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Tuesday, November 25, 2008

Random: We love Rihanna's style, but do we love her music?

Last night, as a friend was marveling at the many instances of Rihanna on the Fashion Bomb, I thought to myself: Rih-Rih is a certified fashionista, which merits her frequent glances on TFB:
But style aside, do we love her music?
Umbrella was a hot hit, but do we bump her CD? I can't think of one song of hers I'd need in heavy rotation.
Sasha Fierce on the other hand...
...the hits go back for years:

35 comments:

Les said...

I LOVE Rhianna's style, but her music doesn't get played on my iPod. I liked Umbrella, and I like the chorus for Please Don't Stop the Music, but that's all. I've never made it through a live performance of hers either.

Beauty Is Diverse said...

I like rihanna's style too but, I don't have any of her albums.

Beyonce she's been around for long so she's had time to grow with music..

Anonymous said...

Rihanna's got style...or should I say Rihanna's stylist has style? I got her last CD through a connect, and while I like some of her songs, they don't get heavy rotation on my iPod. Her performances aren't memorable either. Kudos to her marketing team for creating this new image of hers though.

I love Beyonce. She is just too fab, and she knows it. B'Day music and back still gets played heavily, but her new disc has yet to grow on me.

IbisCaraib said...

I actually have all of her album and keep the last one on rotation on my iPod. To me, most of B's songs sound the same. I guess to each her own...

Anonymous said...

Rihanna is a Fashion Bomb-shell for sure, but an entertainer she is not, acting included (ever seen her in "Bring it on 2"? One word: Bad). She might want to consider keeping CB on lock, as well as making a smooth transition into just modeling or something. I'm just sayin.

--Velvet

Anonymous said...

Rihanna's stylist has the "style" credits to her. Ppl must forget what she looked like when she first came out on the scene here wit pon de replay! Thank you. But now that everyhing has been fixed regardless of her voice she will stay in the media for the edgy new style a lot of American girls are imitating.

Anonymous said...

First off i don't like her style, second, each outfit id seen her rocking has been id first seen some model wearing it on a runway, so to me she is not fashionista, she's doesn't have a unique style it's all ready for her to wear. Someone with a unique own fashion style doesn't need to look at the runway to dress nice, she's just got it & rihanna doesn't & as for Beyonce or Rihanna i don't really care for either ones music. I much prefer Alicia Keys or anyone else. Rihanna is a brand pretending not to be a brand.

Al said...

I love Rih's style..although she's not the first to rock it. She took it to a new level. I do like some of her tracks though. But performer she is not..

Anonymous said...

I love Rihanna's style and like the last comment (Ally) said even though someone already rocked it Ri-Ri just took it to another level! as 4 her music i love a majority of her songs well mostly on her good girl gone bad cd on her past cds i only liked mayb lyk 2-3 songs on each cd....

Anonymous said...

o yah and beyonce i always liked her music especially on the bday albulm! as 4 style she cant touch rihanna 2 me she has style no doubt but its not unique...well on stage her outfits r definetly unique!

Anonymous said...

I like Rihanna's music...I mean it's not my favorite but it definitely has a place in my ipod's work out mix or party mix. Her style tends to be on point pretty consistently, Beyonce, on the other hand, disappoints me most of the time. With her less is more. She looks best in jeans and a tee...whenever she tries to dress up she goes too too far.

Anonymous said...

I agree with everyone here...I get down with Rihanna's style, but that's it. Let's face it, the force that is Sasha Fierce has been in the game - racking up the awards and rocking the charts and red carpets (*cough* on the Tina Knowles Destiny's Child designs) since Ri-Ri was in diapers. Let's see how long Ri-Ri stays in the game.

Anonymous said...

The blogosphere is having a ball comparing these two. I don't know why. They are very different artists. People have different tastes..

Beyonce is a better vocalist and has been on the scene since about 1997 with D.C. and also her solo career. Rihanna popped like 2 years go. Rihanna sings more pop/rock/electronic while Mrs. Carter is more r&b/hip-hop. Beyonce is also better on stage because quite frankly, not one of her contemporaries (e.g. Ashanti, Keyshia) touches her stage presence (even though I have to admit Ciara is a better dancer and can THROW DOWN when on stage).
But Rihanna has found her niche. And she is popular. Her vocals leave a lot to be desired but her last CD had some hits: Rehab, Umbrella, Don't Stop The Music, Disturbia. And her duet with T.I. is my ish. She has a while to go, though, before reaching B in terms of stage performance.
Stylewise, regardless of whether Rihanna has a stylist, the girl WEARS the clothes.. they don't wear her. SHE HAS SWAGGER! And her hair is too cute. A real fashionista.. setting trends. B on the other hand is not as swift as Rihanna in terms of being a fashionista. She knows how to put things together that work for her but she is not a fashionista in my mind. But she has shown her moments.. and I she and her mother need to revamp the House of Dereon.

