Rihanna may have taken a sly dig at Super Bowl bosses with her halftime show opening song.
The Diamonds singer put on an incredible halftime show during the break in the huge showdown between Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs at the State Farm Stadium in Arizona.
It was her first time back performing live in five years, having gone on hiatus to focus on other projects and becoming a mum for the first time.
Rihanna started her incredible halftime show standing on a floating platform, then started belting out the lyrics to her track 'B**** Better Have My Money'
Many people pointed out the irony, as Rihanna didn't get paid a dime for performing.
Despite the millions of dollars flying around due to the mega sponsorship contracts, corporate experiences and lucrative TV deals - halftime show artists do not get a fee.
Taking to Twitter, one person wrote: "Not Rihanna opening with ‘Bitch better have my money’ when she’s literally not getting paid to be here."
"Starting a show you’re not getting paid for with Bitch Better Have My Money, Pay Me What You Owe Me is some queen behavior," added another.
A third said: "Rihanna opening with Bitch Better Have My Money knowing she isn’t getting paid a dime for this was epic"
The NFL does pay towards the costs of the performances, although this is usually done through sponsors, such as Apple Music this year.
Although this sometimes isn’t even enough, as Dr Dre and The Weeknd reportedly paid $7 million in personal cash for their shows in 2022 and 2021.
However, with hundreds of millions of people tuning in to the musical spectacular, it's certainly worth doing it for the exposure.
Lady Gaga had a 1000 percent bump in streams and album sales immediately after her 2017 show, while Mary J. Blige’s album sales jumped 999%, Dr. Dre had 183% and Snoop Dogg 361% from last year.
It also increases an artists’ social media following, which in this day and age means they become far more valuable to advertisers - with JLo gaining 2.3 million more after she headlined in 2020.
Rihanna previously admitted that the biggest challenge with her "jam-packed show" has been cutting down the set list.
"That was the hardest, hardest part. Deciding how to maximize 13 minutes, but also celebrate. And that’s what this show’s going to be; a celebration," the singer confessed.
"You're going to see on Sunday, just from the time it starts, it just never ends, until it's like the very last second," she added.
"There are a lot of people who are a part of this show, and a huge part of the reason why this show is going to be as incredible as it is. I couldn’t have done it without them."
Rihanna was heavily praised for her performance - with many people claiming it was one of the best Super Bowl halftime shows ever.
"Rihanna did her thing. She was stylish as f*** and played some of her best hits," wrote one fan.
Another added: "Notice how she DEVOURED that? WHILE being pregnant? Robyn Rihanna Fenty, you're one of a kind. A halftime show that will definitely be rihmembered!"
"What a powerful statement for women around the world that you can have a career and family, you can have both if you want it so much," said a third.
Despite the performance being largely praised, it received scathing criticism from a bitter Donald Trump, who took to Truth Social to make his thoughts known.
He wrote: "EPIC FAIL: Rihanna gave, without question, the single worst Halftime Show in Super Bowl history — This after insulting far more than half of our Nation, which is already in serious DECLINE, with her foul and insulting language. Also, so much for her 'Stylist!'''
Rihanna did have a surprise on stage with her - but it wasn't the traditional special guest.
The singer was seen cradling a bump and fans began to speculate online as to whether she was pregnant.
The happy news that Rihanna is expecting her second child was later confirmed by her representatives.
There were hints last week, as the singer was asked whether there would be any surprises, replying: "I'm thinking about bringing someone. I'm not sure. We'll see."
Speaking during last week's press conference, Rihanna said becoming a parent inspired her to sign up to perform at the Super Bowl.
Admitting she needed a "challenge" to push her to get back on stage, the singer said: "It feels like it could have only been now. 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? Like, I might regret this.''
She added: "But when you become a mum, 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.
"So as scary as that was, because I haven't been on stage in seven years, 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 and it's important for my son to see that."
So what's next for Rihanna? There is a lot of speculation that Rihanna will be going on tour later this year.
"There has been a lot of talk among people in the know, especially in the last week or two, that Rihanna is gearing up to announce a tour," an insider told Page Six. "It seems to be more than just hearsay at this point."
A second source added: "Even some members of Rihanna’s team have been kept in the dark. It’s all a big secret, from the details of her halftime show to what’s next — if anything."
