It seems that we are ruffling some folks feathers on the Rayside post and we are sorry but BU intends to call it like we see it. Since we are ruffling feathers let us continue in that vain.It was only last year August that Rihanna announced to the world that she was intent on maintaining a pristine image. Many Barbadian may agree that she has managed to maintain a relatively decent image in the world of hip hop and R&B. We all remember the furore which Rihanna caused when she entered Chefette Accra in a low cut swim top, even though she wore jeans. That incident and others and the comments it evoked all over Barbados prompted Rihanna to make statements like:
“I don’t like to wear things too skimpy,” said the Barbados-born singer, according to Female First. “If I do shorts on the bottom, it’s gotta be something very conservative on top. If it’s skimpy at the top, it’s gotta be long jeans or something.”
She went on to say that she strives to be like fellow songstress Alicia Keys when it comes to balancing her music with her sexy image.
“That’s what I admire so much about Alicia Keys. She became so successful off of just her music. She was really conservative about her style at first.”
BU supported Rihanna’s approach even though we are not her biggest music fan. We feel that her background of a relatively sedate upbringing, attending the Kew church in Tudor Bridge and Combermere School would have served her well in warding away the flash of the entertainment world in which she finds herself. After reading the statement reported to have been made by Rihanna we have become concerned about what she will have to do to change to a sexy image.
London, Apr 12 (ANI): Songbird Rihanna is about to make the fantasies of her male fans come true – by sexing up her image.
The ‘Unfaithful’ singer insists that she has come a long way in her career, and is finally ready to move on from her ‘innocent’, girl-next-door look to something more serious and sexy.“I have broken out of my shell, I have come into my own. I am singing about a lot more serious things, a lot sexier things at times,” The Sun quoted her, as saying.
Rihanna revealed that fans will get to see a whole new her in her new album, for she will be taking a lot more risks in it.
“I have changed my image, the whole sound is about me not being the little innocent Rihanna and taking more risks,” she said.
It would be great to hear what Barbadians and especially the young posse feels about Rihanna’s decision to change her image. BU will monitor our Bajan DIVA to see if she makes a 360 turn in less than one year about the image she wants to carry – pristine or saucy? Only time will tell!
Barbados Underground 
Rihanna says…. I only show half, at any one time.
What I dont understand is how we have a beautiful young woman who is doing such great things in the music industry and for our lil island and all that can be done by her own people is look for means and ways to try to put her down. What is the problem? Rihanna is a young woman who is entitled to live her life as she pleases. Okay, so she wore a low rise jeans with a two piece swim top across the street after leaving the beach!!! WOW. What is so inappropriate about that? Furthermore, is she the first person to walk the streets of Barbados showing some skin. Rihanna does not need to be a role model for anyone as far as I’m concerned parents need to make sure their children look up to them and not these artist. Artist are people they are not God’s. Rihanna should be recognized as a young woman who was given an opportunity of a lifetime and is now trying to live a life some dream of. It’s ridiculous how you can aspire to become something and rather than be lifted up for your good works people are always there to shoot you down.
Entertainers come and go. Just hope R. doesn’t sucumb to the pitfalls of entertainment: sex and drugs.
R.’s success will not do anytbing for Barbados. She has been on the international front for around 2 years. Tell me how many more Tourists have come since her arrival.
Let’s get real. Most wish her well, properity and all. But don’t expect to see any surge in arrivals at the gate.
Rihanna seems to be conducting herself with great propriety. If she were my daughter I’d be extremely proud of her in that regard just as I am in respect of the music which I’ve heard from her, so far.
As for all the moaning from Barbadians, I think and hope, that you’re worry needlessly. As you’ve seen, she’s had an excellent education plus she’s Barbadian. To me that means the chances are that she’ll be an excellent ambassador for our country – she seems to have been so far, except for one alleged abberation, at a fast-food establishment. I think she should be forgiven this abberation. Anybody can make a mistake and she is of course, still very young.
You must remember too, the competition which she faces and the disgraceful acts of idiocy which they get up to, so if now and again, she got influenced by them, then we should n’t be too surprised, although, let’s hope that it does n’t happen.
It would be sad and so completely, unnecessary because on the strength of her music alone Rihanna is a great. She does n’t need the bad behaviour for people to see that! I’m a huge fan!
Yes she dresses a little skimpy but so does most young artist. She surely is an asset to Barbados, I am not saying that she should be worshiped beacuse of this but she be given the credit she deserves. You may not see a whole lot of people breaking down the shores of Barbados because of her talent, she does not live here. She may influence many young people to visit in years to come.
Most of the comments posted in response to her alleged comment about bajans ‘talking crap’ proved the point of the comment. I am not an international recording artist but I get ‘cut eye’ just because I am slim. There are those who seem to think that everybody ‘looks stink’ except them. How do we think that Rihanna feels when she is out there bigging up Barbados and then she sees herself being pulled to pieces on-line. We seem to judge a woman’s morality based on the amount of clothes she may wear. (or how many tatoos she has). Normally we associate short clothing with short morals. Hello, this is the tropics??? Have you ever heard someone say ‘he is a slut,he doan like nuh lotta clothes, he does wear speedoes???” or ‘he always bare back and feel sombody lookin at he, he must be wutless???
There are some of us who are quite comfortable with the body we have and no problem with nudity so we would tend to be judged as ‘skimpy dressers’
How is it that when ever a young person becomes famous we expect them to suddenly mature and make ONLY good decisions. I assume that most of those who are complaining about ‘skimpy clothing’ are a bit older than myself. Define “skimpy”.
I have seen pictures of the hot pants and short dresses that were worn in the sixties, but yet the children of the women who wore them never remember wearing anything as short as what their daughters wear now. Do we all collectively
develop amnesia at 30?
How can someone who needs guidance and a role model be expected to be a role model to others in all choices and all decisions. Consider the pressure this young lady is under. She does not need to be constantly criticised by those she holds most dear…..the people of Barbados.
Please, to quote the pledge ‘…….and by my living to do credit to my nation wherever I go’. It seems that Rihanna is waving her flag (or ambrella, ella ,ella- the ambrella is exactly how it is pronounced in the song) Are you the elders of this society giving her anything to aspire to or brag about? Or can you only pull down, put down and destroy?
and this is what you BAJANS call talent?? c’on we all know the girl cant sing or dance… she is lethargic on stage, I think there are many other bajans who can sing way better than her.. its sad to see her embarassing you all.
huh…