“Dallas! Finally!” shouted Rihanna after a few numbers during her show at American Airlines Center Monday night. Ticketholders waited months to see the Barbados-born singer: The Dallas date was her rescheduled date after a sudden postponement in April. Rihanna took full control of the surprisingly simple stage, dripping in sex appeal and belting knockout notes.
If you keep up with Rihanna off stage, you’d know she admires the Rastafarian lifestyle in more ways than one. Tropical, kicked-back melodies and punchy bongo beats filled the gaps between introductory tracks, matching her energy. “No Love Allowed” stood on Jamaican roots, propelling her into the chorus with a tenacious slap. She sang alongside a track for most numbers, perhaps so she could pick up and leave off wherever she chose in between routines. She did land the gut-punching bridges in “Talk That Talk,” strutting her heady vocals.
Through multiple costume changes, including white leather thigh-high boots and a dangerously high thigh-split dress, Rihanna treated the audience to rump-shaking sways and dance moves only a few pop stars can manage. But make no mistake, this sensual style wasn’t a mask for her performance; it was just an enhancement.
Besides dancing, Rihanna stuck to the music, sprinting through a lengthy setlist brimming with hit after hit with little small talk. She checked “Umbrella” off the list, quickly going back to her newer works, Talk That Talk and Unapologetic. Following the lead of her other touring counterparts, Rihanna took no chances with her main guitarist, Nuno Bettencourt, from the '90s rock group Extreme. His shining moments came during her four costume changes, complete with gritty riffs that could show up many pop guitarists of today.
If audiences weren't won over by Rihanna's jumping beats or catchy club singles, Rihanna’s ballads did the trick. Swelling choruses and cliff-diving lyrical leaps stripped the pop princess down to nothing but raw emotions. Her newest single, “What Now,” redirected the entire show, making way for her other slowed numbers. She flipped the energy for a moment with the exhilarating single “We Found Love” only to usher in a sobering encore with “Stay” and “Diamonds.”
If this was Rihanna’s way of apologizing for the earlier cancellation, apology accepted.
Brenna Rushing writes for Pegasus News.