Celebs Who Had Major Performances While Pregnant (& Nailed It)
When a performer gets pregnant, they have a difficult decision to make: Do they go about their business as usual while they're bumping along, or do they take a break from touring and making music? After all, a pregnancy seems like the perfect excuse to kick back and relax if you have a bank account big enough to fund a long break. But for some dedicated singers, the show must go on until that bun in the oven is fully baked.
Pregnancy can wreak havoc on even the most impressive of pipes. Heartburn, hormones, and tiny passengers who reposition organs as they grow can cause vocal changes and force singers to breathe differently, according to The New York Times. Speaking about what it's like performing in concert with a baby on board, Beyoncé once said (via Billboard), "When you're pregnant, it's a little bit harder to breathe, so it was hard doing all the choreography and singing at the same time." Following her first pregnancy, "American Idol" winner Kelly Clarkson had such a difficult time performing songs from her vocally challenging repertoire that she feared she would never recover her ability to belt them out. "I was bawling to my husband, completely hammered, just going, 'Oh my god, it's over. I don't know what I'm gonna do,'" she told ET.
But when singers don't take maternity leave, they can sometimes create pure magic onstage. These stars have all proudly rocked that pregnancy glow during their shows and totally nailed their performances.
Jennifer Lopez surprised Marc Anthony with her baby announcement
Long before the return of Bennifer, Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony became Latin music's biggest power couple. They wed in 2004, and Lopez revealed that she was performing in Portugal when she first started to suspect that she was pregnant. However, in a video on her YouTube channel, she confessed that she was not expecting to learn that she was expecting twins when she went to the doctor for her first ultrasound. "I started laughing hysterically. I just laughed out loud, I couldn't believe it," she said.
Lopez kept the pregnancy a secret from her fans for months, even as she and Anthony embarked on their joint "El Cantante Tour" in 2007. For their Miami show, J.Lo made a valiant effort to disguise her baby bump underneath a sparkly, light blue gown that was far looser than the catsuits and bodysuits that she usually performs in. The baggy dress ended up being unnecessary, as she decided to let the cat out of the bag. "Marc and I are expecting," she announced, causing the crowd to explode in cheers. Anthony affectionately showered her stomach with kisses after appearing stunned for a few moments. He explained his initial reaction by saying, "I was not expecting her to say anything." The couple followed up their big announcement with an emotional, joyous performance of their duet "No Me Ames."
Lopez and Anthony welcomed their twins, son Max and daughter Emme, in February 2008.
M.I.A.'s Grammy performance coincided with her due date
M.I.A. wasn't M.I.A. at the 2009 Grammy Awards, even though the singer revealed that her due date was the same day as the event in a post on her MySpace blog. "The baby is just moving around, getting his swagga on," the MC told MTV News while walking the red carpet ahead of the show. Her album "Paper Planes" had earned her a nomination in the record of the year category, and she put her arms out in imitation of an airplane as she took the Grammys stage to perform a few lines of its infectious title track. The song was cut short when she was joined by Jay-Z, Lil Wayne, Kanye West, and T.I., who were hopefully prepared to stop performing "Swagga Like Us" to help deliver a baby at any given moment — a CBS exec told Entertainment Weekly that M.I.A. actually started having contractions at the very beginning of the show.
For her performance, M.I.A. showed off her pregnant belly in a playful polka-dot mini dress designed by House of Holland. It was sheer with circular black-and-white panels that covered her breasts and lower midsection. So, not your run-of-the-mill maternity wear.
M.I.A. lost record of the year to Alison Krauss and Robert Plant, but went home a winner for making it through the show without going into labor. The rapper and her then-beau, Benjamin Bronfman, welcomed their son, Ikhyd, just three days after her Grammys performance.
Jennifer Hudson's baby bump was there at the Michael Jackson memorial
"Dreamgirls" star Jennifer Hudson performed a moving rendition of "Will You Be There" during the July 2009 memorial for late pop star Michael Jackson. The song, which Jackson wrote and performed, was featured on the "Free Willy" soundtrack in 1993.
