MPHO RANTAO
MEGAN Thee Stallion has brought her famous ‘Hot Girl Summer’ energy as the cover star for Sports Illustrated (SI).
The Texan rapper was unveiled as one of the cover stars for the annual SI Swimsuit issue, along with transgender model Leyna Bloom and Tennis champion Naomi Osaka.
All three women appearing on the cover is a historic feat, with Osaka as the first female black athlete; Haitian and Japanese woman; Bloom being the first transgender model of colour, and Megan Thee Stallion being the first rapper.
Previous cover stars of the swimsuit issue include Beyonce, model Tyra Banks, plus-size model Ashley Graham; and Naomi Campbell.
“If there’s one thing that our cover models have in common, it’s that they don’t have one thing in common,” SI Swimsuit editor MJ Day said in a statement to USA Today.
“They look different, have different upbringings, have different passions and inspirations. But each is a reminder that beauty comes in many forms.”
Stallion took to Instagram to share her excitement over the cover feature, adding that the cover was a “dream come true”.
“REAL SPORTS ILLUSTRATED SWIMSUIT EDITION COVER MODEL SH*T!!!” she captioned an Instagram post, adding: “Thee first female rapper on the cover of @si_swimsuit 😭😭 I want to thank all the strong women in my life who inspired me to love my body and live my best hot girl life. It means the world to me to be on this cover DREAM COME TRUE!! 😛”
Photographed by James Mecari, the Hot Girl Summer founder told the magazine: “When I got the call that they wanted me on the cover, I was like, ‘Wha—? Me?’ And to be the first female rapper on the swim cover makes it extra special. It feels amazing!”
She further adds that Tyra Banks’ feature as the first model of colour to cover a previous issue of SI’s Swimsuit issue inspired her dream of posing for the magazine.
“My earliest memory of a SI Swimsuit cover was Tyra. I remember thinking, ‘Wow, this girl looks like me!’” Stallion said. “Here is this stunning Black woman owning her curves and it made a big impact. It made me think, maybe I can be on the cover of SI Swim one day. And guess what — I am!”
Stallion’s culturally significant cover comes fresh off of the star’s quick and busy rise to the top. Through her debut album and EPs, the rapper walked away with her first set of Grammy awards; featured in successful shows such as Netflix’s Good Girls and HBO’s Legendary; and has broken records with her debut LP Good News.
For Osaka, the US Open champion has been busy both on and off the courts, making more editorial shoots in Vogue magazine, being announced as one of Louis Vuitton’s newest ambassadors, advocating for mental health and working with Netflix for a reality docu-series.
On Osaka, SI Swimsuit editor MJ Day said: “There’s no question that Naomi is one of the best athletes in the world, and a cover spot felt obvious. She’s spent her formative years racking up titles and is headed to the Olympics.
“But we celebrate Naomi for her passion, strength and power geared towards consistently breaking barriers when it comes to equality, social justice, and mental health.”
The 2020 Sports Illustrated’s sportsperson of the year had withdrawn from the French Open after her decision to not speak to the media to protect her mental health. She is also set to represent Japan at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
Model Leyna Bloom has continued to succeed in the world of fashion and beauty, making headlines as some of the transgender models changing the status quo on representation.
Prior to the unveiling of the cover, Bloom was announced by SI as their first Asian and Black transgender model to cover the magazine. Her feature comes after the magazine in the past made Brazilian model Valentina Sampaio their first-ever transgender model its cover star.
Writing on Instagram, “We deserve this moment; we have waited millions of years to show up as survivors and be seen as full humans filled with wonder. This historical moment is important to #girlslikeus because it allows us to live and be seen.
“Many girls like us don’t have the chance to live long at all. I hope my cover empowers those, who are struggling to be seen, feel valued.”
The Swimsuit Issue featured 25 models and 13 finalists from an amateur model search, creating one of their most diverse issues yet.
Other featured faces in SI’s annual Swimsuit Issue include singer Tinashe, Japanese and Dutch plus-size model Yumi Nu; Danielle Herrington; 57-year old Kathy Jacobs; 2020 cover star Jasmine Sanders and popular Ethiopian-American vlogger Nyma Tang.
