With 30 million albums sold, seven Grammy’s collected, five American Music Awards accepted and one Michael Jackson Vanguard Award earned, Rihanna is taking over the world.
Last week, MTV’s Video Music Awards (VMAs) showcased today’s biggest artists doing what they do best. As usual, Queen Bey slayed as she went through the roster of her “Lemonade” album, making sure to include plenty of backup dancers and special effects. Ariana Grande and Nicki Minaj worked out to their new song “Side by Side” and newcomers the Chainsmokers and Halsey performed the current No. 1 track in America, “Closer.”
And then we have Rihanna, the clear standout act performing four separate times throughout the night, each time better than the last. Her vocals muted all of Madison Square Garden as she combined some of her biggest hits into medleys, repeatedly wowing the audience.
Rihanna has always been known as someone who walks to the beat of her own drum. She has been producing music since she was 16 and has only gotten better with time.
She raised the bar for the music industry the second she came out with her first single “Pon de Replay” in 2003 and has kept the pace all the way up to her hit “Work,” which was released this year. Rihanna has experimented with sounds from reggae to pop, from steel drums to dubstep and she has gone from woman crush Wednesday to woman crush everyday.
Following her career is an adventure in itself, while following her personal life is an even wilder ride.
At the VMAs, Drake presented the Michael Jackson Vanguard award to Rihanna and confessed he loved her for 11 years. And it’s no surprise that they’re fond of each other, often featured in each other’s work and making guest appearances at each other’s shows. However a relationship has not been confirmed, especially after Rihanna turned a romantic smooch into a platonic kiss on the cheek on stage.
There was more than one queen at this year’s VMAs, and Rihanna made that known. Her talent is undeniable and she never fails to wow us with an amazing show. As her lyrics suggest, she ended her final performance “shining bright like a diamond.”
