Rihanna is a restless sleeper, is partial to rotary phones, and packs lightly in a video for Emporio Armani Underwear and Armani Jeans. In the black-and-white video, there’s a rotary phone off the hook and Rihanna is tossing and turning in bed. She hangs up the phone, continues to toss and turn, looks at a Polaroid of a bathroom sink and mirror, turns up the steam and finds a note on the mirror: airport 6:00. Rihanna puts on a pair of jeans, a jacket, but no shirt, and leaves for the airport. Or does she? The video ends and she’s still in bed.
directed by Jordan Scott of RSA and edited by Cut + Run’s Dayn Williams.
Analyze This: An in depth look at the lyrical content of a song to provide insight
"All Back"
If I had the moment
I'd capture that moment
You would be right here next to me
If I had the secret,
The secret to your love
I would place the treasure beneath my heart
Lock it all up,
And throw away the key
I would never give it up
Cause I was just a fool,
A fool for you
When I loved you so childishly
Chorus:
And I want it all back
I want it all, I want it all,
I want it all back
I want it all back,
I want it all, I want it all
Girl I want it all
You never miss a good thing 'til it's gone,
I want it all, now I want it all (back)
If there is a green light
And it starts to turn yellow
Pedal to the floor,
Cause I know your heart is turning red,
If I had the minutes, I would turn 'em into hours
And make love to your mind not your body instead
I was just a fool, a fool for you
That didn’t know what I had until I lost you
Every single moment
That you’re not here
It's evident to me that everything just seems so clear
Chorus
Now everything isn’t everything
If everything, everything isn’t with you
And I want it all back
I want it all, I want it all, I want it all back
I want it all back, I want it all, I want it all
Girl I want it all
You never miss a good thing 'til it's gone,
I want it all, now I want it all.
Now I want it all back
Now I want it all back
Now I want it all back
J9's Analysis: This is one of my favorite tracks of his album. The song is so sincere, raw, and emotional. The lyrics of the songs makes you wonder if it's meant for Rihanna. I mean it makes sense. . . CB sings about regretting what he's done and desperately wanted to re-do the damage done to have that relationship back. “You never miss a good thing, til it’s gone”. . everyone knows this line all too well and if this is about RiRi, CB is probably punishing himself for ruining their relationship and losing a good girl (that apparently has gone bad, or should I saw naughty, especially in her new album Talk That Talk).
CB’s delivery of the song is so heartfelt. You can feel the pain and regret he feels as his pours his heart out. Many things that he points out can apply to anybody. He talks about loving so childishly, something that happens way too often when you make stupid mistakes due to immaturity and don’t realize what you did until you grow older and wiser.
Most artists nowadays, display the glamorous life in their music videos. . you know the fancy cars, money, mansions, beautiful women, extravagant vacations and parties. Rarely do you see artists depicting the reality that we common folk experience everyday or are at least exposed to more than what what is in the videos. I guess some can argue maybe that's the point, to take us out of reality for a second.
However, sometimes we need that harsh reality check and it seems like artists are just the person to give it to us now that their views and opinions hold more clout than ever before. With that said, more artists are now using their music videos as a platform to bring awareness to real issues that are affecting the community, especially the black community. Maybe through their words and creative vision, people will start to become more aware.
Below are just a few artists who have used their videos to shed light on serious issues:
Breast Cancer
Did you know that breast cancer is the most common cancer diagnosis among African American women, and among women nationwide? If you haven't been directly or indirectly related to the disease, you might not show too much concern. You might think it will never happened to you or someone close to you. You might go as far as not taking the proper precautionary actions.
Last year, Eric Roberson used his video Still to spread awareness about the disease and just recently, Musiq followed suit and released his video for Yes, which he dedicated to breast cancer fighters. Musiq was also named the ambassador for Susan G. Komen for the Cure® Circle of Promise. Watch both videos below as Roberson and Musiq take a different approach in depicting the seriousness of the disease.
Still by Eric Roberson
Yes - Musiq
Homosexuality/Bullying
Homosexuality, especially among black men, is a sore subject in the black community. Recently, the topic of bullying has become a household term as a result of so many people committing suicide because of being bullied.
To shed light on this sensitive topic, Marsha does amazing job of walking us through the life of a homosexual black man as he is ostracized. It also serves as a personal testimony of Marsha's which shows how willing she is to make herself vulnerable by telling this story in hopes of spreading awareness of the negative effects of bullying.
