The Rihanna Interview

Being a huge Rihanna fan, there was absolutely noooooooooooooo way that I would miss her being interviewed by the one and only, Oprah. 

To be completely honest, I had no idea what to expect. I wasn’t sure if she’d be honest, open and vulnerable.  I thought it would be a typical Hollywood interview where all her answers were rehearsed and everything would come off as a beautifully staged PR event. 

The interview was nothing like that.

The interview took place in her hometown of Saint Michael, Barbados (psst...I’ve been through this area and it is freaking gorgeous!!) in a luxurious hotel.  Both Rihanna and Ms. Winfrey showed up not overly done. Actually, they both looked quite casual.  Rihanna wore a minty green floral maxi dress, while Oprah was clad in green.

The 60 minute interview started off with the typical questions.  Oprah asked her how she deals with fame, loneliness and being considered a sex symbol.  Rihanna’s answers seemed sincere when speaking about feeling lonesome, and having to fake that she was as confident as everyone thought she was. It was actually cute to see her eyes widen as she heard herself referred to as sexy (Yo Rihanna, you must know you are damn sexy, mami!).

It wasn’t until the questions turned to her grandmother (affectionately referred to as “gran gran dolly”) and Chris Brown that Rihanna got really emotional and let her supposed guard down.

Her grandmother passed away recently and Rihanna spoke about cancelling a portion of her concert to spend time with her ailing grandmother.  I literally fought back tears as she recounted the times spent with her grandmother and the words of wisdom she has imparted on her over the years.

Then, inevitably, the questions turned to her past and present with Chris Brown.

Oprah is probably the only person to get Rihanna to open up and be as real as she was.  Oprah asked about the events that occurred in 2009 where Chris Brown was responsible for assaulting her. 

Rihanna revealed to the viewing audience the shame and embarrassment that she felt about what had happened, as well as feeling bad for Chris Brown because he needed help. 

In the interview she also admitted to forgiving him, still loving him and working on a friendship with him.

A lot of people have had issue with her stating that she forgave him and that she still loves him.  I understand her feelings.  In order to move on from something or someone you have to forgive.  If you don’t, then it eats away at you.  This I know firsthand.

I also understand why she still loves him, or at least why she loved him during that turbulent time.  Just because you may hate someone’s actions does not make you automatically hate them.  Think about it, when you break up with someone, you hurt because you love them, and now you have to learn to not like them.

The interview was sooo much fun to see. We saw Rihanna as a normal person doing normal things like driving around the gorgeous island talking to everyone she sees.  It was also funny to see her ask the new owner of the house she grew up in, if she could go inside and look around.  (pssst....I took a pic of her house last year when I was in Barbados!)

All in all, it was truly a treat to see her as a playful, sweet and normal person. 

Thanks for the interview, Oprah.  Rihanna, thanks for being you!

What did you think of the interview?

 

Michelle

Were Chris Brown’s tears for real?

It’s been a week since the BET awards aired, and I finally have the chance to sit down and discuss my take on Chris Brown’s breakdown at the award show.



I wasn’t going to comment on it, but I felt that with the proliferation of opinions online, I wanted to at least put my 2 cents in.


First of all, I was a Chris Brown fan before I found out about what happened between Rihanna and him. I loved his music (No Air, Jordin Sparks f/ Chris Brown is my personal fave!), but I stopped playing his songs after the incident. It just felt weird hearing him croon about love and crushes after I found out that he was capable of committing such a horrific act.


I did feel kinda bad for him after he apologized and carried out the community service and he still was not getting any airplay. Although I hate him for what he did, at least he is young enough to learn from the experience and make changes in his life.


On June 27th, 2010 Chris Brown performed a tribute to his idol, Michael Jackson. He finally got to celebrate and honour the man whom he loved. Honestly, it was a great performance. He really captured the essence of Michael through dance.


After the iconic dance moves, he started to sing Michael’s “Man in the Mirror.” His voice was cracking and tears were flowing off his chin. It was evident that he was overcome with emotion.


Some say that he was faking, and that it was a calculated move to win back his fans. I thought that too for a quick second, and then I realized that his emotion was quite real.


I feel that it wasn’t solely paying homage to Michael Jackson that got him choked up, but it was also being in front of his peers and reflecting on the lyrics (I'm Starting With The Man In The Mirror, I'm Asking Him To Change His Ways, And No Message Could Have Been Any Clearer, If You Wanna Make The World A Better Place (If You Wanna Make The World A Better Place),Take A Look At Yourself, And Then Make A Change). The lyrics definitely reflected his life.


