right Say what you will, Rihanna isn’t your typical pop n’ b princess making cookie cutter appearances and performances. Although there has been some obvious puppeteering happening on the sidelines via her record label’s president, an authentic connection to the work quickly becomes evident. “I developed a passion for music at a very young age. I use to perform around the house and in the mirror, even in the shower. I love music and I’ve always wanted to become a performer”, she confesses.
As the story goes, Rihanna was handpicked by Jay-Z and quickly signed to Def Jam after she had already been creating a buzz of her own in the Caribbean before us Yankees ever heard “Pon De Replay”, the infectious first single from her first cd Music of the Sun. Being selected as such is quite an honor for Rihanna as it has garnered her a near blanketed approval considering we already trust Jay’s taste in talented women.
Just eight months after the release of Music of the Sun, Rihanna presents a new set of songs on A Girl Like Me that taps in to the spirit of who she really is. “I’m just a girl with the same problems as any other girl. I’ve been in trouble before, I’ve been cheated on, and I’ve cheated. I’ve had crushes on boys and I have my share of haters, just like every other girl out there”, says the former beauty queen, who’s first hand experiences with affairs of the heart are successfully demonstrated on “Unfaithful," her true to life follow up single to “SOS” penned by her label mate, Ne-Yo.
“That song is such a beautiful song, and it’s a ballad which is new ground for me,” she admits with just enough of an accent to remind us of her deep seated Caribbean roots.
From the outset, Rihanna has been compared to everyone from Beyonce to Tierra Mari, another young chanteuse under the tutelage of Jay-Z. “Beyonce… I get a lot of comparisons to her and that’s amazing. There is no artist to be better compared to than her. I adore her as an artist,” says Rihanna whose stage presence reveals that she too has an inner "Sasha" that takes over when performing.
Separating herself from her on stage persona is key for Rihanna though. When she isn’t performing or peddling Miss Bisou, the clothing line for JC Penny for whom she is the spokesperson, she admits that she is very laid back and chill just like every other girl out there.
Hmm… two hit albums, a number 1 single and the watchful eye of Jay-Z? Yeah, that sounds just like every other 18-year-old girl I know.
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