Rihanna Billboard Queen no doubt…

by Staff November 3, 2011 2 Comments Ent. Music Opinion Weekly Columns

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(ThyBlackMan.com) When a then 17 year-old Rihanna scored a hit song with 2005’s “Pon De Replay,” no one could have predicted the course the young singer’s career would take. Upon releasing her first number one single, 2006’s “SOS” from the album A Girl Like Me, she wasn’t regarded as much more than Beyoncé-lite, lacking both the vocal force and strong sense of showmanship that have defined the megastar’s ascendancy to pop music icon.

But no matter how many critics she has had, and there have been plenty, Rihanna has remained steady and established herself as a force to be reckoned with in the world of contemporary popular music.

With her latest single “We Found Love” off the singer’s forthcoming sixth studio album Talk That Talk, Rihanna has scored her 11th number one Billboard Hot 100 single, breaking a three-way tie between herself, Stevie Wonder, and Whitney Houston and placing her behind only The Beatles (20), Mariah Carey (18), and Elvis Presley (17). Not only that, but she broke Madonna’s record for fastest solo artist to achieve 20 Top 10 singles in their career by a whopping five months, managing to do so in only six years and four months.

Not Beyoncé. Not Britney Spears. Not Lady Gaga. Not Christina Aguilera. Not even the interminable Janet Jackson. It’s the 23 year-old from Barbados that has surpassed all of her contemporaries and influences in the hit record making arena.

For some perspective, she hasn’t sold as many records worldwide as Madonna or Jackson or even Aguilera. She has never been regarded as magnificent vocalist in the vein of Beyoncé or Houston. She isn’t nearly as a theatrical a performer as Gaga. Artistically, she’s much closer to the sort of disposable glam rock influenced pop style of Katy Perry. So just how then has she managed to forge not only a sustainable and flourishing career but one that is record setting and has launched her into the icon stratosphere?

Rihanna has played to her strengths. She hasn’t attempted to wow anyone with her vocal range or elaborate stage show, because she doesn’t have a great voice and she can’t dance very well.

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2 Comments

dwalker says:

March 18, 2012 at 10:53 pm

I applaud Rihanna’s success; however I must point out a few factors which will make you re evaluate Rihanna royal ship. As stated in your article Rihanna has not sold as many cd’s as Mairah, Whitney or Janet, yet she has more number ones than Whitney, Janet and some others. Clearly, radio format has changed, radio is set to play the same songs every hour on the hour, they is not mixture or variety, what we call R&b is a slow dying art form. The other day, I saw Chris Brown win a Grammy for best R&B Album and I was in awe, Chris is fun to watch, but he has moved over to POP, NOT RHYTHM AND BLUES.
Now foreshawdowing back to the 80’s Whitney, Janet and Anita baker where your hit makers and they had true completion from rock and roll, other POP artist, during their time frames radio supported all formats. They went up against everything and everyone for a Grammy. So, it was extremely hard to walk away with five Grammys in a night. Instead, today beyonce has more Grammys than Whitney and we know for certain that Beyonce is half the vocalist that Whitney is. Your article tiered Beyonce on a level with Whitney , no way possible, not even in the same city or state. Beyonce is one step above Janet vocally in volume, not emotion and she puts on a great performance. And it is entertaining to watch her shake and pump. But Whitney has sold in excess of 200 million copies while Beyonce is trying to approach 30 million. Janet was a bigger seller than Beyonce.
In closing, I do not think that Rihnaana and many of today’s stars earned their wings, these accolades are manufactured, I call the new artist microwave artist. Push cook and their done.

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kim says:

November 4, 2011 at 10:07 pm

No, she hasn’t got the best voice, no she isn’t the best dancer but she has charisma on and off stage. Like you said she plays to her strengths but i think she is pretty honest about who she is in my opinion and i think that’s why people stick with her.
I dunno what it is tbh…..she is just so addictive….her character, her songs, how she comes across….and she get’s a lot of stick for it but she isn’t actually doing more than some other artists but still gets called a disgrace from cancer groups and rape centres.
I became a fan because of Rated R before then i could have taken her or left her.
I think the style of rude boy and what’s my name caught on …that mix of pop hiphop r&b with her island routes….nicole sherzinger tried to dabble in it on the track ‘right there’ and failed miserably lol …i think there was a hint in Jlos ‘im into you’ and various other tracks…its kind of a trend. It’s like her routes and her accent make her stand out from other pop acts…u know its riri on the radio…she has a certain vibe and aura.
All in all i can’t really pin her success into one reason or conclusion lol….it’s a mix of things with her. 🙂

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