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Formerly best known for her ubiquitous Umbrella, the single that was number one for approximately nine years in 2007, Rihanna Fenty is now most famous for being assaulted by fellow R&B star Chris Brown shortly before she was due to perform at the Grammy awards.
Healing process: there was nothing of the victim in Rihanna’s show
There was nothing of the victim about the 21-year-old Barbadian last night as she dragged attention back towards her music with all the spectacle she could muster.
Amid the microscopic outfits, confetti showers and apocalyptic graphics, even hip hop king Jay-Z popped in to lend support to his glamorous protégée.
Special guest: the show featured an appearance by Jay-Z
Rihanna had maintained a dignified silence about ex-boyfriend Brown’s attack until it was time to promote her new album, Rated R, which is out next Monday.
In pictures: Rihanna's comeback at the Brixton Academy
Fully repaired: Rihanna, 21, parties after returning to London for her first solo show since she was attacked by ex-boyfriend Chris Brown
Less than a fortnight ago she told US current affairs show 20/20, “I fended him off with my feet.” Here large cheers greeted lines such as “I know you’re only sorry you got caught” from piano ballad Take A Bow, released before the attack but now loaded with extra import.
She is that rare thing, however, a glamorous pop diva with little time for the slow songs. More time was spent strutting between the broken mannequins and piled TV screens of her stage set, singing futuristic R&B overloaded with electronic stabs and swooshes.
New song Hard featured rumbling bass, a Caribbean dance hall feel and a gruff cameo from rapper Young Jeezy. Wait Your Turn, produced by London dance duo Chase & Status, had a darker edge than earlier hits such as Don’t Stop The Music, while current single Russian Roulette was her most dramatic moment to date, a potential Bond theme culminating in two fingers to her head and a sudden gunshot sound. Jay-Z’s appearance to rap between Rihanna’s choruses on his hit Run This Town was another obvious highlight.
It was a short set without an encore, a freebie organised to promote a new Nokia product as well as the new songs. We might have hoped that amateur phone cinematographers would not need to obscure everyone’s view at a show that was already being broadcast live to mobiles around the world, but it seems the modern concert will always be so cursed.
Even on those tiny screens it should have been evident that this was the grand return of a seriously big star. From inside Brixton Academy Rihanna looked fully repaired, larger than life and ready to rule at next year’s Grammys.
In pictures: Rihanna's comeback at the Brixton Academy
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