This past weekend I visited Charlotte to attend Rihanna's ANTI tour. First, the concert was absolutely phenomenal Rihanna and Travis Scott (her opening act) absolutely killed it and my seats were really good. Second, the concert allowed me to see a totally different side of Rihanna. Constantly portrayed in media as a hip hop's princess and a notorious 'bad girl' Rihanna's media attention usually casts her as mean-spirited, self absorbed woman. My issue with that constant portrayal is that Rihanna's music has many different influences. Her performance on Sunday included funk songs, soul songs, and rock music. None of which will be played on the radio. Her influences reflect her background of multiple intersectionalities, but of course to most she remains a black woman singing about sex and drugs. It is time to look past the clothes and the attitude and see what really influences her music.
I am so glad you got to see Rihanna! I had a discussion with my friend about how empowering Rihanna is, and I believe she has the right to embrace her sexuality. Furthermore, I love that Rihanna is proud of her roots. She sings about Barbados and uses that culture in many of her songs. It is super cool to see her embrace and love where she is from!
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