2 beautiful young women of colour.

Anonymous said...

I agree with a few other commenters. My beef is: why in the world is she being put out there as some sort of artist when she in reality is just a model posing as a legitimate artist? People flock to her because she's pretty and wears clothes well but where's the talent? We compare her to Beyonce because they're both on top of their games. But we forget that Beyonce is an artist first, fashionista second. Rihanna is fashionista first, artist second. I'm sure you all remember seeing those home videos of Beyonce dancing with Destiny's child when she was like 10. She's worked to get here. I feel like Rihanna is just a canned product being used to sell overpriced clothes (and from the rumors regarding her bills the lie is being used to deplete her back account as well)

Anonymous said...

Style: Rih wins hands down
Performance: B wins hands down

Rih's last cd was pretty good rehab, breakin dishes, don't stop the music, hate that I love you, disturbia... etc

B's last effort I am.... needs work... But her previous efforts make up for this current ish.
Rihanna may have a stylist but she does not have to wear something unless she wants to. Just like B.

B might be the hotest in the game but not when it comes to fashion...

Rih wins that title.

Anonymous said...

Wow---I posted about this on my blog, too :)

http://myurbanglamourblog.com/2008/06/i-like-your-style-but-your-musicnot-so-much/

Anonymous said...

Rihanna's style is rocking!!! I love everything she wears. Also, the girl can SING!!! She doesn't have to be better than Beyonce. Rihanna is who she is and people love her music thats why she is popular. Comparing these artistes is a little ridiculous. For now Rihanna is giving teensy, pop songs she will evolve to something else and refine her style like any other artiste. Big up girl!!!!!

Anonymous said...

I think Rhianna changed alot. I like most of her "early" music from when she jus came out. Lately I think the music changed too much and Im not really into it anymore...I think she should become a model though.

Phyaflyjones said...

Ri Ri owes her stylist her forst born. I am not a fan of her music nor do I kow anyone that is. It's all swagger. Ri is true proof that image is everything.

Jai said...

BLAH Rihanna's a swagger jacker. Just about everything she rocks has been seen on another celeb or a model on the runway. Her stylist is the fashionista, not her. Nobody ever focuses on her performances. They're always focused on her outfit. I find that questionable since she is an "entertainer" not a model. Just like the people before me said, nobody cared during the days of "SOS" and "Pon De Replay". She owes her life to whoever created this image for her. She swears that's the "real her", but I'm not buying it.

Bee on the other hand is AMAZING. I adore Bee and her work ethic is incredible! She killed it at the AMAs! Kudos to Bee/Sasha! =]

Anonymous said...

Although I don't own it, I've heard some of the songs off of the Reloaded CD of hers. I actually like some of the songs! There's this one called Cry which I love...Beyonce does win hands down though when it comes to the talent.

Anonymous said...

Rihanna is a freaking product, a brand. Every outfit she has worn has been on a model on the runway before her. That is not style & no she doesn't make the clothes her own, how can you when it was already put together for her. Id believe her if she put everything together herself. Someone mentioned Ciara & i like her much more then these two.

Anonymous said...

I like Rihanna songs more than anyone else,she is pretty and smart lady.Her style is fabulous.People are jealous of her because she made a difference in her life and she is from Barbados they have problems with that so barack Obama father's is from Africa,Kenya so what?

Anonymous said...

PEOPLE DON'T CARE IF SHE'S FROM BARBADOS OR IF OBAMA'S FATHER IS FROM KENYA.THE POINT IS THAT RIHANNA DOESN'T HAVE A STYLE, A STYLIST AND EITHER WAY, I DON'T LIKE HER STYLIST STYLE.

Jai said...

AGREEING with the person above me ^^^^ RIGHT. Nobody gives a hoot where she's from. She's a swagger jacker from Barbados who wears things that have already been rocked on the runway and on other celebs and she's not smart either. She's far from smart. She's just a "pretty face". NEXT!

Aud Rey said...

I don't think her new look is as contrived as people make it out to be. The girl is forever shopping as shown by many of her candids and I don't see a stylist in sight. Maybe a friend or CB. She is adventurous and has fun with things. She's definitely a fashionista. Her style is not generic and it's not easy to pin down because she's constantly evolving.

I do like some of her music, most notably Disturbia and Live Your Life with TI. I actually am not a fan of Umbrella but the video was great.