With a choir backing her, Hudson injected the ballad with some soulful gospel flavor, but her appearance threatened to overshadow her soaring vocals. Outlets including NJ.com began speculating that the former "American Idol" contestant was pregnant, suggesting that a baby bump was visible underneath her angelic white gown. The dress had an empire waist and flowy skirt that skimmed over her stomach, so it didn't appear that she was exactly trying to hide her figure. However, she remained mum on whether motherhood was in the cards until she became a first-time mom just one month later.
Hudson spoke to People about why she and her then-fiancé, David Otunga, decided not to share their baby news with the public until their son, David Jr., was born. "I would forget I was pregnant, it was so easy," she said. "I didn't have any morning sickness, no cravings either. I just thought, 'Oh, well, we'll wait until it'll tell on itself.'" Hudson also revealed that David Jr. found her singing soothing whenever he started to get fussy but didn't say whether "Will You Be There" was a fave.
Alicia Keys entertained Prince with her pregnant piano crawl
Being asked to pay tribute to music royalty is undoubtedly a daunting request, especially when you know that the artist you're honoring will be sitting in the audience watching your performance. But Alicia Keys discovered a way to rule Prince's world by being barefoot and pregnant at the 2010 BET Awards.
The "Girl on Fire" songstress was expecting her first child when she performed The Purple One's hit "Adore," and she didn't just sit at the piano and tickle the ivories. Instead, she risked slipping and fallin' by kicking off her shoes and climbing on top of a grand piano, where she writhed around while not missing a note. The camera snuck a few reaction shots of Prince, who waved a fist in the air, nodded his head, and tapped his feet. "I just felt like I had to bring it," Keys later told Dazed. "You can't be contained when you're performing, you've got to be outrageous." She also revealed that she didn't warn anyone involved with the show about what she was going to do because she feared that they wouldn't allow it. Her then-fiancé, Swizz Beatz, told MTV News that Keys didn't even give him a heads up. "I'm like, 'Wow, that's crazy! She's taking it there,'" he said of his own reaction.
Keys and Beatz welcomed another prince to the world, their son, Egypt, almost four months after he helped his mom wow a music legend.
Pink couldn't drink at the 2010 AMAs
In November 2010, Pink announced that she and her husband, Carey Hart, were expecting their first child together on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show." Ellen DeGeneres started the interview by giving the "Cover Me in Sunshine" singer a grilling over why she was sporting a visible glow, which was clearly a shameless attempt to get Pink to share her happy news. "Well, it could have something to do with these babies," Pink quipped while grabbing her breasts. DeGeneres eventually wheedled a baby confession out of her guest, and they both celebrated by raising their glasses — er, mugs.
Days later, fans were waiting to see how Pink's pregnancy would affect her performance of "Raise Your Glass" at the American Music Awards. She opted to skip the aerial acrobatics that have become a staple of her concerts, but kept the energy level up by dancing and working the stage. Amidst all the chaos, skateboarders and BMX riders made use of a ramp. While Pink couldn't toast the crowd with her favorite alcoholic beverage, she did get to break a glass — on one of her background dancer's heads. She ended her performance with a balloon drop and a gleeful belly rub.
In June 2011, Pink was given a good reason to raise her glass: replenishing bodily fluids lost during labor. "We are ecstatic to welcome our new beautiful healthy happy baby girl, Willow Sage Hart," she tweeted. "She's gorgeous, just like her daddy."
Mariah Carey brought two special gifts with her to the White House
The queen of Christmas got to meet the president of the United States during the holiday season in 2010. The most wonderful time of the year was keeping Mariah Carey extra busy that year: She spread holiday cheer by singing at the annual Rockefeller tree lighting ceremony, shooting the ABC special "Mariah Carey: Merry Christmas to You," and performing during Disney's Christmas parade. She also tried to strike seasonal gold again by releasing her second holiday album "Merry Christmas II You." The "All I Want for Christmas is You" hitmaker told Radio Disney (via the Daily Mail) that she learned she was expecting while working on the record, and she couldn't resist sharing the good news when she squeezed yet another very merry appearance into her packed schedule: performing at the White House's "Christmas in Washington" concert.
