In a heartwarming blast from the past that’s melting the internet, resurfaced photos of Rihanna gleefully shopping for baby girl clothes back in 2022 have taken on a whole new layer of magic now that the singer has finally welcomed her long-dreamed-of daughter. The images, captured during her first pregnancy, show a radiant RiRi browsing pink onesies and frilly dresses with unbridled excitement—hints that fans now see as prophetic foreshadowing. Just over a month after giving birth to her third child, a baby girl named Rocki Irish Mayers, the Fenty mogul’s “manifestation” moment has sparked a wave of joyful tears, laughter, and viral memes. “She was really determined to have a baby girl!” one fan quipped on X, capturing the sentiment echoing across social media.
The story begins in March 2022, when a heavily pregnant Rihanna, then 34 and expecting her first child with partner A$AP Rocky, was spotted making a casual yet iconic pit stop at a Target in Los Angeles. Dressed in her signature high-fashion maternity style—a cropped pink button-up shirt, high-waisted jeans that accentuated her bump, and towering heels that screamed “billionaire mom-to-be”—Rihanna pushed a red shopping cart through the baby aisle like it was a runway. Paparazzi snaps, first published by outlets like *Entertainment Tonight* and *Daily Mail*, captured her rifling through racks of tiny outfits, stacking up Gerber onesies, socks, and—most tellingly—a coral Cat & Jack dress priced at just $18. The orange-hued frock, with its playful ruffles, landed squarely in her cart, sending speculation into overdrive.
At the time, Rihanna and Rocky had kept the gender of their firstborn a tightly guarded secret, much to the delight of headline-chasing tabloids. But eagle-eyed fans couldn’t ignore the clues: Why the deliberate detour to the girls’ section? Why that specific dress, dangling from her fingers like a trophy? Social media lit up with theories. “Rihanna just did her gender reveal at Target—brilliant!” tweeted one user, while another gushed, “If she’s grabbing pink, it’s a mini RiRi incoming.” Joined by her best friend Melissa Forde, Rihanna even chatted animatedly with a store employee who held up a tiny pink jacket, her laughter audible even in still photos. Yet, as the world would learn months later, that bundle of joy was RZA Athelston Mayers, a bouncing baby boy born in May 2022. The “girl clothes” haul? A masterful troll or, as fans now insist, a subconscious wink to the future.
Fast-forward three years, and those same photos are resurfacing with ferocious nostalgia. On September 24, Rihanna dropped the bombshell on Instagram: a tender black-and-white snapshot of her cradling newborn Rocki, swaddled in a soft blanket, accompanied by a photo of miniature pink boxing gloves—a nod to Rocky’s rap persona and RiRi’s fierce spirit. “Sept 13 2025 🎀,” she captioned simply, confirming the arrival of their daughter at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in L.A. The post, which has since amassed over 20 million likes, shattered records and flooded timelines with pink hearts and teary-eyed congratulations. But it was the throwback frenzy that truly stole the show. X users unearthed the 2022 Target pics, stitching them into threads titled “Rihanna Manifested Her Girl Era” and “RiRi Knew All Along.”
The timing couldn’t be more poetic. Rihanna’s journey to motherhood has been a masterclass in reinvention, blending vulnerability with unapologetic glamour. Her first pregnancy reveal in January 2022—a steamy NYC rooftop photoshoot showcasing her bare bump—ignited global frenzy and redefined maternity fashion. She strutted Fashion Week in sheer Mugler bodysuits and oversized Vetements hoodies, declaring to *Vogue*, “There’s no way I’m going to go shopping in no maternity aisle.” Sons RZA, now 3, and Riot Rose, 2, followed in quick succession: RZA in 2022, and Riot making a surprise debut just months after Rihanna’s electrifying Super Bowl LVII halftime show in 2023, where she subtly lifted her red bodysuit to hint at baby No. 2.
Through it all, Rihanna’s yearning for a daughter simmered beneath the surface. In a candid 2022 *Interview* chat, she confessed, “I’d love to have more kids… a girl would be epic.” Rocky echoed the sentiment in a recent *Elle* profile, admitting, “I hope it’s a baby girl, man. I need that.” Their third pregnancy, announced with dramatic flair at the 2025 Met Gala—RiRi arriving fashionably late in a custom Marc Jacobs pinstripe ensemble that hugged her bump like couture armor—kept fans on tenterhooks. Sightings of her in baby blue Chanel babydoll dresses at the *Smurfs* premiere and chocolate-brown Saint Laurent gowns at L.A. events only fueled the hype. Whispers of twins swirled (one fan joked, “Rihanna bout to have twins btw. I feel it”), but September 13 delivered the ultimate gift: Rocki, completing the family’s alliterative “R” tradition and tipping the scales to a balanced brood of two boys and one girl.
Now, with Rocki home, the 2022 photos hit “different,” as one viral X post put it. Fans are cackling over Rihanna’s “determination,” photoshopping the Target dress onto baby Rocki’s Instagram debut and captioning it, “What she wore to manifest this moment.” One thread from user @TylerWorrell17 dissected the outing beat by beat: “On March 25th, 2022, Rihanna went baby clothes shopping with her best friend Melissa… some people were thinking that she was gonna have a girl… looking back at it now she had us all fooled.” The irony? That “fool’s errand” haul might have doubled as Rocki’s future wardrobe starter pack. Rihanna, ever the strategist, reportedly stashed away select pieces from her pregnancies, turning them into cherished heirlooms. Sources close to the couple tell *TMZ* that the pink boxing gloves in Rocki’s announcement photo were a custom Fenty Kids collab, but insiders hint at deeper treasures: “Ri prepared a special box for her girl years ago—those Target finds are in there, waiting.”
The resurgence has also spotlighted Rihanna’s relatable side amid her empire-building. As Fenty Beauty celebrates its eighth birthday and Savage X Fenty drops inclusive maternity lines, she’s proving motherhood doesn’t pause ambition. Yet, in these throwbacks, we see the human RiRi: giggling over $18 bargains, dreaming big for a little girl who might one day inherit her diamond-studded mic stand. “She was manifesting in the aisles,” laughed comedian Kevin Hart in a repost. Celebrities piled on—Beyoncé with a simple “Queen things 👑,” and Taylor Swift sharing a string of pink emojis—turning the moment into a cultural touchstone.
For Rihanna, 37 and thriving, Rocki’s arrival feels like destiny’s bow on a decade-long love story with Rocky. From cautious dating in 2019 (“We can make or break each other’s hearts,” she once said) to co-parenting a fashion-forward fam, they’ve built a legacy of love that’s as fierce as “Umbrella” and sweet as “Stay.” As fans scroll through those 2022 pics, the laughter mixes with awe: Rihanna didn’t just shop for clothes; she shopped for her future. And now, with Rocki in her arms, the glow is brighter than ever. In a world of fleeting trends, this mama’s determination? Timeless.