Note To Self: Take Biz Lessons From Rihanna

Can we forget about Sam Smith’s latex red carpet inflatable lewk and discuss, instead, Rihanna, floating above the Superbowl cradling her baby bump?

Because if we do that, then we can also forget about the proliferation of spy balloons being shot down over US and Canadian air space. Forget the conspiracy theories over incoming alien invasion, Rihanna for world peace. And also, can we applaud her business savvy? Because that Superbowl performance was less an exercise in music and more a genius marketing opportunity, perfectly executed.

Here are 8 Things That Make Rihanna’s Superbowl Boss….

Her Superbowl set kicked off with Bitch Better Have My Money. Hilarious, since Halftime show performers traditionally don’t get paid for the privilege of performing during the Superbowl.

As she began the song, suspended on a platform, clad in a scarlet Loewe jumpsuit, she gave a li’l belly rub which got the fans all hot and bothered about a second pregnancy. This was confirmed by her reps moments – practically! – later. What an audacious way to announce a second baby – with 100 million-plus people watching.

Not one to waste a marketing opportunity, let alone a PR opportunity, mid performance, she blots her skin with Fenty Beauty Invisimatte Blotting Powder. Fenty, as y’all know, is Rihanna’s ridiculously successful beauty brand. Forbes values her 50% share of this biz at $1,4billion. That’s so many zeroes in ZAR that I won’t even bother to convert. You get the idea. She also used America’s most valued television real estate to slip in a product placement. Just FYI, for the 2023 Super Bowl, the cost of a 30-second advertising slot during the game was more than $7 million. Unless you’re Rihanna.

The all-red outfit that you could see from space (with apologies again to Sam Smith’s red Grammy’s ‘fit)… started off with a sporty cropped Alaia puffy, but she eventually swopped this out for a giant sleeping bag coat. What’s the significance? Her dear friend, style icon and long-time Vogue editor Andre Leon Talley died last year and he was famous for his Normal Kamali floor-sweeping puffer coat. A touching homage to him - and to her impeccable fashion savvy and connections. Talley’s account captioned the images with lyrics from Umbrella: ‘When the sun shines, we’ll shine together. Told you I’ll be here forever… said I’ll always be your friend.’

So you might not be able to get your hands on Alaia, but how about Salomon? Thought so! The red jumpsuits and glossy bustier were finished off with a pair of Salomon Cross trainers. Yes, the same Salomon that gets you up Table Mountain’s trails. The very same. Although not just any Salomon. These were a collab between design house Maison Margiela and Salomon.

Rihanna’s on-stage endorsement cemented Salomon’s unlikely growth story in becoming one of fashion’s most coveted sneaker brands. It was the fastest growing footwear brand on StockX in 2022, with sales up over 2000% year-on-year. Overnight, Google searches for the bright orange Cross Low sneakers spiked 4000%, according to Google Trends data. Says Business of Fashion: ‘Salomon, until recently virtually unknown outside of outdoor hobbyists, had effectively stumbled into a million-dollar marketing opportunity without spending a single dime. But Rihanna’s endorsement cemented an already promising trajectory for the 76-year-old brand, which originated as a small family business specialising in ski edges in the French Alps.’

Okay enough about the hiking skoene, let’s talk Diamonds. I meannnn, she does sing about them after all. Messika diamonds, as they so often are with her. And she knows how to style a jewel. Remember the diamond chain slung around her pregnant belly? For Superbowl Sunday it was all about the ears. Feast your eyes on this ear stack of huggies, studs and cuffs. All diamond and white gold. White gold, you say? White gold is back, baby! You heard it here first.

Silver has dominated recent fashion weeks and red carpets and, with it, comes its fine jewellery counterpart – white gold. “There are so many factors that contribute to the cycle from yellow to white gold, and it’s only natural that it occurs. It could be down to a desire for change or simply because the darkening economic horizon and world affairs call for more restraint than the gleam of yellow gold.”

Since we’re whoop whooping female achievement this week…

What is female achievement if not killing that Superbowl performance while cooking a tiny human at the same time?

Beyoncé won her 32nd Grammy and overturned composer/conductor George Solti’s record of 31 awards in his lifetime. So, drumroll please, for the most awarded Grammy nominee. Ever.

Viola Davis won best audiobook at the Grammy’s, becoming an EGOT. Know what that is? It’s an insane achievement, meaning someone has won an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony. That’s TV, music, film and stage.

Bonnie Raitt won song of the year at the age of 73, beating Taylor, Lizzo, Harry and Adele at the Grammys.

Happy Galentine’s, gals xx