The ReGroup: unpacking Rihanna’s Super Bowl performance and MSCHF’s new boots
The regroup is back. This is the part of the show where we dig into the tea circulating in your group chats. So let's kick things off with superstar Rihanna, who has been all up and through the group chats for the last week. Bag Al Rhee Reblaze the stage during the Super Bowl 57 halftime show, making a rather subtle announcement of baby number two and delivering 118.7 million viewers. And on Wednesday, she graced the cover of British Vogue with A$AP Rocky and their nine-month-old son. Now, Rihanna discussed her new confidence, new music, and new life as a parent in this British Vogue piece.
But the streets want to know when is her next album coming? Let's bring in our culture critics to discuss. Creator of Lea's Lemonade, Lea Henry is here. And MSNBC Entertainment contributor Chris Witherspoon is also here. Welcome to you both, Chris. I hope you brought your tea cup. Look, we have—let me just be very clear. I am not necessarily a member of Rihanna's Navy, okay? But I would like to know if she's got a new bop coming.
And we've been waiting for new music. Rihanna told British Vogue why she hasn't released a new project since her 2016 album called Anti or Antie, depending on who you're talking to. And she said this, I have my ideas in my head, but I can't say them out loud yet. Chris, what do you think? Are the folks getting an album this year? Well, you know Rihanna did say in that article that she does have plans to put an album out this year at some point. But what she said was anti. Anti was such a huge album when it came out in 2016. And she said it's her favorite work thus far.
And that she and her mind still can't figure out how can she top anti? How can she make music that sounds that good? The rest of it's just not with her, but also with her loyal little fans. But I think also she's making coin. You guys, she pulled that compact out at the halftime show. Her sales went up— Anti-compact was there, yes. Went up 800%. She sold $5.6 million in sales in just 12 hours.
Rihanna's not really here for the music the way that she used to be because she ought to be. She is a billionaire, the richest female singer right now, and she's making them coins. And she did some at the halftime show. No other artist has done this. No, I mean, she, again, she got more views in the halftime show than the folks that watch the Super Bowl. So when it comes to this halftime show, Leah, Rihanna came out. Okay, she gave us a little belly rub, just a little belly rub.
But it was at least 60 feet up in the air, might I add. And then she gave the girls a little, I'm here to sing. I enjoyed the singing, but I will tell you that my mind was changed when it was officially confirmed that Rihanna was pregnant. Because to me, then, the performance made sense. What did you think? Yeah, I mean, honestly, a lot of people on the Internet were arguing whether Rihanna, like, is this a standard Rihanna performance? But I don't know, you know, Batgirl rereads from the islands. I was expecting a little wine, a little twist, a little something. It was a little plain for me.
And I think, you know, she tried to build around herself all things considered. Leah, we don't know how many months she is, but the woman was pregnant. Now, understanding that she's pregnant, now I'm like, okay, I understand why we were just getting a little, mm, mm, mm. Literally, that's all we got, though. I mean, I don't know. There's been a lot of conversation. And maybe I saw it on the fact that maybe she could have sent this one out.
Maybe she could have did it next year. After she had the other very new. You know what, Leah, the Court of Corner is a place where all opinions are welcomed, even the unpopular ones on the Internet. R.I.P.D.
here mentions, I want to move to one of my new least favorite topics. And I'm not talking about Donald Trump. I'm talking about these ugly, big red boots. Look at these on the screen. Okay, several celebrities were posting photos on Instagram with these mischief red boots. I'm talking about Lil Wayne, Seth Rollins, even Ciara have all hopped on their bandwagon. Janelle Monáe, she had the boots in like another color.
I just think these boots are horrible. And not just because they look like Papa Smurf shoes. Okay, but it is, it just doesn't make sense. Chris, I am not convinced that these celebrities are buying these shoes and showing them off without some incentive. What say you? I got to steep my T right now because I am all in my feelings right now. When I saw those boots, Simone, I said, what in the Papa Smurf is going on? But who's Halloween costumes, leftovers? Are we now turning into runway fashion? And I think this always happens sometimes around fashion week right now is the fashion week right now in New York City. These came out sort of this week during fashion week and they sold out $350.
They're 15 inches, 3.5 pounds. You're carrying around a few on your ankles. I'm not here for it. It feels like a fashion stunt and not true fashions. Where are the fashions, darling? Where are the fashions, honey? The boots in my eyes are absurd. And as one of my senior producers would say, this is the perfect example of how social media is dumbing down the globe.
Okay, what is going on here, Leah? I mean, first of all, would you buy the boots? Oh, no, absolutely not. I mean, I feel like honestly, I could make them. So that's a no for me. But I feel like celebrities, when something insanely expensive comes out, they go, everybody says it's ridiculous. But now that I'm rich and I have the money to pay for it, let me just wear it just because. So now we're about to see everyone wearing these. Among those lines, I will just say these shoes are $350 and they are being resold on StockX for thousands and thousands of dollars.
I was Googling them to show them yesterday and I was like, why are these big ugly red boots? Thousands of dollars. I guess there's something to be said about using your brand and your platform to sell the people things, something that I cannot say on the news. So we're just going to leave it there. Leah Henry, Chris Rizzo. Thank you both very much.
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