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Rihanna: Pop Superstar or Overrated?

November 5, 2011 by  
Filed under Ent., Music, News, Opinion, Weekly Columns

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(ThyBlackMan.com) Billboard released their weekly charts this past Thursday, and the familiar face of pop superstar Rihanna is back at it again, doing what she has been doing consistently in her career: having a number one song. Her newest single, “We found love” is her ninth number one as a featured artist and 11th overall. She’s only 23, and she could have 20 number ones by the time she’s 28, which is mind blowing. BUT with all that success, there are many who want to cut her success party. Many object to her success by saying she’s just another good looking artist with marginal talent. I’ll take both sides of the argument, stating both cases, and see whether or not she is the star she is as advertised to be, or just an illusion.

Rihanna is….a Star

In the age of singles making money and albums are prayers for Gold certifications, many artists today are struggling to not only achieve a hit, but  stay on that course and be consistent with it. Rihanna is the most effective hit making female artist since Mariah Carey in the prime of her career. As stated in the prior paragraph, Rihanna has appeared on 11 number one records on the pop charts, nine of which are her as a featured artist. Her sex appeal and her fan base are nearly unparalleled. She’s released arguably the best pop song of the 2000’s (Umbrella) and has made impact with her female fans on records (Hate That I Love You, Man Down, Unfaithful) and has made any man or non Rihanna fan to be in danger if Ill will  was spoken against the her. Her last album featured three number one hits including the popular “What’s My Name?” This featured superstar entertainer Drake. With the help of “We Found Love” Rihanna became the fastest to reach 20 Top Tens on the Billboard Hot 100. Each of her albums besides her first album, are platinum, and she has sold more than 20 million albums worldwide and 60 million singles. It’s literally impossible to deny and overlook the accomplishments she has achieved. With record numbers, appeal, and her voice authored on numerous hits, it’s hard to not say or think that she is the biggest star in America, or maybe the world.

Rihanna is….Overrated

Okay, yes Rihanna is a star in every right and no one is denying that, but sometimes it’s hard to give credit to people who aren’t the most talented, and don’t have a hand in writing or producing their own music. And if you aren’t going to write and produce, please be supremely talented at your singing profession. Beyonce doesn’t write or produce (they slide writing/producing credits here and there) but she can sing very well. Whitney Houston does not either, but she is a as gifted a singer (in her prime) as it comes. For Rihanna, she takes part in no writing/composition/arrangement whatsoever, and cannot sing very well. On her first two albums (Music Of The Sun, A Girl Like Me) there were a few hits, but obviously Jay-Z wasn’t satisfied with the direction of his protégé’s career, and decided to make a change: hire better writers (The-Dream, Tricky Stewart) Producers (Stewart again, Timbaland Ne-Yo, Will-i-am, Chuck Harmony) and along with her frequent collaborators they began to progress to a more pop sounding sound. Together, soon all contributed to her numerous number ones, awards, and album certifications. It has been evident the change from her first two albums, to now, that the talent added around her has helped make her into a star.  She could be considered overrated by just being a hit-making puppet for her Def-Jam executives, while her songwriters and producers do the bulk of the work. Like a Milli Vanilli who actually sings, but the real stars are behind the scenes. To many, Rihanna is just someone with a pretty face, cute waist, and marketed extremely well and can appeal.

In conclusion:

Not everyone is born talented writing or singing wise, and obviously Rihanna is one of them. Rihanna voice is better than most in America, but in the music business she’s in the low quota of talented artists. Not knocking her whatsoever for all her achievements. She’s going down with the greats no doubt. But, many greats were also the best talent wise in their profession and weren’t handed their hits such as Rihanna. And therefore, she is Overrated.

Staff Writer; Brad Washington
 
Also connect with this brother through Twitter; http://twitter.com/theGURO15
 

Comments

11 Responses to “Rihanna: Pop Superstar or Overrated?”
  1. Julie says:

    Unfortunately many people in the entertainment industry are not talented and the focus is on looks. This has been the case for decades. My jaw dropped today when I learned here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lip_sync that Christopher Plummer never sang in The Sound of Music. Now, I understand why he didn’t get an Oscar for this role. I questionned this for years, now I have my answer. In addition, I was shocked to learn in the link above from wikipedia that there are artists out there who pretend to play an instrument!!! I am not even in the entertainment business; I learned how to read and play music when I was 5!!!