Carey's then-husband, Nick Cannon, recalled how his wife let the secret slip when the president and first lady at the time, Barack Obama and Michelle Obama, inquired about her pregnancy. "Because of the excitement and the emotion, she shared with the president and the first lady that we are having twins," Cannon recalled on his radio show "Rollin' With Nick Cannon" (via CNN). Right before this interaction, Carey had beautifully belted out her original song "One Child" while all decked out in a festive red gown.
Carey and Cannon welcomed their two children, son Moroccan and daughter Monroe, in April 2011.
Beyoncé's pregnancy double whammy: The VMAs and Grammys
Beyoncé masterfully delivered the mother of all pregnancy announcements at the 2011 MTV Video Music Awards. After taking the stage in a pair of sky-high heels, black flared pants, and a purple sequined blazer, she dropped a big hint about what was coming by telling the audience, "I want you to feel the love that's growing inside of me!" She concluded her flawless performance by whipping her blazer open and rubbing her belly as hubby Jay-Z celebrated with Kanye West. The Carters' first child, Blue Ivy, was born the following January.
Queen Bey was pregnant again when she performed at the 2017 Grammys, but she'd already announced that she was expecting twins. She was in her serene fertility goddess era, showing her blossoming belly off in a flesh-toned bikini and golden crown. Her regal wardrobe also included a semi-sheer gown covered with glittering embellishments. After a dreamy intro, she kept viewers on the edges of their seats by singing "Love Drought" while sitting in a chair that slowly tipped her back over the edge of the stage. Beyoncé also sat down to sing "Sandcastles."
Her twins were born four months later, and Beyoncé revealed that the final weeks of her pregnancy were nowhere near as peaceful as her Grammys performance. "I was 218 pounds the day I gave birth to Rumi and Sir. I was swollen from toxemia and had been on bed rest for over a month," she told Vogue.
Christina Aguilera was a pregnant vocal powerhouse in The Big Easy
In March 2014, Christina Aguilera let the genie out of the bottle about her second pregnancy during a concert in Malaysia, where she informed the crowd that she was expecting a baby girl. "This is her first show, you guys are her first show," she said to the ecstatic audience (via Too Fab). She didn't let being pregnant slow her down, taking the stage two months later at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival and sustaining her powerful vocals throughout performances of some of her biggest hits, including "Dirrty," "Say Something," and her empowering anthem "Beautiful."
Aguilera wore a bustier-style mini dress with sparkly fishnet tights, and she used a pair of fedoras in black and white, a silver-and-black houndstooth coat, a white men's shirt, and a sequined jacket to make quick costume changes. She didn't mention her pregnancy, but she regularly flashed her burgeoning bump underneath her open outerwear.
The singer flaunted her pregnant belly in a much flashier way months later when she posed nude for the August issue of V Magazine. "As a woman, I'm proud to embrace my body through all stages of life, staying fearless and confident in surrendering to the unknowns the future has in store," she told the mag. That same month, she and her then-fiancé, Matt Rutler, welcomed their daughter, Summer Rain.
Shakira's hips sorta lied at the 2014 World Cup
In 2012, Shakira tweeted that she was going to perform while pregnant for the first time during the FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup closing ceremony. The following year, the singer and her now-ex, soccer player Gerard Piqué, celebrated the birth of their son, Milan. Soccer and music played an important role in the couple's relationship; they met while Shakira was filming the music video for her official World Cup anthem "Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)."
Shakira was expecting again when she got an invite to sing at another soccer event, the closing ceremony for the 2014 World Cup. However, she hadn't yet shared the news, and she hid her secret well by showing off her signature shakes and shimmies while performing "La La La (Brazil 2014)" with Carlinhos Brown. Shakira rocked a strappy red costume with a fringe skirt and went barefoot, beating on a drum before breaking out the slinky dance moves. The vivacious entertainer kept the intensity level high throughout her performance, which she concluded with some vigorous booty shaking. One month later, she confirmed that she was pregnant in an interview with Cosmopolitan México.
