Did the Grammys Hint at a Rihanna Performance?

Inquiring minds want to know: Did the Grammys just hint at a Rihanna performance? I'm crossing my fingers that the answer is yes! On Wednesday, a new crop of performers were announced for the upcoming 57th Annual Grammy Awards. Unfortunately, Rihanna wasn't among them, but there's still hope: The Grammys' official Twitter account posted a mysterious tweet consisting of eight "boat anchor" emojis that's raising some eyebrows. After all, everybody knows that Rih's fans are known as the Navy. Everybody also knows that Rih's as-yet-untitled eighth studio album is commonly referred to as "R8." Was this tweet a clue? Were the Grammys subtly telling people not to despair, for a new Rihanna performance is just around the corner?

It's certainly possible, but it should be noted that the Grammys later tweeted four of the same boat anchor emojis when announcing Sam Smith as a performer. (Possibly a reference to his song "Little Sailor"? I'm not quite sure.) What gives? Maybe the person who runs the Grammys' Twitter account just really, really likes the boat anchor emoji. For example, I'm partial to the grandma emoji myself, and use it all the time in a variety of situations (it's surprisingly diverse!) — but never when I'm actually talking about my grandma. Go figure.

Anyway, check out the Grammys' curious tweet below:

But there's more: A woman who may be one of Rihanna's backup dancers tweeted this message yesterday:

The plot thickens! And as if that weren't enough, music industry website Hits Daily Double posted a rumor on Thursday that Rihanna is actually planning to drop R8 on Grammy night (Sunday, Feb. 8). Whoa. They cite the recent online registration of a song called "A Night," which may or may not sample Florence + the Machine, as evidence that Rihanna's new project is on the horizon.

With any luck, the Grammys will officially announce Rihanna as a performer next week. In the mean time, I'll try not to get my hopes up ("try," of course, being the operative word).

Images: Giphy (2)