Rihanna has earned widespread praise for her new British Vogue cover, which sees her posing alongside A$AP Rocky and their nine-month-old son for the family’s first portraits.
The “Diamonds” singer, who announced after performing the Super Bowl halftime show that she is pregnant with her second child, covers the magazine for its May 2023 cover. In the accompanying interview and photoshoot, the Fenty Beauty founder was photographed alongside her partner and their son on a beach in Malibu, California.
In the cover photo, Rihanna could be seen holding A$AP Rocky’s hand as she walked barefoot on the beach in a black halter dress with a jewel-encrusted neckline. She completed the look with statement earrings and her hair worn down and curly.
For the photoshoot, which was shot by Inez van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin, the rapper wore an entirely leather outfit consisting of leather pants and a leather vest, which he wore buttoned over his bare chest. In the photo, he holds the couple’s son, whose name has not yet been released.
The photo spread also includes portraits of Rihanna posing with her son for his first-ever Vogue photoshoot, and a photo of the billionaire beauty entrepreneur being embraced by her partner.
On Twitter, the family portraits have been praised by fans, with one person applauding the “stunning” cover. “Rihanna, A$AP Rocky and their baby are stunning on the cover of British Vogue,” they wrote.
Another fan said: “Rihanna looks so beautiful on the cover of British Vogue! The photo spread inside of her with her baby is everything!”
“Rihanna and her son just slayed the cover of British Vogue! Mama and mini duo looking sassy and stylish!” someone else tweeted.
In the accompanying interview, Rihanna opened up about the couple’s decision to share photos of their first child on their own terms.
“I just went straight into protective mode. Like there wasn’t even time for rage,” Rihanna told British Vogue of the moment she realised her son had been photographed without her consent. “As parents it just feels so icky, like a violation.”
Rihanna then recalled how she and A$AP Rocky had decided to handle the possibility that the photos would be leaked to the press, with the singer telling the outlet that she’d sent candid photos of their son to an unnamed blogger, and joined TikTok, where she shared a video of the baby.
“We get to decide as parents when and how we do that,” she said. “End of story.”
The interview comes after Rihanna sparked speculation that she was pregnant during her Super Bowl halftime performance over the weekend. She later confirmed through a representative that she and A$AP Rocky are expecting their second child.
