It was supposed to be Rihanna’s big night. Is that the way it really turned out though? It was more like Beyonce’s night with Bonus Rihanna, and I’m saying that as someone who genuinely enjoyed Rihanna’s performances, scattered throughout the evening. Rihanna didn’t walk the carpet – few Vanguard Award winners do – but she had many costume changes on-stage. None of them were really that great. Rihanna’s first set-piece and costume looked like Katy Perry cast-offs. Plus, no judgment, there were like a dozen major lip sync fails during this part. Update: UGH, MTV is being rude about the embeds for some reason?? You can see the videos of her performances here.
The 2016 Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award recipient, @rihanna 💫 https://t.co/mpvEHzNwGv
— MTV (@MTV) August 29, 2016
Here’s Drake presenting Rihanna with her Video Vanguard Award. Drake had been “stuck in traffic” (???) for most of the show, so he did miss several of Rihanna’s performances. At least he showed up in the end, which is why he got to live the dream and publicly proclaim his love for Rihanna (she rolled her eyes when he did that):
Here’s her acceptance speech. She keeps it short and sweet.
Photos courtesy of Getty, MTV, WENN.
Ya know, I wish she would just break up with Drake OR appreciate him. I find it a huge turnoff how publicly dismissive she is of him when clearly he adores her.
Drake adores everyone with his annoying puppy self.
hahahahahahha you are right lol
I agree. Poor Drake just wants to get the love he gives in return. It may not be “cool” for his rap cred but I always have a soft spot for drake and his ability to be all in for someone.
His style is gushy and lovey-dovey and ‘extra’, hers isn’t. He’s just more effusive in general. Whenever he’s with her he still has all his IG girls ready and waiting, it’s not like he’s ever been close to being all in either. They’re on the same page, they just go about their business in very different ways.
Yeah, that’s one thing I don’t get about people being all “Drake is crazylove for Rihanna, he’s waiting just for her!” when he has a harem… If I was Rihanna I’d wear a body condom around him
I don’t care that much for their relationship. They would be the worst to each other if they are ever legit legit. But if you analyse his lyrics, it’s clear that she isn’t all that ‘unbothered’ as she seems or pretends to be. She seems to like douchebags anyway and Drake is part of that attraction. She travelled for him a lot and waited for him after shows just like he did for her so I doubt it’s one-sided.
I feel like Rihanna has never been mushy or open so maybe his extraness bugs her a bit. I’m the same way, and when my husband tells me he loves me in public I get a bit clamy.
She was mushy with Chris Brown though. Both before the attack and during part 2 The Return. She posted mushy photos, mushy tweets and posed mightily with him at award ceremonies. She does mushy, just not with Drake. That tells me she isn’t into him and this is just fun on her part. He may not be on the same page and that makes me side eye her for this. You don’t have a casual thing with a guy who is declaring his love before millions. It’s reckless and cruel
lol, Why, is his dumping hand broke?
He has a choice of staying or leaving in the relationship too – and what he tolerates.
The speculation about their are-they/aren’t-they relationship isn’t hurting either of them.
She needs to let him go so that he can go back to his strippers. It was sweet, but uncomfortable. The eye roll said it all!
Her reply to the billboard he bought her “When he so extra” was signal #1. The eye roll was signal #2. The swerve when he tried to kiss her was signal #3. Drake just needs to take the signals and move on.
I appreciate Rihanna, her beauty, her clothes, her general blase attitude, but as a performer she is getting worse. Not much dancing (which is normal for her) but also very little singing. Her Anti tour is selling (I think) but many people are disappointed in the performance when they leave. She was also 40 minutes late for the concert I attended.
So, she’s cute and all but it’s getting real when you pay the ticket and you find an artist with a ‘I don’t give a shit’ attitude on stage.
For some strange reason, people expect Rihanna to be a dancer… which she is not. And most of her songs are not choreography-type songs…they don’t really lend themselves to that, and when you see dance teachers try to do a Rihanna song choreo, it looks awkward too (bar a couple of tracks like Pour It Up and Where Have You Been). I wish people would let it rest, there is nothing that dance-y on ANTI… She has a swagger, groove, island dance… which isn’t a choreographed thing..
I agree with you though, as much as I love her, I wish she would sing more live!
I already mentioned in my post that dancing is not her thing, so there was no expectation there.
Although, to be clear, for Rihanna’s hype, it’s weird to have so little dance in her shows.
I saw her a few weeks ago on the European leg. She was great. Her voice was as good as I’ve heard it (she’s not Adele, but that’s not the only way to sing), and she was singing live for most of it (definitely singing live for all the ballads/slow-ish songs, avoided some tricky high notes but even great singers do that a lot of the time). The songs she partly lip-synced or relied on a backing track for were the more upbeat songs that have a lot of overlapping singing and don’t really work live otherwise without a ton of reworking. That’s not unusual, most pop stars have at least a few hits like that and they either lip-sync swathes of it or bring in back up singers to sing parts they sung on the album version.
