This is where rich Arab roots mingle impishly with Western curiosity — where a woman can choose to modestly cover her hair with a scarf, yet still break out a booty dance when the moment calls for it.
And on Friday night, before these kindred spirits, Rihanna — herself a charismatic paradox of conservative music-industry machinery and youthful, middle-finger rebellion — hopes to prove just how globally formidable her brand can be.
Only, the pop singer is more than an hour late to this free show, a part of the Mawazine music festival.
Listless concertgoers surge against metal barriers, as a stream of policemen yank fainting casualties out of the crowd, even brandishing batons at one point in an attempt to tame the frothing masses.
Moments later, that angst will evaporate as Rihanna finally emerges on stage.
A few days back, the singer could be found Instagramming selfies showing off her new denim thong. But today her wardrobe deftly skirts that line between sexy and respectful: A white, cleric-meets-kimono cloak half-covers her black midriff-baring top, as skinny black pants melt into her stiletto, F-me boots. With honey-blonde extensions on one half of her head and a Skrillex–shave job on the other, she’s Beyoncé reinterpreted as fashionably fallen angel.
Opening with “Phresh Out the Runway,” Rihanna also mindfully recast her bump-and-grind routine into a medley of tamer pelvic thrusts, while flanked by two backup dancers wearing brilliant, throwback, Rhythm Nation garb. Together, they plowed energetically through songs from most of her seven studio albums, including her latest, Unapologetic.
Hers is an immediate stage presence with an effervescent smile. And it’s abundantly clear that, at the relatively tender age of 25, little RiRi is already a veteran — albeit one who’s freely reliant on backing tracks. (And why not? One attends her shows for the spectacle, not the powerful vocals — discuss.)
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