I don't see why so many people have a problem with the fact that her voice isn't majestic. Madonna's voice has been sub-par for a while now, especially considering her success. Listen to Britney. Listen to Miley Cyrus. Listen to most pop stars. It IS about image. If a pop star can sing, that's icing on the cake but it's not the main focus. Beyonce falls into the category of pop (with some R&B touches) stars who can sing, but I guarantee you that even with her voice and stage presence (which she was TRAINED for from a very early age), if she didn't look like she does, she wouldn't have the album sales and concert sales that she does.

The constant comparisons are insulting to both women. They are individuals and should be judged based on what they do individually. People do it just to tear one or the other or both down. I have well wishes for both. They have their strengths and weaknesses just like anybody else. I think I'm prone to defending Rihanna because she hasn't been in the limelight as long and she's really a kid. There's a lot of growing up that is left to do and the constant criticism, especially today with the amount of attention they get, really interferes with that growing up process. I really hate to see black women tear their own down. Leave the negativity to the Perez Hiltons of the world. If you don't care for a particular person, why waste your precious time and precious mental real estate on them?

Anonymous said...

Gorgeous black women well said, cant add anything else, they truly are different artist and shouldnt be compared really. We should be giving them props and not trying to start unnecessary convos like this one, really!

Anonymous said...

I think Beyonce and Rihanna get compared anyway, this isn't the first or the last time. And comparing them doesn't really take away from their hotness or their bottom line. What really is troubling is that Rihanna is an artist, and her artistic abilities are just questionable. Why do people hate on Cassie when in reality, Rihanna is just another Cassie? A cute girl who wears clothes well...whose talent is debatable?

Aud Rey said...

I know of one Cassie song. It's on my ipod. I listen to it when I'm warming up at the gym. I know of about 10 or so Rihanna songs. They're on my ipod. Even, when I'm without my ipod, I still sing her songs in my head when I'm feeling fierce or on the brink (Distubia). Also, Cassie dresses like everyone else. Rihanna doesn't. Re: Cassie, I don't think being perceived as a man's woman is a smart route for anyone in her genre. At the end of the day, what moves women's pop and pop/r&b albums and gets airplay is what girls and women like. Cassie might sell men's magazines, but Beyonce, Rihanna, Carrie, etc. sell albums.

There's also a matter of how people come off. Rihanna just doesn't seem to try too hard which keeps her from coming off as sleazy or desperate. That is not something that any record label or stylist can create. She actually seems more comfortable with her current image than her generic pop-r&b princess phase. Compare that to Christina Aguilera or Mariah Carey who are very talented but come off as desperate.


Also, I hope you make the same criticism of the MANY white counterparts. Rihanna has more singing ability than many I can name off the top of my head, but her style is different. She's still pop but she's got an edginess that most pop stars do not. In the last year or two, she has mastered the art of reinvention. I applaud anyone who goes out on a limb but she's done so repeatedly and it works for her like 90% of the time. At the end of the day, it's down to what people like. She's got the sales. I think her last album is double platinum. They repeat her songs at clubs and on the radio. There are two people in my office (of 7 people) whose ring tones are Rihanna singing "Live Your Life." The music industry is not a meritocracy and neither is life where talent is concerned.

Anonymous said...

Candid photos of her are rarely "candid" as the publicists arrange photo ops (i.e. Here's Rihanna shopping at the grocery store in 5" stilettos, here she is skateboarding with CB) to keep her name out there between records. That's how the business works. Rachel Zoe made a career out of not only getting stars ready for the red carpet but for those "accidental" gas station/Starbucks/Kitson paparazzi shots. Lysa (Rihanna's stylist) has done the same. She took the best elements of Kelis/Grace Jones/glam rock styles and put them on Rihanna and poof! instant star. Now if she could only style her stage presence. I think if you re-release your album 2-3 times, it's supposed to go platinum. I like Rihanna but have never felt moved to buy a song or album of hers but that could be because I'm not her target demo (under 25). I tend to favor real singers regardless of their style like India, Erykah, Alice Smith, Algebra Blessett, etc. Also, I don't listen to the sub-par Caucasian counterparts (Britney makes me want to jump in front of a bus when she "sings")or get into their style game.

Anonymous said...

why is that it is always normal to hate on rihanna but not on beyonce?@! Just because beyonce supposedly can sing better? I mean, both of them are black women doing their things in the music industry! Beyonce was trained and formatted to be who she is, that is why honesly, she CANT reinvent herself! she just cant find a way to evolve and believe it or not, lots of people even her fans are tired of her! Now rihanna does not have the same singing ability but she is in the biz for 3 or 4 yeas. In DC, beyonce could not sing as well, she did not have the same style or same appeal! I don't hear nobody talking about the way she and her DC counterparts used to dress! She also has a stlist but she receives honors about being the best dressed by some magazine! I don't see nobody wanting to give props to her stylist so why are you dong that with rihanna! Bottom line! leave them BE! Im not a fan of rihanna but i USED to be a fan of beyonce but im grown and she just don't do it for me! But they are doing big so props to BOTH!!

