Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Names and faces
■ Following her Super Bowl performance, a representative for
Rihanna confirmed the singer is pregnant with her second child, the Associated Press reported. Sporting a red jumpsuit, open to reveal a tighter red layer of clothing — and a noticeable bump — Rihanna performed a 13-minute medley Sunday surrounded by dozens of dancers in puffy white costumes. At times, she appeared to stroke her midsection, sparking speculation on social media about a possible pregnancy. It was her first public performance since the 2018 Grammys and her first since becoming a mother. The singer said in 2019 she had turned down the chance to perform in the Super Bowl halftime show in support of Colin Kaepernick, who was the first NFL player to take a knee during the national anthem. This time around, Rihanna, 34, credited her son for her decision to perform. “When you become a mom, there’s something that just happens where you feel like you … can do anything,” Rihanna said during a news conference ahead of the big game. “It’s important for me to do this this year. It’s important for representation, it’s important for my son to see that.”
■ Sam Smith wore a black latex jumpsuit with inflatable arms and legs that quickly became the mostbuzzed - about look of the Brit Awards on Saturday in London. The singer’s look had its fans, but also inspired some to take to social media to make jokes about UFOs and Billy Connolly’s “incontinence pants” come to life. Others wondered if it was an homage to one of David Bowie’s shiny, pinstripe jumpsuit with ballooning legs designed by Kansai Yamamoto that Bowie wore in 1973. The designer of Smith’s outfit, Harri, told WWD that the look was intended to celebrate the natural form and “the beauty of being one’s self.” “Sam was having a lot of hate comments recently after ‘ Unholy’ about [ their] body image,” Harri said. “I wanted to create an image which people have never seen Sam in.” Last week, Smith praised stylist Ben Reardon on Instagram, writing that he’s behind much of what Smith worn over the past few years. “Ben, your talent and your vision is unprecedented,” Smith wrote. ” Thank you for helping me be brave and have fun at the same time. I love you.”