Rihanna Alive
She Might Not Be the Last Girl on Earth, But She’s Surely Worth Seeing Live

By Luke Stevens

When the world looks back in wonder on the crazy hot summer of 2010 it will be Lady Gaga who is ubiquitous on the metaphorical mix-tape. But, there is another lady in the mix who is younger, arguably hotter, and with six No. 1’s on the Billboard Hot 100, multiple Grammy’s and American Music Awards, is vying for position as the most successful female recording artists so far this century. And better still, she is soon landing in the 305.

Hailing from Barbados, the 22-year-old Robyn Rihanna Fenty, better known simply as Rihanna, was only 16 and hardly off the bus before she was signed up by Def Jam in 2005. Back to back albums followed with ’05s “Music of the Sun,” 2006’s “A Girl Like Me”, and ’07s “Good Girl Gone Bad” which produced the monster dance floor hits “SOS” and “Umbrella.”

Dancing between genres, Rihanna’s music references her homeland-inspired reggae with soulful R and B and a harder, urban edge — her hip-hop credentials enhanced by collaborating with Jay-Z on three separate records and being featured on Eminem’s recent top 5 hit “Love the Way You Lie.” In 2009, Rihanna released her fourth studio album, “Rated R,” which delivered the No. 1 hit single “Rude Boy.” However, it was not her music that put her in the headlines.

Fellow R and B singer and boyfriend Chris Brown was charged with domestic violence against Rihanna last year, and photos of the singer’s battered face appeared in the media provoking intense debate regarding the leaking of crime victims’ photos — The proposed legislation against such invasion of privacy in Los Angeles is called “Rihanna’s Law,” and has the support of groups such as celebrity rights advocacy group, STOParrazzi.

Things seem better for the artist in 2010, with her latest album going platinum in the U.S. and a world tour. Already during the “Last Girl on Earth Tour,” Rihanna has performed some 30 European shows, another in Israel and is currently about halfway through a 28-date tour of North America. The show is directed by Jamie King, who has previously worked with Britney Spears, Avril Lavigne and Madonna, and the band is led by guitar legend Nuno Bettencourt (probably best know as the lead guitarist of rock group Extreme), bringing some serious musical gravitas to the heavily-stylized and fashion conscious stage show.

Catch Rihanna’s Last Girl on Earth Tour with special guest Ke$ha at the American Airlines Arena, 601 Biscayne Blvd, in Miami on July 31 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $22.50 to $102.75 and available at ticketmaster.com

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