As a sports fan, I love that the Super Bowl has now attracted a global audience and it has become the perfect platform for performers to speak on things that really matter. Of course they get invited to perform, not speak, so symbolism is the way to do it. Take Shakira and JLo’s 2020 half-time performance, for instance. The singers wanted to raise awareness around Trump’s inhumane immigration policy of separating families in the U.S.-Mexico border. How about Beyonce’s explosive 2016 performance that paid homage to Malcolm X and the Black Panthers, with bold references to the Black Lives Matter movement back in 2016.
For this performance ,what grabbed my attention (beside the fact I couldn’t stop looking at that peeping bump) was the glass ceiling. Rihanna stood right above one, and she is the epitome of someone who’s not only shattered the glass ceiling, but someone who’s probably never seen one in her life. By that, I mean she has persevered beyond measure to push up against an industry and society riddled with misogyny and unbalanced representation. The glass ceiling has been there all along, but she has been too busy trying to succeed, so she probably hasn’t even seen it.
Call this a love letter to our Navy leader, but Rihanna really is an icon of empowerment. Suspended 60 feet above the ground on an edgeless, wobbly, glass platform, while carrying her unborn child and bussing some smol-smol moves is not for the faint hearted (Beyonce knows all about that). But what that performance taught me is that Rihanna is not one to be undermined.
After all, Rihanna has been breaking glass ceilings from the get-go, ever since ‘Pon De Replay’ dominated the number one spot in the charts back in 05′. She’s come a long way from being a young Black girl from a small Bajan island with humble beginnings, to billionaire status, owner of a beauty empire that’s disrupted the entire industry from its first 40-shade foundation launch, and she’s also the captain of a lingerie line that’s really for the people.
And let’s not forget, Rihanna has long used her platforms (glass or otherwise) to lend her voice and advocate for important causes. She’s been a vocal advocate for education, and her philanthropic work has helped to improve access to education for children in developing countries. She has been a strong supporter of reproductive rights and has used her platform to raise awareness about the need for access to safe and affordable reproductive health care. Beyond her entrepreneurial and philanthropic ventures, perhaps her proudest accomplishments of all, might be becoming a mum (of two soon). I’m not saying she’s superhuman, and unflawed beyond measure, I’m just saying, that’s a lot…
One thing about our never-seen-a-glass-ceiling queen is that with all her success she doesn’t miss a beat, even down to her outfits. The half-time show is no longer just an opp to flock around in beautiful gowns and bop to pop music (although we love that part). It’s an opportunity to really say something that resonates with people. We know RiRi to be intentional about the moves she makes, and for her first hit back in the world of performing (and sadly, potentially her last for a while, as she’s due on mat leave soon) she chose to go boss mode, woman in charge, all eyes on me.