Shakira welcomed her son, Sasha, in February 2015. While she'd previously told Latina magazine, "I would love to have eight or nine kids with Gerard — my own fútbol team," when the singer and Piqué split in 2022, they hadn't added any additional members to their roster.
Kelly Clarkson explained an emotional performance with a pregnancy announcement
Kelly Clarkson's poignant song "Piece by Piece" is about family. In a March 2015 interview with Glamour, she explained that she was thinking about her own father abandoning her when she wrote it, saying that she found it unfathomable to imagine leaving a child after becoming a first-time mom to her daughter, River Rose. Months later, she was performing "Piece by Piece" during a concert in Los Angeles when she got so emotional that she had to stop and explain why she was having such a hard time singing that particular song. "I was not planning on announcing this — I'm totally pregnant," Clarkson said. After she killed the rest of her performance, she added, "I want to apologize to my husband [Brandon Blackstock]. That was not planned. I just didn't want you to think I was crazy or something. I just, honestly, I'm so hormonal today."
The crowd was so excited to be among the first recipients of her joyous news that they cheered when she happily told them, "I haven't vomited yet." But unfortunately for Clarkson, she wouldn't make it through her entire pregnancy unscathed. "I'm familiar with all-day sickness. ... I have to get IVs and fluids because I get so dehydrated," she said on "CBS This Morning." So maybe what doesn't kill you doesn't always make you stronger.
The singer and Blackstock, whom Clarkson divorced in 2020, welcomed their son, Remington, in April 2016.
Cardi B's Baby B became an instant SNL star
In 2018, the queen of "WAP" gave her "Saturday Night Live" performance some extra pop by revealing her pregnancy in dramatic fashion. When Cardi B started singing "Be Careful," the camera filmed her from mid-waist up until she got a little over halfway through the song. It then slowly panned back so that her baby bump was visible. After Cardi B nailed her performance, designer Christian Siriano took to Twitter to take credit for creating her ruched white gown, which flared out at the bottom to create a mermaid silhouette.
Cardi B later appeared on "The Tonight Show" and revealed that she originally wanted to hide her pregnancy as long as possible, but figured someone else would end up breaking the baby news without her blessing if she tried that tactic. "I could've gotten away with it if it wasn't for those meddling paparazzi," she quipped to Jimmy Fallon. But then the "SNL" opportunity came along, which got her thinking, "Why not present it in a beautiful, clean way?"
The "Bodak Yellow" hitmaker and her hubby, Offset, celebrated the arrival of their daughter, Kulture Kiari, in July 2018. When the couple learned that they were expecting again in 2021, Cardi B decided to make another public pregnancy announcement at the BET Awards. This time, she was performing with Offset and his fellow Migos members when she took the stage in a bejeweled bodysuit with a sheer panel that put her bump on display.
Carrie Underwood and her bun in the oven had a busy night at the CMA Awards
With backing from a choir, Carrie Underwood delivered an uplifting performance of her power ballad "Love Wins" at the 2018 CMA Awards. It was so moving that it had Billboard suggesting that Underwood just might be one of country music's all-time best female performers — and she's pretty darn stylish to boot. The "American Idol" winner looked downright regal in a royal blue dress with a cape that featured a swirling, rainbow-colored lining, completing her look with a special accessory that can't be measured in carats: a substantially sized baby bump.
Underwood co-hosted the show with Brad Paisley, giving her the opportunity to show off her pregnant tummy in more than one stylish ensemble. Her busy night also included an acceptance speech for her female vocalist of the year award and a big reveal. Paisley helped her announce her baby's sex by using the names of country music icons. "Johnny or June? Tim or Faith? George or Tammy?" he asked (via Page Six). Underwood replied, "It's a Willie!"
