The same day that Rihanna's album "Anti" hits number one on the Billboard chart for the second time since its release, she headlined at Time Warner Cable Arena in Charlotte, North Carolina. After a few mishaps, I was blessed enough to be one of the attendees of an amazing show filled with bangers from her new album as well as "oldies but goodies." I left the arena with a hoarse voice and a happy heart. I have wanted to see Rihanna in concert since I was in high school and it was well worth the wait.
Anyone who is a true fan of Rihanna knows her evolutionary story. She went through a lot of phases in her life as well as in her music. Early Rihanna fit the true definition of a pop star with the hit "Pon de Replay." She was young and new to the industry and was probably trying to please the record label. There wasn't enough experience under her belt to give her ultimate freedom in her music choices. Then came the almost-edgy Rihanna with songs like "Shut up and Drive" and "Umbrella." Anyone could tell that she was coming into her own and finding her place in the music industry alongside big names like Jay-Z and Kanye West. Last, her post-Chris Brown phase (my personal favorite). Rihanna went from a sweet and pretty girl from Barbados into a sexy and bad ass woman with songs such as "S & M," "Skin," and "Sex with Me" off of her newest album. I have loved her in every single phase of her career, but it was amazing to be able to see the most recent product of her evolution during the Anti World Tour.
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Before I go into Rihanna's particular performance, I would like to give props to her opener Travis Scott. I'm not a huge fan of him (I only know his song "Antidote") but I definitely gained a new respect for him after this tour. He had a real message of nonviolence throughout his performance and even jumped into the crowd and gave fans the chance to literally rap whole verses of his songs with the mic. He then gave them articles of his clothing to thank them for their support. It really got the crowd hype and ready for the headliner to hit the stage...
Now I don't want to give away too many spoilers for those of you who have your tickets purchased and are anxiously awaiting her to come to your city. Charlotte was only number six on her tour so I know there are literally millions of people who have yet to witness the amazing show. What I will say is that it was worth every single penny spent on my floor seat tickets. There wasn't a lot of theatrics like I've seen in other performances, but the set list in itself was enough to make up for the lack of flashy dance numbers and aesthetically pleasing stage setups. Any day one Rihanna fan would know every single song on that list and scream the lyrics just as loud as I did.
From the videos I've seen via Instagram and other social media outlets, I was not expecting Rihanna to be a good live singer. I was very mistaken. Maybe she was just having a good night, but her vocals were on point. Most singers lower the higher notes during live performances that they spent hours upon hours perfecting in the studio for their albums in order to prevent embarrassment if their voice cracks. Rihanna did the same for about half of those moments, but the other half she belted it out and it sounded almost identical to what I hear blasting through the speakers of my car every single day.
Like I said, I don't want to give away too much of what to expect on the tour. As long as you go expecting a good time, you're pretty much set. Just make sure you go with a good group of friends or family that are ready to "turn up" and experience the beauty that is Rihanna.