I love how creative individuals can be and how talented they are in creating their work. Imagine if Patti Labelle, Aretha Franklin, Beyonce', Rihanna, Diana Ross, Maya Angelou, and Chaka Khan all got together for a "private" dinner. Well HERE IS YOUR CHANCE!!! And trust the DRAMA explodes!!!
Like any good piece of art,Rihanna'scontroversial "Man Down" videohas elicited a wide variety of opinions, running the gamut from condemnation for its bloodshed to praise for its attempt to grapple with the complex issue of violence against women
"It strikes me first and foremost that she is working out personal issues through her art," said Terry O'Neill, national president of the National Organization for Women, who lauded the singer's talent and stressed that she did not find the video exploitive at all.
A number of groups slammed the clip after its premiere, taking issue with the opening scene, in which a hidden Rihanna is shown shooting an unarmed man in the back of the head in the middle of a crowded train station. Viewers later learn that the act was in retaliation for a previous sexual assault.
" 'Man Down' is an inexcusable, shock-only, shoot-and-kill theme song," said Industry Ears co-founder Paul Porter, a former programming director at BET, where the video debuted earlier this week and remains in rotation.
But O'Neill said that like Rihanna's collaboration with Eminem on the "Love the Way You Lie" video — which also tackled issues of domestic abuse — "Man Down" is another example of Rihanna "trying to grapple with the multifaceted nature of violence against women as an artist. Obviously violence is not the way to solve anything and both videos depict violence. In one, it's a man who feels justified in committing violence against a woman and in the other a woman who feels instantly very remorseful in her killing." For O'Neill, "Man Down" does not cross the line into portraying violence in an effort to titillate.
"One of the main messages it leaves you with is violence breeds more violence and everyone can see that and also detect some problems with that," said Stephanie Nilva, Executive Director of Day One, New York's leading teen relationship abuse-focused organization. "I respect the fact that Rihanna is trying to draw attention to these issues, but I don't think viewers are necessarily getting healthy messages from it."
Another concern for Nilva, given the implied sexual abuse in the clip, is the underlying impression that young women who dress a certain way or go dancing in clubs are naive or should feel at risk. That too, she said, sends a muddled message about sexual assault. "What it doesn't do is open up a discussion about how men's violence is frequently about controlling women and not about violence they've experienced at that person's hands," she said.
After posting adefenseof the clip, Rihanna got plenty of support from her fans onTwitter, where the comments included such sentiments as "it's really ironic how women r always exploited n videos ... we watch women be raped & murdered. Now a woman flips the coin & look!"
Another fan wrote, "You opened the eyes of all women living under a dark cloud that needed a voice. 'Man Down' is the voice. I love you." Others called it "inspiring" and praised Rihanna for tackling the issue of sexual abuse, writing, " 'Man Down' video portrays REAL situations that can happen to ANYONE! Do yoo thing ri!" Rihanna also pleaded with her fans to stop making threats against members of the PTC, writing, "We love it, they don't ... that is all, and the world keeps turning."
Given the message of empowerment some of Rihanna's fans appear to have taken from the video, Nilva noted that one of the messages Day One imparts to young people is that violence is never appropriate. "I wouldn't say that perpetrating violence against someone is a form of empowerment, just like you wouldn't say a man raping a woman is a form of empowerment," she said. "It's a complicated message to get young people to absorb that — what it means to be an empowered person — and it would be nice to see more images of strength that are not about exercising violence or power over other people."
As a survivor of relationship violence at the hands ofher ex, Chris Brown, Nilva said the singer is clearly under the microscope when it comes to this topic. But given that people are likely to pay more attention to what she has to say about it because of her fame and the notoriety surrounding Brown's 2009 assault, Nilva said it would be preferable to see a more positive message from Rihanna on the topic.
O'Neill said she's confident that Rihanna's fans will understand the message of the clip because any woman who has experienced violence from a partner or acquaintance knows that among the emotions you feel in addition to anger and rage are humiliation and fear and a desire for revenge.
"Many women who have experienced violence, of course, have those feelings and this video seems to be a fictional portrayal of those feelings and is not intended to be instructional," O'Neill said, calling it a kind of catharsis for viewers. "The other aspect that is part of the message is the fact that if you act on your desire to kill this rapist, you will then throw yourself down the rabbit hole of remorse and criminal accountability and be sent to prison. There are repercussions and the video clearly says that."