Anonymous said...

plus there are others artist out there! if you guys are really looking for talent, then beyonce is probably way far on the list! her singing is okay at best, her lyrics are childish at best but she is a good entertainer! but mary for example can sing better, write and is a good performer but she don't create so much buzz! but is way more talented and have more longevity than her but she dont have countless awards!!guess what, beyonce looks like a whitish doll so don't front and recognize that the biggest part of her sucess is her looks, really versatile ! It is the same pattern for rihanna! so hate the game, not the player!

zsamurai said...

Here we go again lol
The never ending quest to see who is the bomb diggity.
Beyonce or Rhianna.

lets break it down before we break up.

Stlye:
Queen B.

When it comes to style I'm sorry momma Tina but you need to sit in a chair an crochet some hats.
Beyonce is starting to venture out on her own in terms of style and I'm loving her editorials.. sickness. She falters here and there, mostly here.
but she manages to bring it back. I mean she has a banging body and she's pretty.

Style:
Rih Rih

In teh beginning, I can honestly say Rihanna was a country bumpkin.
rip up shorts and button down shirts. The usually attire for us west Indians lol.
But When Umbrella came out She did a 180.
Her style was on point. I give many props to her stylist and camp. they knew what they were doing with this girl. She should've been a model, and I guess they knew that too. Dressed her up as one and let her fly.
Only thing I don't like is how she claims she's "always been into Rock n Roll" and she came out with reggae hits.. **side eye**

Music:
Beyonce
Dangerously In Love
it was good for a solo freshman album.
nice hits on there.
•Me Myself and I
•Dangerously in Love
•Naughty Girl

Rihanna
Music of the Sun
I really enjoyed the songs on this album. and was hella excited to have a reggae, or west indian artist.
It was a good album too.
•Pon De Replay
•Unfaithful

Beyonce
B-Day Deluxe Edition
OMFG... this bitch went off the deep end and survived with this album
Every damn track on here I was rocking out too.
and to even make it better, she made a video to each song.
How are you gonna front on that??
Tell me you still don't bump Kitty Kat in your car
and glue to the T.v. when you see the Upgrade you Direct T.V. commercials lol.
too many tracks to list..so yea

Rhianna
Good Girl Gone Bad Reloaded
I absolutely loved the Umbrella video and the whole atmosphere her look everything tough!
the remix with Chrihanna even better.
Love the remix she did with Maroon 5 and Question Existence gets me right here **points to heart**

Beyonce..
I am
Single Ladies number 1 on the iTunes library for months.
nuff said

Rihanna..
Good Girl Gone Bad... Reloaded to the second power.
yea....

Sum it up Beyonce wins musically, and performance wise.
Rhi Rhi wins Style.

Queen B.. reigns supreme haha

Spinster said...

I love Rihanna's style. I also saw her perform at the Essence Music Festival this summer and I enjoyed it. I was never a huge fan, but seeing her perform live made me start to like her more.

Beyonce..... I'm tired of her, frankly. Tired of her music, acting, just about everything. I WILL, however, give her kudos for having decent style.

Anonymous said...

1ST WEN RI RI 1ST CAME OUT ON THA SCENE SHE HAD NO MONEY TO FULLY DRESS AS A ALISTA,BUT NOW U CAN C THAT DIFFERENCECE,THA CHECKS KEEP COMIN IN NON STOP SO SHE LITERALLY WEAR HER STYLE! AS SHE CAN AFFORD IT! BEYONCE SERIOUSLY LOOKS GUD IN JEANS N TSHIRT! BUT SHE PULLS OFF A FEW REAL GUD LOOKS AT TIME! MUSIC: BEYONCE MUSIC IS GUD,SO IS RIHANNAS,AS FOR HER VOICE U READ THAT PPL DONT LIKE IT,SPICE IS THE VARIETY OF LIFE N IF SHE DID SOUND LIKE BEY R BRIT YALL WUD COMPLAIN EVEN WORSE!RIHANNA HAS STYLE N BEYONCE JUST CANNOT WALK CLOSE TO HER NO DAY! I THINK I HAVE A PROB WIT HER RELEASING GOOD GIRL GONE BAD AGAIN HTO..THATS A BIT PLAYED OUT! I REALLY DONT C ANYTHING IN BEYONCES NEW ALBUM,BDAY N DANGEROULSY IN LUV DID MAD!! KUDOS TO HER FOR THOSE!