To me, I felt that he was thinking about his situation and what has transpired over the year and a half and he became overcome with emotion.


He made a mistake, a HUGE mistake, and he can’t run from it, but I believe that he is ready to start over—not just his career, but his life. Good luck, Chris.

Michelle

Michelle’s two cents

It’s rare for me to express my two cents about an entertainment-related matter, but I felt obliged to say something. I’m sure you’ve read about the Rihanna Chris Brown situation- he allegedly beat her up, she called the cops, and he was officially charged (not convicted) of a felony assault charge.

When I heard that Chris Brown was wanted for assaulting a female, I was shocked. When I heard that the female was Rihanna, I was stunned (BTW, Chris Brown beating up any female is inexcusable). I couldn’t believe that it was true. Then I saw the picture of her badly beaten face and I realized that she was unfortunately the victim of a very serious attack. My heart went out to her.

However, just a few weeks after the allegation was made against Chris Brown, the pair have since “reconciled” (Chris Brown’s court case is still underway) and the two have been seen together.

I don’t want to pass judgment on them, but I think that they both should consider getting counseling instead of acting like the alleged events never took place. If he in fact did beat her, he needs help, if she was beaten, she needs help. For the pair to get back together sends such a terrible conflicting message to not only their fans, but to victims of abuse. It’s not okay for someone to beat you, you didn’t “ask for it” and you don’t deserve it.

I hope that they both get the help that they need.

-Michelle

What song reminds you of the summer of ’08?

Summer is practically a distant memory now. No more BBQs, no more tropical drinks, and no more taking time out to soak up the sunshine. Sorry y’all, but fall is upon us!

When I start getting a little down about the impending harsh Canadian winter, I grab my iPod nano and I listen to a song that completely reminds me of my summer of 2008. I listen to Forever from Chris Brown.

Forever is one of the multitude of songs that Chris Brown released this year. However it is the one song that captures all the joy and bliss of summertime.

I love the pop-y techno feel of this song. Its cheerfulness and youthful exuberance makes me feel completely invincible and yearning to live each moment to the fullest. The song is equivalent to a summer fling! Okay, no I didn't have one....but I came real close!

I love this song because it's carefree, fun and incredibly fun to dance to. And that's exactly what I like in a summer anthem.

-Michelle

Hey, check out what Christine loved…

In Toronto, fall arrives early…and it's usually followed by rain, frost, snow, and sometimes, if we're especially blessed, locusts. But this isn't a rant about how crappy the weather in Toronto is, though
we all know it is. What this is really about is what I turn on when I want to hold on to the last dregs of summer sunshine and warmth. After much internal debate and a few hours of staring at the wall, I had a moment of epiphany. If there's anything that's going to remind me of the summer of 2008, it's Usher's "Love in This Club."

I'm sorry to report that other, more notable hits by Rihanna, T.I., Coldplay and Leona Lewis just didn't do it for me. Arguably, "Love in This Club" is standard Usher fare, but that doesn't mean it's not
good. From the lethargic, measured backing beats to Usher's smooth vocals, "Love in This Club" evokes a feel-good mood and sexy vibe synonymous with summer. It's something to listen to whether you're chilling at the pool with friends or hitting a club to find some lovin' of your own.

But as much as I adore "Love in This Club," an honorable mention goes to Ne-Yo's "Closer," simply because Ne-Yo has finally managed to put out a song that I actually like. Not quite R&B, not quite dance, "Closer" incorporates the best of both worlds and throws in a plucky guitar to boot. It's hard to throw this on and not want to hit the dance floor like you're one of the extras in the Pussycat Dolls.

But while there were many choices from this summer, the song that will always stand out as my anti-summer '08 track is Katy Perry's "I Kissed A Girl." With a bold (and loud) throwback to stomping beats of
yesteryear, "I Kissed A Girl" is not an inherently bad song (have you heard the Jonas Brothers lately?), but its pervasiveness in the pop cultural landscape, not to mention its faux-lesbian posturing – which
would have seemed audacious twenty years ago – renders it completely annoying. As if it weren't bad enough that Tila Tequila was awarded her own show, we now have another bastion of manufactured sexual revolution better left on the production floor.

But just as there are mosquito infestations, bad tans, and ill-advised Speedos in the summer, you gotta take the good with the bad.

-Christine

Okay, you've read which songs remind us of summer. So what was your summer anthem?