reporters why she decided to do the show after refusing to perform in the 2019 event out of solidarity with former 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick.
“It feels like it could have only been now,” she said. “I mean, when I first got the call to do it again this year, I was like, ‘You sure? I’m three months postpartum. Should I be making major decisions like this right now? I might regret this’. It is important for me to do it this year, it is important for representation, it is important for my son to see that.”
“When you become a mom, there’s something that just happens where you feel like you can take on the world. You can do anything, and the Super Bowl is one of the biggest stages in the world.”
“The physical challenge has definitely been immense for many reasons, of course,” she added. “I haven’t done this in a minute. You’re just running around for 13 minutes, trying to put a two-hour set in 13 minutes… from the time it starts, it just never ends until it’s the very last second… It’s a jam-packed show, and it takes a toll on your body, it really does.”
The mother-of one, who she shares with A$AP Rocky, remarked on the importance of expressing her Barbadian roots during her performance.
“That’s a big part of why this is important for me to do this show – representation, representing for immigrants, representing for my country of Barbados, representing for black women everywhere.”
“That’s really important. That’s key, for people to see the possibilities.”
In 2019, when she declined to perform to support Colin Kaepernick, who was rejected by the NFL for kneeling in protest of systemic racism and police brutality three years prior, Rihanna said, “I just couldn’t be a sell-out. I couldn’t be an enabler.”
In November 2022, she revealed that for her to accept the gig, she’d have to top anything she’d done before.
“If I’m going to leave my baby, I’m going to leave my baby for something special,” she said. “It was now or never for me.”
Former US president Donald Trump thought to add his two cents on his social media site, Truth Social, saying Rihanna’s performance on Sunday was an “EPIC FAIL” and “…without question, the single worst halftime show in Super Bowl history”.
But really, who’d say Trump is an arbiter of style or taste?
Meanwhile, Rihanna’s American Sign Language Interpreter on Sunday night has been going viral. At just 20, Justina Miles became the first deaf female performer to sign during the show.
“To really bring that empowerment, to millions and millions of Black deaf people all over the country, who’ve never really seen that before, and so they should feel inspired… that is truly, lifting every voice,” Miles said in a recent interview.