When Rihanna hinted at a surprise cameo in her 2023 Super Bowl performance, who knew she had baby on the brain?
Just one day before she graced the stage during the big game, the singer—who welcomed her and boyfriend A$AP Rocky's baby boy in May 2022—told CBS Sports that she was "thinking about bringing someone" out during her epic 13-minute performance.
"I'm not sure," she said during the Feb. 11 interview, adding, "We'll see." The 34-year-old also joked that "it wouldn't be a surprise" if she actually confirmed who that special guest would be.
And as it turns out, her guest was probably the youngest in Super Bowl history—with the singer's rep confirming to E! News that she is, indeed, pregnant with the couple's second child.
Ahead of her (and baby) performing a slew of her hits including "Bitch Better Have My Money," "Umbrella," and "Diamonds," Rihanna explained why though she was asked before, it made perfect sense for her to headline now.
"It feels like it could have only been now," she told Apple Music in a Feb. 9 interview. "When I first got the call to do it again this year, I was like...'You sure? Like, I'm three months postpartum. Should I be making major decisions like this right now? I might regret this.'"
But as Rihanna noted, this time in her life has only proved to lift her up.
"When you become a mom," she continued, "there's just 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."
She added, "There's something exhilarating about the challenge of it all and it's important for me to do this this year. It's important for representation. It's important for my son to see that."