Bowling Green, Kentucky, is making waves after a senior living center's TikTok video went viral. In the video, 11 women recreated part of Rihanna's Super Bowl halftime show, and it has since gained over 30 million views on the app. The clip caught the attention of both Jay-Z and Rihanna herself, who sent 100 red and white roses, respectively to congratulate the residents on their moves.
The delivery from Rihanna came with a note that called the dance "amazing." And we have to agree - these ladies are giving us major dance goals! Paige Oakes, the center's director of community relations, told BuzzFeed News that they were "just in shock" when they found out Rihanna had seen their video. "It made our day knowing that she got to watch it and enjoy seeing our residents dancing to her music and having fun," Oakes said. Not everyone at the facility had heard of TikTok or even knew who Rihanna was (gasp!), but that didn't stop them from getting involved in the fun. The decision to launch an Arcadia TikTok account was made by Oakes and Maitlin Nuckols, the facility's director of life engagement. Since then, they've posted eight videos, including their version of Miley Cyrus's smash hit Flowers, but nothing has come close to the success of their Rihanna tribute.
The internet can't seem to get enough of these fun seniors shaking what their mamas gave them. The clip captures the joyful, empowering feeling of Rihanna's music while challenging perceptions about older people. "Everybody loves to see the older generation letting loose and having fun," Nuckols said. "You always think of the older population in this way, and then I feel like this video just kind of shows a different side of them." With over 112k subscribers eagerly waiting for more content from Arcadia Senior Living Center's TikTok account, Oakes admitted they're feeling some pressure to top this viral hit. But hey - no pressure! We're just happy these seniors are breaking stereotypes while having a good time.
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@arcadiasrlivingbg Our halftime show > Rihanna’s halftime show 💃🪩🏈🤍🎶🎤 #seniorlivingcommunity #halftimeshow #SuperBowl #rihanna #fyp ♬ original sound - Brian Esperon
"We're definitely gonna try to, but yeah, this is gonna be a tough one," Oakes said. "Having a video reach 32 million people and then getting flowers from an iconic pop star — It's insane." Nuckols said all the TikTok clout the facility's residents have enjoyed has even made some of their grandchildren jealous. Some of them are sharing the post and saying, "My grandma is officially cooler than me." LOL!