I really enjoyed the stripped down aesthetic, it was perfect for the album she was supporting, but I get that people might be underwhelmed if they were expecting a more standard pop concert. She has the most amazing presence though, it’s hard to take your eyes off her.She dances, she just doesn’t do major choreographed routines. The way she moves is freakin’ amazing though.
The venue was full, and the energy was high all the way through. No one seemed obviously disappointed, and I live in a place kind of known for masses of people just walking out mid-way through sucky concerts, so if people had been PO’d it would have been clear.
I was so disappointed about missing the tour! Unfortunately I was travelling and never managed to be in the same country as her 🙁
I’ve heard all positive reviews/experiences!
Yeah I mean, people overwhelmingly expect her to be Beyonce, I’m not sure why… her whole vibe/aesthetic is different… she’s kind of a pop star, but she’s more of a rock star, and her concerts are like rock/hiphop concerts… no one is asking Eminem (that was the best concert pairing for her IMO!) to do choreography!
It’s just a failed categorisation.
I don’t like Rihanna. She’s incredibly beautiful, but that’s about it. The thing that annoys me so much about her is that she seems not to care about her career. Or about being professional. Her voice is mediocre, but she doesn’t even put minimum effort into her performances. And that’s especially notocable when she performs at the same time as Beyonce who works incredibly hard and goes all out.
Also, for the life of me I don’t get how her song with Calvin won an award. It was such a boring video for such a boring song.
Why do you think she doesn’t care about being professional? Everyone she’s worked with has always complimented her.
@Val
Well there was that one time where she made fun of one of her fans who made a prom dress inspired by her outfit. She tweeted this: https://twitter.com/rihanna/status/464620761979052032?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw and the girl got cyberbulllied after it was posted.
Doesn’t really scream professional.
Val please. Just Google. She’s often late (interviews, shows, press), rude and she often can’t be bothered to bring power and energy to the stage.
My bff’s father works for a stadium in the UK and when she performed there in the past, she always made issues about the smallest things e.g.the typical ‘don’t look at me’ celeb entitlement and one time a lightbulb was broken and she refused to go on until it was fixed. She ended up peforming an HOUR late for a damn lightbulb. She was not friendly at all. The most professional and friendly according to him are the Black Eyed Peas, Beyoncé and somebody else I forgot the name off but I remember being surprised.
I don’t know, I’ve heard all the opposite?
Plus seeing as she’s one of the only celebrities that actually connects with her fans, from responding to DMs on Twitter and Instagram, to her backstage meet-and-greets, to organising transport for fans who couldn’t come to her concerts, to paying for one fan’s college… This stuff isn’t reported on very often (negativity sells better), but the reason people love her so much is because she does give back and acknowledge the people who support her.
She’s not perfect for sure, and I do find that comment she made to that girl strange, but she’s also checked some of her fans for attacking – I think it was Teyana Taylor? – and asked them to back down.
At the end of the day, if you don’t like her you’re going to find things to dislike about her, and vice-versa *shrug*
@Val:
Sure she can be nice but there are more occassions where her rudeness eclipses the nice stuff. Not that hard to find either. Or have people forgotten about her extreme messy self during the Chris Brown – Kerrueche debacle? Her racist remarks really showed her true face. If you’re truly a nice person, such things don’t come into your head, let alone in public on social media.
@ALS I agree saw her for the Diamonds Tour and was disappointed she sounds good on record but live she wasn’t that good. Call me jaded or old school but for £90/$150 pp the person needs to be able run up and down the stage dance a bit and STILL be able to sing even out of breath and bit singing along to some track. This will come on in the UK next week I suppose.
I am in the same group, which I am guessing is a group a people that appreciate good shows but also appreciate the value of their own money.
It appears we are encouraged to give our money on tickets with no expectation in return.
Drake is like a needy puppy. Ugh,
I love you Riri! <3
Ok, this was supposed to be her moment and he just goes there and makes it about him. I don’t blame her for focusing on her career now, if he thinks that show how much in love HE is in a moment that we should all celebrate HER, that’s not the way to “get” her
I completely agree. Everybody is going all “aw, Drake” or “poor Drake” and I’m like….wtf? This was a big moment for her and he made it the Drake show.
I do think Drake had the right intentions and I believe there is a mutual love between them (although way more intense on his part). However, as someone who cringes at public cheesiness I empathize with Rihanna not being all over him for That Notebook style shit.
Everybody going “aw Drake” reminds me of the situations where someone is putting pressure on a friend to date that one guy they know because he is sooo nice, and everybody hassles her to be with him even though she has no interest. She gets the full “why are you so mean, ignore what you want people want you with him” treatment.
