Her repertoire has expanded, but her approach hasn’t changed. Pop/r & b idol and one-time Chris Brown batteree Rihanna continues to play the distant diva in live performance, staging a grand spectacle filled with massive video screens, glowing orbs and expansive wardrobes but revealing little about herself in the process.
The Barbadian star doesn’t bare her soul onstage, she doesn’t really dance — unless you consider writhing dancing — and her voice, while distinctive and strong within its prescribed range, doesn’t necessarily make her a standout singer.
At the nearly sold-out TD Garden last night, she did, however, bring star power and sex appeal to spare, along with a two-hour set list of mega-hits divided into segments defined by attire and mood.
Her opening salvo — featuring dancers in garish neon outfits, Rihanna in a bejeweled bikini and tracks including “Only Girl (In the World),” the island-influenced “Man Down” and “Disturbia” — came off as abrasive and yet slightly lifeless.
Things got looser during a naughty segment that pitted Rihanna as the urban world’s answer to Madonna. Dancers clad in black leather pawed at the star as she played dominatrix, switched roles and landed in chains for “S & M” and simulated sex with a male fan.
A ballad section displayed impressive vocal chops and proved her wardrobe includes more than bodysuits, as she donned a yellow gown for “Hate That I Love You” and “California King Bed.”
The 23-year-old seemed to hit her stride during a sassy interlude that found her in camouflage gear, maneuvering around a pink tank for “Raining Men,” “Hard” and “Breakin’ Dishes.”
Throughout, Rihanna remained confident and playful; more than once she laughed too hard to actually sing. Her star has clearly grown from the days of “Pon de Replay,” which got a brief, pre-recorded video treatment last night but no live rendition, and she commands the stage with ease. With help from her live band, songs such as “What’s My Name,” “Rude Boy” and show-closer “Umbrella” all knocked appropriately. Still, it seemed more like she was going through the motions than fully investing herself.
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