At press time, MTV'sFacebook pollasking whether the video goes too far had the "no" votes leading the "yes" votes by a margin of three-to-one.
Do you think Rihanna's "Man Down" video goes too far? Cast your vote in ourFacebook polland share your thoughts in the comments below.
Watch Rihanna answer fan questions at her hot Rolling Stone cover shoot below.
The new issue of Rolling Stone – on stands and online in the digital archive on April 1 (subscription required) – features a deep interview with Rihanna in which she talks to contributing editor Josh Eells about her difficult upbringing, the endless rumors about her relationships and why she agreed to let a judge ease the restraining order against Chris Brown. "That's my decision," she says. "It doesn't mean we're gonna make up, or even talk again. It just means I didn't want to object to the judge."
She hasn't heard from Brown in a very long time. "We don't have to talk ever again in my life," she says. "I just didn't want to make it more difficult for him professionally. What he did was a personal thing – it had nothing to do with his career. Saying he has to be a hundred feet away from me, he can't perform at awards shows – that definitely made it difficult for him."
Other highlights from the story:
• She went through an incredibly difficult time after the Brown incident. "I put my guard up so hard," she says. "I didn't want people to see me cry. I didn't want people to feel bad for me. It was a very vulnerable time in my life, and I refused to let that be the image. I wanted them to see me as, 'I'm fine, I'm tough.' I put that up until it felt real."
• Rihanna's hit single "S&M" is semi-autobiographical. "Being submissive in the bedroom is really fun," she says. "You get to be a little lady, to have somebody be macho and in charge of your shit. That's fun to me...I like to be spanked. Being tied up is fun. I like to keep it spontaneous. Sometimes whips and chains can be overly planned – you gotta stop, get the whip from the drawer downstairs. I'd rather have him use his hands."
• Next May she's going to play a Navy weapons expert in the big-screen adaptation of the classic board game Battleship. She spent three months filming in Baton Rouge and Hawaii, including many 18-hour days on a barge with 350 people – and just one outhouse bathroom between them. "There were times I would walk up to her like, 'Are you really handling this?'" says Battleship director Peter Berg. "She would just laugh at me. She said she was really enjoying not having to drive the ship - not having to be running this huge Rihanna machine."
Most may view Nicki Minaj as just another rapper/singer/performer; but the multi-faceted entertainer is much more than that, she’s a bankable brand that’s only just begun to blossom. In a few short years, Nicki has influenced trends through her music and unmistakable fashion sense, and her involvement in cosmetics, television, hair and even the floral industry (Nicki has exclusive pink collection bouquets available on flowers.com for Valentine’s Day) has helped spike sales and visibility for a number of ancillary brands. Whether her detractors like it or not, Ms. Minaj is a one-woman marketing guru. BlackEnterprise.com takes a look at some of the brands the young starlet has—directly or indirectly—helped bolster by association.
Broadway's Young Star, 11-year-old Shannon Skye Tavarez (Young Nala in The Lion King on Broadway), was laid to rest on Monday November 8, 2010. We will miss our Fierce young star, but her legacy will live on. One of Shannon's final request was to help save other kid's lives, like herself, who suffered from AML (Acute Myeloid Leukemia). Keep Shannon's Legacy alive by visiting www.matchshannon.com...Support the cause and help save lives.
Rest Peacefully Shannon...You rocked it her on Earth! Until we meet Again...
Last night at the Studio Museum of Harlem, a special conversation about fashion and art with André Leon Talley and emerging fashion designer LaQuan Smith was moderated by the museum’s Director and Chief Curator Thelma Golden.
A 25-year veteran of and contributing editor to Vogue, André Leon Talley regularly pens a witty, pithy column called “Life with André." He also worked at Interview during Andy Warhol’s tenure. Talley regularly appears on television and in film and can currently be seen as a judge on the television show “America’s Next Top Model.”
LaQuan Smith has designed custom fashions for artists including Lady Gaga, Rihanna, Aubrey O’day, Amerie and more. Smith’s New York Fashion Week debut was held on February 15, 2010 and he has been featured in many media outlets including The New York Times, New York Daily News and Studio Magazine.
Both shared a wonderful view on fashion. Mr. Talley told the standing room only audience, “Fashion is HARD WORK, hard core work;” he continued to say, “true fashion insiders must do their homework, be patient, learn the business and live your dream.”
