Photo: Matt Salacuse
On December 3rd, Rihanna took the stage at Hammerstein Ballroom for Myspace Music’s “THE RELEASE” concert series, and PopWreckoning was there to check it out. Fans started lining up for tickets to the free all-ages show at 7 a.m. Despite the extreme lack of organization at the venue, which resulted in a near-riot as doors opened, we got the perfect spot in the second row, house stage left. Instead of an opener, a DJ (sadly, we didn’t get his name) filled the air and the long wait with tracks that seemed to please the whole, incredibly diverse crowd.
When the time came, the band and backup singers took the stage clad in black from head to toe and Rihanna emerged from below. The stage was set as a post-modern wasteland, strewn with discarded televisions and metallic mannequins, and Rihanna navigated it in spike heels. She opened the show with “Wait Your Turn,” and followed up with her current single, “Russian Roulette,” both tracks off her newly released album Rated R. One thing to be said about this new album is that its’ darkness is inversely proportional to the lightness evoked from “Umbrella,” the song that brought Rihanna into the limelight with its positive message and catchy beats.
She continued the set with hits “Live Your Life,” “Please Don’t Stop the Music,” “Disturbia” and “Run This Town,” running seamlessly one into the next. Rihanna is a true entertainer. Her voice is strong and clear and she doesn’t miss a beat. Even better, she seemed genuinely grateful to have such an adoring fanbase, and made plenty of contact with the lucky fans in the front row. Sadly though, the show ended short about forty minutes in. Umbrellas popped open one by one throughout the crowd as she belted out the chorus of the closer, reminding us that true friendship stands the test of time.
One thing is clear: regardless of the unfortunate nature of the past year spent in the spotlight, Rihanna hasn’t buckled under the pressure.