  2. Julie says:

    Unfortunately many people in the entertainment industry are not talented and the focus is on looks. This has been the case for decades. My jaw dropped today when I learned here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lip_sync that Christopher Plummer never sang in The Sound of Music. Now, I understand why he didn’t get an Oscar for this role. I questionned this for years, now I have my answer. In addition, I was shocked to learn in the link above from wikipedia that there are artists out there who pretend to play an instrument!!! I am not even in the entertainment business; I learned how to read and music when I was 5!!!

  3. may says:

    Rihanna is overrated and everything she does. the only credit I can give credit to the bitch is making a comeback after she got her ass whopped by chris brown (which I honestly think she started). she Ciara can sing and dance, janet Jackson can sing and dance, keyshia cole doesn’t need to dance she perfectly fine being a soul singer and beyonce actually has multipule #1s 17 grammys and over 10 million albums sold worldwide. bitch please Rihanna doesn’t even scratch the surface of talent

  4. IDONTLIKEFAKESINGERS says:

    I HAVE NEVER BEEN SOO SICK OF ONE PERSON AND NOW SHE ACTUALLY THINKS SHE HAS A TALENT AND THINKS SHE CAN ACTUALLY SING!!!!! AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHLOLOLOLOLOLLMAFLMADAFLMAF GET OUT OF HERE!!!! SHE CAN NEVER BE A REAL SINGER JUST ANOTHER PATHETIC STUDIO SINGER NOTHING MORE!

  5. IDONTLIKEFAKESINGERS says:

    overrated! overrated!!! OVERRATED!! OVERRATED!! OVERRATED!! OVERRATED!!!OVERRATED!!overrated! overrated!!! OVERRATED!! OVERRATED!! OVERRATED!! OVERRATED!!!OVERRATED!!overrated! overrated!!! OVERRATED!! OVERRATED!! OVERRATED!! OVERRATED!!!OVERRATED!!overrated! overrated!!! OVERRATED!! OVERRATED!! OVERRATED!! OVERRATED!!!OVERRATED!!IF IT WASNT FOR CHRIS BROWN EVERYONE WOULD HAVE FORGOTTEN HER FOR SURE!!! HANDS NOW!!! AND SHE WOULD HAVE NEVER GOTTEN THIS FAR AND TO BE QUITE HONEST WITH YOU MOST OF THIS HITS ARE FROM SYMPATHY HITS NOTHING MORE!! IF A SINGER HAS TO BE HALF NAKED AT ALL TIME THAN THAT SO SO CALL SINGER DOESNT HAVE ANY TALENT WHAT SO EVER NO MATTER HOW MANY HIT THEY GET!! RIHANNA FOR THE LAST TIME GO TO THE PORN INDUSTRY CAUSE THATS WHERE YOU BELONG FOREVER!!! SO OVERRATED!!

  6. Keith says:

    Well marketed pop star. Good catchy songs but she’s a pig. She’s selling sex sex sex

  7. Brad Washington's response to Star says:

    Star: I don’t care if she made 100 hits. she can’t sing and she can’t create. And for the record. Michael has 12 number one’s as lead artist. 13 if you count Paul McCartney duet with him on “Say Say Say” 14 if you count “We are the World” and 18 if you count the Jackson 5. Rihanna has nine number one’s as featured artist, and 11 total.

    Thanks.

  8. STAR says:

    It she overrated then why so many hits, why beyonce don’t have hits? why ciara? You are just hating on her and it’s sad. I don’t know why all the black sites love to hate on her. And Janet Jackson can’t sing and ciara can’t sing. And Keyshia Cole can’t dance. So what are you saying you a hater. Rihanna is the best she beat Michael and Janet and your Faves. When she done she will be the greatest and have 28 HITS

  9. person says:

    if you dont think that she is a good singer. WATCH THIS
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LnZke8-fuXE

  10. Andre says:

    Shes overrated, she probably ends up with most #1’s ever but she isn’t anywhere close talent wise to some of the legendaryfemale singers, not that she isn’t good, she is talented, beautiful and very like able

  11. nothando says:

    hater she aint overrated get your facts straight there is a special something about her that makes her a star otherwise she wouldnt be were she is right now

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