Role of the Performer - Rihanna

In music, a lot of components come together to make it perfect. There's the record company, songwriter, and performer. Each part has an important role. In this post, I will be talking about the performer, specifically about Rihanna. She is a very well-known singer. 

Biography - 

    Robyn Rihanna Fenty, mainly known by her middle name Rihanna, was born in St. Michael, Barbados. She enjoyed singing from a young age. When she was about 15 years old, she joined a girl group with two of her classmates. That was how she was given the opportunity to receive an audition with the American record producer, Evan Rogers. With the introduction from Rogers, she was able to gain the chance to perform for Jay Z, who was the head of the record label Def Jam at the time. When Rihanna was 16 years old, she was signed by the record label and moved to America.

    In August of 2005, she announced her first single "Pon de Replay" which announced her as an upcoming star. Her next songs/albums were a huge hit as well making it into the charts on Billboard. She has made multiple achievements throughout her career. 

"SOS" by Rihanna written by E. Kidd Bogart and released in 2006

Role of the Performer -

    I believe the role of a performer is to put emotions behind the lyrics and make the music come alive. Performers put feelings and meaning behind the words they sing. In cases of artists making a cover of a song, they are changing it to have significance to them specifically and connecting with it. 

    Rihanna has a wonderful and powerful voice. It is very distinctive and strong. She brings passion and emotion into all the songs she performs. Although she may not write songs she sings, she sings them with great feelings that make you believe that the lyrics are her own. An example of this is the song, "We Found Love" featuring Calvin Harris from 2010. 

    In her performances, I believe she brings in wonderful energy into her singing. She puts in the dedication and her best efforts to execute her shows. 

Musical Elements In Each Songs - 

    In her song "Pon de Replay" the musical elements that stand out to me are the rhythm and the melody. The rhythm is consistent and lively. This being her first song, it is very energetic and vibrant. The melody of her voice is smooth. She sings the lyrics well with the beat and emphasizes the right words. I think her singing is not really vibrato but has the same effect as it. 

    The musical elements in her song "We Found Love" that I found distinctive are the tempo and melody. The tempo is moderately fast and bouncy. This gives a very young love type of feeling to it that is expressed in the lyrics as well shows that Rihanna is a great performer with bringing the lyrics out. Throughout the song, there are multiple instrumental breaks between her choruses. It is very techno music and brings in the dynamic of the thought that teenage life is partying. 

Sources:

             Cunningham, John. “Rihanna | Biography, Music, Movies, & Facts.” Encyclopædia Britannica, 2019,     www.britannica.com/biography/Rihanna.

                        CMUSE. “Does Rihanna Write Her Own Music ?” CMUSE, 31 Mar. 2023, www.cmuse.org/does-rihanna-write-her-own-music/. Accessed 16 Nov. 2023.