LaQuan’s 2nd fashion collection frenetic energy filled the Gramercy Room of the Peninsula Hotel as editors and buyers waited for wunderkind LaQuan Smith’s Spring/Summer 2011 show, entitled “A Storybook Path,” to begin.While a crush of photographers circled around rapper Common to get a shot, a gaggle of reporters rushed before Vogue’sAndre Leon Talley and designer and CFDA President Diane Von Furstenberg for a soundbite. The excitement generated so much heat, attendees fanned themselves with hot pink paper fans provided on the tables. As classical music began to play, a young lady wearing a blush pink corseted brocade jacket and matching frilly skirt came out, pursing gold lacquered lips and tottering atop Walter Steiger stilettos. The show had begun, and the air erupted with shouts of enthusiasm over the clothes–and the models themselves:
Exclamations of “Honey better work!” and “Ok!” could be heard as models sauntered out in a series of bust and thigh accentuating pieces seemingly inspired by the famously coquettish and fashion loving late 18th century Marie Antoinette. Brocade fabrics in champagne pink, deep burgundy, white, black, and electric blue were fashioned into cropped frilled tops and bodice dresses, perfectly fit for modern day princesses. Though dreamlike, as if cut from a storybook, the clothes were designed to titillate. To wit, an almost bare bottomed Jaslene Gonzalez elicited whoops of “Yes, girl,” as she worked a sheer mint green flapper dress with green plumes of feathers peeking out the bottom.
The shouts reached an almost fevered pitch as even more celebrity models emerged. Singer Cassie in a corseted gold and burgundy bubble hem dress; Deborah Cox in a Tiffany blue gilded number with an asymmetric train; Serena Williams, who closed the show, in a Bourdeaux red regal gown with exaggerated hips.
Manu Dibango, born Emmanuel Dibango N'Djoké on December 12, 1933 in Douala, Cameroon is a Cameroonian saxophonist and vibraphone player. He developed a musical style fusing jazz, funk and traditional Cameroonian music. He is a member of the Yabassi ethnic group, though his mother was a Duala. He is best remembered for his afrobeat single "Soul Makossa", often considered the first disco record.
He was a member of the seminal Congolese rumba group
Chris Brown has begged his fans to help make him "relevant" again.
The R&B star was sentenced to five years' probation and six months' community labour after he admitting punching, biting and choking his ex-girlfriend Rihanna in a car in February 2009. He was also barred from contacting the singer for five years and told to attend domestic violence classes for 52 weeks.
Since the assault Chris' career has plummeted. He struggled to fill venues when playing a series of shows last year, and lashed out at the industry on his Twitter page claiming stores weren't even stocking his new record.
The 20-year-old has now recorded a message for his fans on SayNow.com, a website which lets artists speak to those who follow them. "Hey what's up y'all it's CB. Um... well I ain't ever really did this but right now I just need all of my fans' help. I need all of the fans I have, I need your help," he says. "It's crazy because a lot of radio stations aren't playing my records. They're not being as supportive - and I wouldn't expect them too. But, in everything you guys do you have the power to bring me back because that's all I need. You guys, no one else can do that expect the fans."
Chris explains he has done everything he can to try and kick-start his career, and doesn't know what other steps he can take. He insists he is only in the industry for his fans, and hopes they can help him
"I don't know what else to say, there's nothing else I can do, I'm doing everything I need to do. I'm a better guy. But it's on ya'll because my singing and my music, I do it all for y'all and the love and everything else," he says. "But it won't be possible if I'm not relevant on the radio and it won't be possible for me to be an artist if I don't get support from people who give artists as outlet. I can't be an underground mix-tape artist! And so, that's where we are. I just want all my fans to help me. I love you, peace."
What I find ironic about the story is I recently was thinking about how Chris’ career was entering “Shitville” and if I were his manger I would not have advised him to release an album so soon. He should have spent his time this past year speaking with other young men his age who have been charged with similar crimes and doing other community service projects outside of what he was required to do. Now is the time to save face without throwing it up in everyone’s face what you are doing. We don’t need you tell us you have done all you can do or point out every good deed you have done since last February, did you really think that you would survive the punishment so easy? All I can say is Chris I hope you made decent grades in high school, because you may need to apply for college so that you can have a degree to fall back on. It appears that your career is a wrap!
Beyonce's new video for her song "Video Phone" has to be the stupidest thing I’ve ever seen. And that’s with no exception to anything. Not Madea Goes To Jail. Not "The Tiny and Toya Show." Not even Soul Plane.
