Baby Riot, born just six weeks ago on August 1, made a relatively early debut into the world at 7:41 a.m. In terms of public awareness, things have taken a different turn for Rihanna and Rocky this time around. The world got to know Riot's name and birthdate just a little over a month after his arrival, and even had some information about his existence before that. In contrast, it wasn't until RZA was nearly one year old that we learned his name, and seeing his face was a rare occurrence until he made a playful appearance in a TikTok video at seven months old, playfully captioned "hacked" by Rihanna.
Furthermore, the announcements of the two pregnancies were markedly different. In January 2022, the couple discreetly shared photos of Rihanna with a baby bump to confirm the pregnancy. It was a low-key announcement. However, the news of baby Riot's impending arrival was revealed on a grand scale, with Rihanna showcasing her growing belly during her headline performance at the Super Bowl halftime show, making it an internationally televised, stadium-sized affair.
The family's photos capture moments of the adorable baby being just that, as well as candid and posed shots of the whole family enjoying their time together and looking photogenic.
During a press conference in February 2023 ahead of her Super Bowl performance, Rihanna discussed the emotional changes that come with motherhood and her motivation for taking on the show. Looking back, given that it was also her pregnancy reveal for Riot, it takes on a deeper significance. She shared, "When you become a mom, there's something that happens where you feel like you can conquer the world and achieve anything. The Super Bowl is one of the world's biggest stages, and despite the fear, because I hadn't been on stage in seven years, there's something thrilling about the challenge."
She added, "It's important for me to do this this year. It's important for representation, and it's important for my son to witness it." As for which son she was referring to, the one in her belly or the one already born by that point, it's safe to say she meant both.