Just about two months ago, Rihanna dropped the first single off of her upcoming release, Loud. The song, "Only Girl in the World," was a total return to form. Poppy, danceable, and infectious, "Only Girl" has blown up the charts in the past few months. The video, on the other hand, was underwhelming. It's certainly nice to see Rihanna moving away from the dark, edgy "Russian Roulette" phase of her career, and the video is nice to look at, but it's nothing special. Check it out below.
On the other hand, the dual videos for "Who's That Chick," a song Rihanna purportedly penned for a Doritos campaign (yes, really), are exciting and engaging. The dueling day and night videos match up perfectly side by side. The song is like "Umbrella" era Rihanna meets "Poker Face" era Lady Gaga. The song by itself is mesmerizing and catchy, but the videos really bring everything together smoothly.
Recruiting ex-flame Drake for her second single, Rihanna brings the sexy with "What's My Name" (she really has a lot of questions these days, doesn't she?). The song really grows on you. Upon first listen, I wasn't all that impressed, but I find myself humming "Oh nah nah, what's my name" a few times a day. I've gone back to it many times since then and I'm in love. Its sound is most similar to that of "Rude Boy"with its pulsating beats, island-style synths, and memorable hooks. Give it a few listens and you too might find yourself entranced.
Sure, Rihanna is never going to reach the musical ingenuity of a band like Arcade Fire, but her impact on music and pop culture is one that cannot be ignored. She seems like she's having the time of her life these days, and why shouldn't she? She's on top of the charts and seemingly on top of the world.
Bonus: here are the clips of Rihanna on X-Factor and her "Shy Ronnie" sequel on SNL from this weekend.
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