By: Amanda Anderson-Niles
Rihanna is no stranger to controversy. The singer continues to make headlines for what many perceive as a raunchy image, one that no doubt made Rihanna seem like a rebel in an industry full of cookie cutter pop stars. Her personal life is also not without controversy, especially since Rihanna is rumored to be back together with Chris Brown, her famous ex boyfriend who is currently on probation for assaulting her in 2009. Of course their reunion has not been a smooth one, seeing as how Chris Brown has not really managed to sever all ties with his ex girlfriend Karrueche Tran. Since he split with Tran last month, he’s still been photographed with the aspiring model and even rumored to have been going out on dates with her, despite spending time with Rihanna. This has caused many to speculate that there is some sort of love triangle between all three, and Chris did not help the rumors any when he confirmed that he would like to be able to smash both ladies.
But the latest controversy surrounding Rihanna doesn’t have anything to do with Chris Brown. The singer just wrapped her 777 tour, and it’s been a complete disaster. The plan was for Rihanna to invite journalists to have an intimate one on one with the singer as she toured to promote her new album Unapologetic, but instead the journalists complained that Rihanna left them on the plane and ignored him for most of the tour. Not too happy with the singer’s lack of attention, the journalists had some kind of revolt on the plane.
Although Rihanna eventually apologized for things not going as smoothly as her team planned, some of these journalists are getting even and spilling the dirty details of the incident to the rest of their media counterparts.
One journalist in particular is furious, and opted to vent anonymously about Rihanna and how terribly planned the 777 tour was. Nothing was off limits in the rant, as the journalist even slammed Rihanna’s performance style, drinking habits, and talent level as they complained about their time on the tour.
They write to Gawker:
And at first, it all seemed like it was going to go so well. She “interacted” with us on the first day, sloppily pouring champagne into our outstretched plastic tumblers, demanding that we spend the week “partying” with her, and even challenging a sexy young English journalist to a “Zoolander”-style plane aisle walk-off.
Maybe, MAYBE I idly entertained thoughts of Rihanna and me, walking arm and arm into one of those cheap nail salons. We’d wear huge-logo sunglasses and read about her in foot-bath-splashed US magazines, still so giddy from brunch that I tell that dude-with-the-funny-balls-story that even the nail technicians laugh softly while gently removing her previous Swarovski gel pedi.
But after that first, coruscating appearance, Rihanna was gone. And I do mean gone.
I hesitate to say that she looked visibly drunk or generally “on some of the hard sh*t” during her performances, so let me just say that we came to expect a three hour delay before she went on every night.
She barely does any of her own singing, which isn’t a huge pearl-clutcher, but at least Britney danced a little. For Rihanna, just licking her lips during a song constitutes a taxing, elaborate physical routine that deserves a couple of mid-performance tequila shots.
The journalist even claims that the disappointment wasn’t just among the reporters, but even her fans who won a contest to spend time with the singer on the plane were not too happy with Rihanna either:
The fans who won seats on the plane from radio and Internet promotions went from feeling a little disappointed that they hadn’t seen more of the main attraction to wondering miserably when they’d be able to sleep or go home. That is not something you’re supposed to feel when you win a fabulous contest, probably.
And according to the anonymous journalist, Rihanna’s performances left much to be desired:
The shows are hilariously rote. “What the f*ck is up, Mexico City?” “What the f*ck is up, Toronto?” “What the f*ck is up, Paris?” “What the f*ck is up, [Insert Epcot Center City Here]?” followed by a tight sixty minutes of lip synching and lethargic thigh-slapping.
At least Johnny Cash did his own singing, and when he was too drunk to do that, occasionally collapsed into the footlights to give everybody a little thrill.
The parts we love the best are when she “ad libs,” gives a “special fan” an HTC phone (hahahahhahahahah), or pretends like she “just heard” someone request “What’s My Name?”, which she somehow sings while holding the mic at her crotch, air-chewing invisible Big League Chew and staring into the wings.
Regardless of the controversy of the tour, Rihanna’s still got plenty to celebrate. According to the early projections, Rihanna is set to land her first number one album with Unapologetic.
Damn they went in!
They were spot on as far as her performance goes. She’s boring as hell but fun to look at. I think people like her purely because they enjoy looking at her.
So were they trying to hint that they think she’s on drugs? Hmm………
She would have to be to be back together with Chris Brown. I don’t see what she sees in him.
LMAO. Don’t piss off the media.
This whole things sums up Rihanna perfectly. I still heart her though. lol
*THING.
I’m pretty sure Rihanna will never do a tour like this again.
I guess someone isn’t in the Navy…
Rihanna has to be one of the most overrated artists out right now. But she has that IT factor and it’s pretty much why she is still around. I honestly think the only thing that could hurt her is if she took a break and didn’t release an album next year. But I doubt she would do that because she knows it would hurt her,