On Sunday night, Rihanna became the first artist to perform at the Super Bowl while pregnant. The nine-time Grammy award winner hit the stage in a head-to-toe red jumpsuit, showing a small baby bump below a glossy bandeau.
Being one of the biggest stages in the world, the benefits artists get from exposure to fans at the show is more than a paycheck. In 2020 when Jennifer Lopez and Shakira performed, the former gained over 2 million new followers across social media. The two singers also saw 267% and 187% streaming gains days after their performance, Billboard said.
Rihanna’s performance on Sunday in front of more than 100 million viewers was an opportunity for her to get back into her music career again after being missing from the stage for nearly seven years. During her absence, she grew her beauty brands Fenty Beauty and Savage X Fenty and welcomed her first child with A$AP Rocky. She also earned an Oscar nomination for Best Original Song for her single “Lift Me Up” from Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.