Pon De Replay to Disturbia – Rihanna: The Transformation of An Artist

Rihanna

The castle- ready sand, the pleasurably warm temperature and the pure infinite blue oceans forging a stunning view of the horizon can only be a prototype for the Caribbean.  With breath taking natural beauty of the land can only have inhabitants who are equally as breath-taking, with cool brown skin and long exotic hair, bikini- ready body and a Caribbean accent to match.  This description can- could have described Barbadian songstress Rhianna.  When she first emerged into the American music scene in 2005, her style and voice was the exact stereotype of an Island girl.

Her baggy jeans and red, green colored accessories and her hard coming dance anthem “Pon de Replay” solidified her as a reggaeton artist, even calling her music style reggae and Caribbean.

Rihanna – Pon de Replay

Rihanna – If It’s Lovin’ That You Want

This “native” looks changed immensely with her 2007 album Good Girl Gone Bad was released.  With a new edgier haircut and color, and more revealing and dark outfits, her look morphed from a cute Caribbean teenage artist to a sexy young lady.  Her music genre has changed as well.  No longer does it boast of song themes suggesting the “Music of the Sun”, but is considered more mainstream pop and R&B music.  Rhianna is now an artist who is known more for her evolving style and music than her origin.

Rhianna initially used her origin and heritage as her leading image.  Her song titles and style suggested strong ties to the stereotypes of her homeland in the Caribbean.  She served as a representation of the culture and the lifestyle of people from the area.  With her short hair and bodily accessories to match her new image, Rihanna has distanced herself from the cookie cutter look of a woman from the Carribean.  She says that her look today is more of an accurate representation of her personal style.

Rihanna – Disturbia

Ashley Copeland