But when Underwood and husband Mike Fisher welcomed their second son in January 2019, they didn't name him after the "Mammas Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys" hitmaker. Paisley reacted to their moniker choice on Instagram, writing, "Like I said, it's a Willie! Er ... a Jacob!"
Expectant Ciara worked up a sweat at NYFW
While New York Fashion Week is supposed to be all about the clothes, in 2020, Ciara shifted the spotlight from the runway to the stage for a fierce performance at Bulgari's rager of a warehouse party. "For what it's worth, I do feel really confident up here, especially carrying my third baby," the singer told attendees (via Vogue). That confidence showed as she amped up the intensity to 11 and kept it there while flawlessly executing strenuous choreography. She worked up a sweat during "Set," twerked up a storm for "Level Up, and took her song's title to heart when she dropped it down low during "Lose Control." Ciara also didn't skip the dip when doing the "Tootsie Roll" choreo.
The singer rocked a pair of baggy black leather pants and a coordinating loose-fitting top that somewhat disguised her bump and didn't restrict her movement. But while she looked fly and spry, Ciara later confessed to the press that her third pregnancy took a serious physical toll on her. "My body was so achy, I thought I was going to need a cane at the end of my pregnancy to be honest," she said (via E! News). "I was penguin walking throughout the house at the end." But on Instagram, she revealed that she shot her "Rooted" music video just two days before she and her husband, NFL quarterback Russell Wilson, celebrated the birth of their son, Win, and she was still twerking.
Pregnant Katy Perry performed the perfect song for a Disney singalong
Katy Perry revealed that she and "Lord of the Rings" star Orlando Bloom had a baby bloom on the way in the 2020 music video for her song "Never Worn White," which ended with a shot of the pop star cradling her pregnant belly.
Perry shared her happy news just days before the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a global pandemic, so she spent part of her pregnancy in lockdown. "I'm grateful that I'm not giving birth tomorrow," she said in an April 2020 interview with Extra. "It's a one-day-at-a-time situation, always being open to the unknown and exploring options." She and her fellow "American Idol" judges were filming the show from home, and Perry also participated in ABC's "Disney Family Singalong: Volume II" from the comfort of her couch. She treated fans to a virtual performance of the tearjerker "Baby Mine," which was featured in both of Disney's "Dumbo" movies. Perry dressed up like the animated version of Dumbo's mother, while her adorable pet poodle, Nugget, played the role of the big-eared baby elephant.
If she'd crooned the sweet ode to motherhood a few months later, perhaps Perry would have dressed her own "Baby Mine" up like Dumbo. She and Bloom welcomed their daughter in August 2020 and gave her a name that belongs to a different Disney character. However, Perry told People that Daisy's moniker was inspired by the flower, not Donald Duck's girlfriend.
Rihanna's happy Super Bowl halftime news
Few Rihanna fans likely expected her to get pregnant less than a year after she and her boyfriend, A$AP Rocky, welcomed their son in May 2022, so when she opened her Super Bowl LVII halftime show by running her hand over stomach, Twitter spent the rest of her performance uncomfortably trying to avoid speculating about the state of her womb. Rihanna wore a red jumpsuit that was zipped down to expose her stomach, but she had a tight red bodysuit and coordinating breastplate on beneath it. Her entire look was designed by Loewe.
When she kicked off her performance, Rihanna was standing on a platform suspended high in the air, looking like a character in a video game. She eventually made her way back down to earth while working her way through some of her biggest hits, from "B***h Better Have My Money" to "Work," stopping mid-show to powder her nose (something you don't want shining bright like a diamond) for what was essentially a Fenty Beauty Super Bowl ad. Rihanna didn't end her performance with an announcement, but the Twitterverse let out a collective breath when her rep confirmed her pregnancy.
Speaking to Us Weekly about Rihanna and Rocky's baby news, a source stated, "They wanted another baby and were trying, but the pregnancy came sooner than expected!" And it came just in time to make it possible for RiRi to include a one-of-a-kind moment in her Super Bowl performance.