The "Video Phone" clip which finds Beyoncé throwing her ass and breasts around like an average video ho and painting herself white ala Bettie Paige among a number of other ludicrous visuals is the most coonish thing I’ve seen since "Soulja Girl." I thought after [President] Obama took office shit like this was supposed to stop.
It’s not that the video, and it’s accompanying five minute jingle isn’t so much stupid as it is pointless and horribly juvenile. What the hell is this about? Is she promoting X-Tube membership? Rainbow apparel? I don’t get it. If BET still had a time slot for the uncut videos this would be on it round the clock.
Beyoncé is reaching and trying to hold onto whatever credibility as an “artist” she has left. This is overreaching. It’s not working. Someone told me she’s on her way to being a legend. I don’t see it. If she doesn’t switch it up soon Rihanna's going to eclipse her.
The music video that the world has waited for has finally arrived. "Russian Roulette," the controversial first single from Rated R by international pop diva Rihanna is the darkest and most haunting video in the singer's repertoire. Though the video is very artistic and beautifully shot, the gun and bloody images are bound to ignite some ire from critics.
Interestingly, this video debuts the same day as ex-boyfriend Chris Brown's world premiere of "Crawl."
Right now, all eyes are set on Rihanna. Media, bloggers, fans and critics around the world have given much of their attention to the international pop singer from Barbados as she prepares for the release of her fourth studio album Rated R.
As the Rated R U.S. release date [November 23] draws near, Rihanna, born Robyn Rihanna Fenty, has been photographed and made the top subject of interest more than any celebrity in recent weeks. From her envelope-pushing red carpet high-fashions and
ever-changing hairstyles, many critics have applauded her "comeback" as an ascension to "the hottest chick in the game" title. However, many more have commented about her first interview regarding the February 2009 incident where the world felt sorry for an abused and battered Rihanna by the hands of her on-and-off again boyfriend R&B crooner Chris Brown. Rihanna's "20/20" interview with Diane Sawyer drew top-rating viewership numbers as did the repost videos on hundreds of blog sites.
Publicity over a celebrated music artist's personal matters and public appearances guarantees a great amount of anticipation for a new project. However, the performer's music must equally draw or succeed the general press attention to ensure sales of new albums, singles and concert tickets. After the global breakthrough success of her 2007 album Good Girl Gone Bad, the pressure must be heavy for Rihanna and Def Jam [the record label] to guarantee that Rated R
prolongs the momentum of success.
So far, five recorded songs have been leaked from the Rated R sessions. According to the finalized track, "Bubble Pop," an electro-pop dance tune that samples heavily on the classic house single "Good Life" by Inner City, did not make the cut. Notwithstanding, "Pop" has the potential of being a clubhouse classic. The haunting pop ballad "Russian Roulette," the album's first single made the top ten in pop charts in a few countries despite the controversy over its title and precarious lyrics. "Hard" positions itself as the second single to the delight of R&B listeners whose markets do enjoy as much of Rihanna's tunes as pop radio. Featuring Atlanta rapper Young Jeezy, the tune is the first single for the young diva that sound entirely like a R&B record versus pop. While "Wait Your Turn (The Wait Is Ova)" is the buzz track from the album, the newly leaked "Cold Case Love" reaped much approval from critics and fans alike. Though it sounds like an autobiographic tune regarding her much publicized incident with Brown, the epic ballad produced and written by Justin Timberlake stands out as a favorite from Rated R showing that Rihanna's vocal abilities can handle big ballads despite dismissed as not a good singer as her contemporaries Beyoncé and Mary J. Blige.
The five leaked tunes suggests that Rated R will take a similar direction of its predecessor by having a smörgåsbord of sound without any two songs sounding similar regardless of
producers. All songs are hit-worthy. The difference lies in the artistic direction. Good Girl Gone Bad contained obvious pop hit that played safe with no new sounds. The new album pushes the boundaries wide open leading the Bajan beauty in new music territory with theatrical musical backdrops and epic production that has not been heard of regularly since the early 1990's. The test occurs in a couple weeks. Will Rihanna's fans and music listeners will get the genius of Rated R, or will it be ahead of its time?
Listen to these leaked tracks and judge for yourself.
Right now, all eyes are set on Rihanna. Media, bloggers, fans and critics around the world have given much of their attention to the international pop singer from Barbados as she prepares for the release of her fourth studio album Rated R.