This is such a perfect comparison.
Poor Drake! Either let him go or start appreciate him
Rihanna has improved SO much over the past 10, 11 years. Her vocals are stronger as well as her performances and stage presence. There isn’t another Rihanna. She’s not Beyonce, she’s not Britney or Janet or Madonna. She’s herself and it works.
She really struggled to hit those high notes though..
She’s still a better singer than Beyonce.
Drake is Practically acting like Kaley Cuocco here, Simmer down Boo!(he took a Billboard for her to congratulate her for the award and she replied “When he the most” LMFAO
I Loved the second meddley didnt stay past yonce But WHAT A CAREFREE BLOCK PARTY VIBE! seems like Riri became at some point in time fully unconcerned with White Gaze, She dont care if ya’ll get her or her associations or her Patois or her clothes But I KNOW my entire Timeline was In awe of this Durag flap double layered train! (My Bf said: She has Lots of Fun Music! And her live voice has improved
And this is why I LURVS her lol. I appreciate Ri-Ri for who she is. An unapologetic, fun, full of swag Island Gyal.
Yaass
Such an overhyped singer and lackluster performer.
I so agree, the most over hyped of this generation. Barely sings, doesn’t dance, doesn’t write her own music.
…eh, they were goofing off together backstage though. So much for the ‘Drake embarrasses Rih!’ narrative.
Just because she’s not into super public declarations of love doesn’t mean she’s not into him or whatever they’ve got going.
Anti album of the year. Go on Rihanna!
Lol Drake loves everyone nicki,Rihanna,serena, random girls in the mall and his harem drake is for everybody certificated community D
I like Rihanna and her music but Ive always found her a poor performer.
I saw her in concert and she put in almost no effort so I will give her props for trying last night. I love all the people saying “her voice has improved so much over the years “, guys her career is as a singer she should have been able to sing amazingly the whole time especially since she doesn’t dance
OK that was not a “fk off creep!” eyeroll. That was more of an ” omg you are too much” eyeroll that you give friends. It was cute. I wish they would just stop playing and just get together.
I love Ri Ri and her IDGAF attitude. She has had some great songs in her catalogue. She is a weak singer but she’s been able to keep me dancing and having fun and her style is flawless.
She seems to not be into PDAs since the chris brown saga. He was clearly trying to give her a kiss on the lips and she shaded him to the left.
I think they love each other rather deeply. But she wants to be her. In the meantime he finds a bauble butt to occupy his time.
At the end of the day, none of us know.
Drake came up on stage looking like he had an engagement ring in his back pocket lol. Poor guy.
This. That moment the camera pans back to him after she thanks him… I dunno. I feel like he was choking back some serious feels.
I’m pretty sure she just dislikes gushiness and pdas (an aversion I share). It’s pretty clear that she adores him. Of course I’m biased because I think they are so hot together.
Poor Drake. Just give it up. Calling him extra for the billboard, the eye roll when he says he’s in love with you, the swerve when he tries to kiss you. They might hook up and she might love his **attention** – but she’s not in love with him and clearly has him permanently in the “Friends with benefits but only when I feel like it” zone and he is the only one who doesn’t know it.
I wish she’d get back with Matt Kemp they were SO HOT together. And she had nooooo problem with PDAs with him sooooooo yeah Drake just give it up already.
Overall I thought her performances were kind of boring. I really liked the Work set up though, with the block party feel. That was great. But the other performances didn’t really do it for me. I kind of wish she had done that set up the whole time!
I think she has a unique vibe, and I don’t know if she should give in to the temptation to do a lot of choreography. It seemed kind of half assed in places, and I think she might have been better off just grooving on her own without all the back up dancers showing her up. Also, the costumes were distractingly sloppy. I think there is a way to do volume that could have worked. On one song, there were two black high boots, and her right leg had a sliver block of satin attached to it. It was so distracting! I couldn’t tell if that was supposed to attach up top and had fallen down, or if that was the way it was supposed to look.
poor drake. LOL As he walked on stage I jokingly said oh he’s going to propose. Then, the way he kept going on I was alike OMG he’s hoing to?! Ha!
I loved her speech, and I honestly think she is so genuine. I’m genuinely upset that on her night Beyonce stole the spotlight. I understand she (Beyonce) was nominated for a million things, but she could have performed one song and let Rihanna have her night. Oh well.
That first performance was dubbed. The performance she did on SNL was almost identical-I wonder if they pulled the recording from there.
Not so sure about Beyonce either, although I have not seen her perform live (except at the Inauguration, when she was dubbed).
It can’t be stage fright…perhaps production concerns, since the costumes and the dancing are just as important-if not more so-than the music. This is the Video Music Awards after all.