An Ode to Rihanna

I still remember the first time I ever heard ‘Pon De Replay’. My older sister and I had downloaded it on LimeWire (Pre-Spotify days). It took ages to download on our gigantic, virus-riddled desktop computer. But once the download was complete, we couldn’t stop playing it. I’m pretty sure we choreographed a disastrously cringey dance to it too. What can I say, Rihanna’s unique vocals and dancehall beats completely transported me to a nightclub in the Caribbean… at 12 years old. Her music made me feel way cooler than I was.

I remember feeling so excited to see a non-white, curvy popstar who actually didn’t have a little button nose for once! I’ve never felt quite so seen as a little Arab girl with my big nose and thunder thighs. Rihanna made see beauty in my own uniqueness. I’ve been a fan ever since.

I got into dance around that time, channelling my inner badgal RiRi. I wanted to feel the confidence she exuded in ‘Umbrella’. To glow like she did in ‘SOS’. Be as assertive as she was in ‘Shut Up and Drive’. She inspired me to be confident, or at least to fake it ‘til I made it.

I’d play her music as I got ready, yelling “Bit*h better have my money!” at my cheap IKEA mirror. Feeling like a millionaire confronting and exposing her sticky-fingered accountant (the real-life story behind the song). There was something so magical about how Rihanna’s art was inserted into everyone’s lives. I remember when ‘Only Girl’ came out and every girl I knew changed their Facebook status to “~want you to make me feel like I’m the only girl in the world~”. Rihanna’s music took the world by storm.

Robyn Rihanna Fenty was born and raised in Barbados, her home life was unstable. Her father struggled with addiction and was physically abusive towards her mother. Young Robyn saw music as an escape from the unsafe confines of an unpredictable home. She was discovered by a vacationing producer at the ripe age of 15. When she was signed to Def Jam in 2005, she had no formal training in music. Nevertheless she recorded and put out ‘Pon De Replay’, and the rest is history.

Rihanna became the World’s Richest Female Musician in 2019, surpassing the likes of Madonna and Beyoncé. She is one of the most influential artists of our generation. She has earned a total of 14 number one hits on the Billboard Hot 100. With a total of 234 award wins under her belt, what makes Rihanna’s music so exceptional?

I believe that what really set Rihanna apart was her unapologetic authenticity. She was able to sell her art to people from all walks of life because it came from a real place. Real trauma, real pain, real experiences. Whatever the concept, she sold us the performance.

We believed she was soft and vulnerable in ‘California King Bed’, then cheeky and edgy in ‘S&M’. She pulled off every concept, hairstyle, and music genre with natural ease. She set trends and always strutted with confidence, in quintessential Rihanna fashion. Nobody could do confidence the way Rihanna did. She would wear the most outlandish outfits, switch from Rock to Pop to R&B to Reggae, and we would all just strap in for the ride.

Like yup, this is what we signed up for!

And it would be glorious, because she would sell the full fantasy. That is pure star power right there, something no amount of money in the world can buy.

No stranger to controversy, Rihanna is well-known for pushing the envelope and being edgy. One of the many things I admire about her; utter fearlessness. She treats her art as a fun experiment, detaching completely from the outcome during the creative process. She challenges us to see things from her perspective without ever over-explaining it.

Rihanna has spoken up about her personal battle with the ‘role model’ title the public have tried to impose on her:

“People still think pop star equals role model, but it's almost impossible to walk that line. I've struggled with it and have come to the conclusion that I can only live my life for me. I definitely want to help and teach little girls whenever I can, but then there is the character that I have to play in my videos to tell stories. It's art. And a lot of the parts that I play aren't necessarily what I stand for in real life. But it's hard to differentiate that sometimes."

I personally think her dedication to true authenticity is a far more important lesson to deliver to the younger generation, as opposed to any other cookie-cutter Hannah Montana-esque message à la “Reach for the stars! *heart eyes emoji*”. But that’s just me.

I believe seeing someone be heavily criticized and continue to produce art that is true to them regardless, is truly awe-inspiring. Critics are a natural part of life and Rihanna embraces that.

Perhaps one of the most controversial music videos Rihanna has put out was for her song ‘S&M’. A metaphorical song about the tumultuous love/hate relationship she has with the media, “how sometimes the pain is pleasurable. We feed off it – or I do. And it was a very personal message that I was trying to get across” Rihanna explained. There are plenty of nods to this in the music video, but unfortunately, the general public only saw sex. An unfortunate outcome that led to the video being banned in 11 countries.

Her tongue-in-cheek interpretation completely lost on those who couldn’t see past the latex and blow-up dolls. She was completely ahead of the times, that video would have been widely praised had it come out in 2021.

Rihanna never shied away from taboo topics in her music. She sang extensively about sex, domestic violence ‘Love the way you lie (Parts 1 and 2)’, suicide ‘Russian Roulette’, murder ‘Man Down’, betrayal ‘Bit*h Better Have My Money’, and infidelity ‘unfaithful’. She used these big topics to get important messages across, similar to what she did in ‘S&M’. But also continued to have fun with her music and top the charts.

‘We found love’ was an ode to toxic relationships, the video illustrated the tumultuous ups and downs of a passionate love when accompanied with drugs. Fights, make-ups, a rollercoaster ride of emotions.

The video was heavily criticised of course. But once again, if the critics had paid any attention, they would have noticed that her character walks out and ends the relationship at the end of the video.

Art will always have people that misunderstand it. What amazes me about Rih’s approach to hers is that no amount of criticism has ever discouraged her from continuing to do what she does best.

Rihanna’s image over the years has ranged from hyper-feminine to hyper-masculine. A welcome form of representation when the typical popstar was characteristically seen in traditionally feminine styles. She dawned boxy silhouettes, and sported short buzzed hair. I think she was one of the first women I saw grab her crotch while dancing, a move often only done by men. I remember being shocked but also wowed by her swagger. Rihanna showed me that straight female doesn’t simply equal pink dress. It can mean a lot of things, and that gender is just a construct.

I’ll leave you with this iconic quote from her GQ interview:

"I want to make music that’s hopeful, uplifting. Nothing corny or super sentimental, I just want it to have the feeling that brings you out of whatever you’re going through. I want it to spark that fire. I want it to be real, authentic, and raw."

I think you did it, Rih.

Her legend continues as she reinvents herself as a musician, businesswoman, entrepreneur, philanthropist and fashion icon. She strings all her endeavours with the same passion, hard work, and pure authenticity.

Here’s hoping 2021 bring us #R9!

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Sources:

https://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/music/rihanna-sm-isnt-all-about-sex-20110323-1c5od.html

https://www.forbes.com/sites/natalierobehmed/2019/06/04/rihanna-worth-fenty-beauty/?sh=5ca0fe6d13de

https://www.npr.org/2018/08/15/638551793/rihanna-is-the-21st-centurys-most-influential-musician?t=1613946088764