Above, you can peep the “SNL Digital Short” that Andy Samberg has made the show famous (and Emmy-award winning and Grammy-award nominated) for, this time with him as “Shy Ronnie” and with Rihanna as….Rihanna.
You know what though, even with the chance to kind of cut loose and have fun, I feel like Rihanna is still robot-esque. And the clip still sounds like her looking, singing and sounding like her. Justin Timberlake takes on a whole new life when he does his shorts…I don’t know. I think this is the classic failing of Rihanna. She’s just THERE. Tepid vocals, hot fashion, interesting looks, but…at least Miley Cyrus can act…oh and T.I. called, he wants his beat back! The short was kinda funny though “Speak up!”
After the jump, peep the performances of “Russian Roulette” with a very stoic Rihanna channeling Joan of Arc (“in her former life” — Coming to America) and “Hard” with an appearance by Jeezy. I actually like “Hard”, it’s the only record on that album I do like, but again, it’d be much better if someone more dynamic vocally was delivering it. Yep.
She didn’t do too horrible (relatively of course) vocally w/ these performances though, she just lacks any real COMMANDING stage presence to me on TV and whatnot. Her two streaming concerts she’s done recently have ALL looked the same way, in terms of how she rocks the stage and whatnot. Just kinda boring. It’s like, she needs to kick it up to Madonna/Kiley Minogue/Janet Jackson/Lady GaGa-esque proportions with her staging and show cause this ain’t working.
And I’m mad Jeezy rapped over his own vocals — really? Probably was scared he’d forget the words LOL.
Related posts:
- Live Performance Wrap-Up: Maxwell, LeToya & Rihanna
- Rihanna Playing “Russian Roulette” With Her Record Sales & Fan’s Patience Still
- As Rihanna Returns To Stages, We Wonder Why The Wait Has To Be Ova…
- Live Performance: Queen Latifah Hollers on Regis & Kelly
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December 7, 2009 HEALTHY BLACK QUEENS
I agree. She’s just there, and the band is ALWAYS drowning her out this era- at performances AND on the album. She has so much going on- fashion, band, set- but SHE lets it down because she doesn’t have the stage presence.
December 7, 2009 C.
I hate that I like that song “Hard”. Or do I hate that it’s her singing it?
If Ciara had the song, at least she’d bring something to the video. Some hot ass dancing and a “hard” ass video! And she would kill it live too.
If Janet had the song she’d bring the same thing.
If Mary had the song she’s murk the damn video with her 90′s moves. You kow how she get street given the right beat.
If Beyonce had the song, she’d bring something interesting to the vocals/video.
If Kelis had the song she’d “ride dat beat beat beat, like a ponay” with her own style (“Bossy” anyone)
Bottom line, if anyone else besides Ri had this song we’d have something to look forward too, and not have to sit through bad live vocals with off-rhythm dancing (if that’s what you wanna call it) and a video that’ll ptolly have her half nekkid in place of a concept.
December 7, 2009 twizzle
I cannot tell a lie—-that skit had me rollin’ on the floor laughing!
I thought it was a good fit for her personality. I like to died when she said “shoulda just paid Kanye.”
Y’all HAVE to see the opening skit with the White House Party Crashers . . . it was pretty funny too.