Rihanna's Rated R may not have delivered an anthem on the level of "Umbrella" or a ballad as delicate as "Take A Bow." But what it has done is given us a completely brave, brash new artist who's clearly unafraid to express herself exactly as she sees fit.
Take Rihanna's new video for "Rockstar 101." It's unlikely that it will catch on like, say, "Disturbia." But the "Rockstar 101" video shows us a brazenly creative, adventurous Rihanna throwing caution (and clothing) to the wind.
Shot in stark black and white, featuring Slash and Travis Barker, "Rockstar" is a continuation of the themes suggested in Rihanna's other Rated R videos such as "Hard" and "Rude Boy. It's full of eff-it attitude -- the lyric "got my middle finger up, I don't really give a f***" makes that clear -- overt sexuality (helllooooo, nurse bondage pants!), and a willingness to take artistic chances, as demonstrated by headgear that looks like "The Predator." Directed by the very talented Melina Matsoukas, who directed Beyonce's "Why Don't You Love Me?" video, the "Rockstar 101" video makes nods to the edgy fetishism of Nine Inch Nails as well as the high-contrast work of Herb Ritts (who lensed Janet Jackson's "Love Will Never Do").
"Rockstar 101" might be about Rihanna's take-it-or-leave-it persona, but the video actually proves her point. She's not playing be anybody else's rules anymore.