On Monday (7.19), Sports Illustrated confirmed that Megan Thee Stallion is one of three cover stars of its 2021 Swimsuit issue.
Now 26, the “Savage” hitmaker makes history (or should we say ‘herstory’) as the first rapper and only the second musician to ever front the iconic magazine, following Beyoncé who graced the iconic issue in 2007. And true to form, Megan (born Megan Jovon Ruth Pete) shines in a zippered nude bikini from her new Fashion Nova swimwear collection on the cover.
Announcing the new, Megan wrote on Instagram “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!!” “I was the little girl who was looking at Sports Illustrated like, ‘One day, this is gonna be me.’ And I manifested it. I wanted to do it and now I’m here,” Megan said in a behind-the-scenes video from her shoot.
Along with Atlantic Records recording is superstar tennis player Naomi Osaka is one of SI Swim’s other cover stars, as is the magazine’s first transgender model of color, Leyna Bloom. Yumi Nu, the brand’s first Asian curve model, and COVID nurse Maggie Rawlins also appear inside the periodical.
In a statement about this year’s cover models, Sports Illustrated Swimsuit editor-in-chief, MJ Day said: “We have three inherently different cover models that come together to tell a story rooted in female empowerment, setting a reminder that beauty comes in many forms,” hailing Megan as “a magnetic powerhouse taking the world by storm” adding “Our cover stars alongside the other incredible women featured in the issue, represent some of the most powerful voices of today,” she added.
This year’s SI Swimsuit issue will be on newsstands July 22.
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Author: Brad LeBeau
Photo: Alfred Marroquin