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    Video

Is
Rihanna Really The New Madonna?

Posted 10/20/11 1:28 pm ET by Jocelyn Vena in Britney Spears, Lady
Gaga, Madonna,
Rihanna

It's easy to compare Lady Gaga and
Britney
Spears to Madonna and have
the two of them vie for her throne. But could it be that there's another pop
star secretly working her way to Queen of Pop status and doing it more in the
spirit of Madge herself? Well, there's an argument to be made that Rihanna is
certainly following in the footsteps of the Mama of Pop.

"I think that Madonna was a great inspiration for me, especially on my
earlier work. If I had to examine her evolution through time, I think she
reinvented her clothing style and music with success every single time," Rihanna said earlier this year. "And at the same time remained
a real force in entertainment in the whole world."

While some of you may be scratching your head at the suggestion that Ri – and
not Gaga or Brit – might be the new Madge, we've come up with some reasons why.
Follow us here for a second, okay?

For one thing, both artists, over the evolution of their careers, have worked
with house artists and DJs, shaping their music in new and unusual ways. Madonna
branched out into house music, working with folks like William Orbit, and
Rihanna is now emerging as a new player in the same genre thanks to "We Found
Love" (a track she worked on with scene player Calvin Harris) and even
Loud tracks like "Only Girl In The World" and "Complicated."

Rihanna on WhoSay

Sure, Lady Gaga lives in the world of costume-ready couture and her looks may
influence underworld style, but she doesn't impact everyday fashion the way
Madonna did and Rihanna currently does. How many girls did you see rocking red
hair after Rihanna dyed hers? It's probably about as many as started wearing
lacy gloves and hair bows (yes, Gaga we're looking at you!) after Madonna did
it.

While neither Madonna nor Rihanna are technically great singers, they
have signature voices and are known to almost always sing live – often while
putting on a show that shames many of their pop peers. The notes may not always
be perfect, but we appreciate their attempts to keep it real.

And with "realness" in mind, both of these ladies say what's on their minds.
Read Rihanna's Twitter or any interview that Madonna has given for proof of
this. They've also been in a tabloid relationship or two, making headlines for
the guys they've dated and they're tendency to not care what people think about
it.

Rihanna, like Madonna, also has a tendency to make truly thought-provoking
music videos that fit the songs they represent. Smattered in between glitzier,
more glamorous clips, Madge and Ri want us to think about bigger issues. Just
this week, Rihanna got us thinking about the perils of being in an abusive,
substance abuse-fueled romance in her "We Found Love" video. Madonna broke
ground back in the late '80s with videos that took on big issues and had
everyone questioning their moral codes, including "Like A Prayer," "Papa Don't
Preach" and "Express Yourself."

What do you think? Is Rihanna cut more from the Madonna cloth than any of
her pop peers, including Britney Spears and Lady Gaga? Let us know in the
comments.

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[Edited 10/21/11 23:28pm]

[Edited 10/21/11 23:30pm]

Rihanna is an industry puppet, who has no creative control over her music or overall career, does what her A&R people tell her to do, and does not come off as savvy or particularly bright. For that reason alone, she can never be Madonna. Even in Madonna's early teeny-bopper days, she was no one's puppet and played a domineering role in everything. By the time Madonna was around for as long as Rihanna has been, she had had "Live to Tell," the Like a Prayer album and "Vogue." Rihanna is still in her "Holiday" phase. The only thing Rihanna does that is 'Madonna-like' is change her hairstyle with every album.

This is not the first time someone's made this comparison. I tend to agree with them and the article. It seems the most feasible imo.

chamber said:

Rihanna is an industry puppet, who has no creative control over her music or overall career, does what her A&R people tell her to do, and does not come off as savvy or particularly bright. For that reason alone, she can never be Madonna. Even in Madonna's early teeny-bopper days, she was no one's puppet and played a domineering role in everything. By the time Madonna was around for as long as Rihanna has been, she had had "Live to Tell," the Like a Prayer album and "Vogue." Rihanna is still in her "Holiday" phase. The only thing Rihanna does that is 'Madonna-like' is change her hairstyle with every album.

No buddy... you want her to be an industry puppet.

She's been working Evan Rogers for a very long time and they've been putting it down for a while now.

She's caught our attention and while she's been criticized for her inability to sing, I saw her live in June and she did her thing. She's far better than many realize.

The girl's got it going on right now -

BTW, she's working with the same Evan Rogers who covered Private Joy on his solo album from the 80s.

Rihanna is this generations Rihanna. She ain't nowhere near on the same track that Madonna was/is or ever will be.

I wish the media would stop trying to create a megastar out of the talentless hacks!

It's really hysterical to see you stans defending that talentless old hag

Rihanna sings better , that's for sure

Dewrede said:

It's really hysterical to see you stans defending that talentless old hag

Rihanna sings better , that's for sure

Not by much though ...

Since when did anyone take MTV seriously?

the only valid comparison between madonna and rihanna is the last syllable in their names.

rihanna is a lady from barbados with limited talent who has no real control in regard to the direction of her musical. imo, rihanna seems 2b a puppet.

madonna has always been ahead of the music mogul's control. and she has always been her own person.

Madonna is an Icon. Seriously, is there anyone here brave and sober enough to say that they consider Rhianna an Icon???

I thought Lady Gaga was the "new Madonna"?

Several years ago,Rihanna said that she wants to be "the black Madonna".Looks like's halfway there...lol...

I think I pretty much agree with everyone here, it's like a person is around a few years and has really no discernible style or creative control over their image and they are on track to be an "icon"...oh well, celebrity is pretty cheap these days anyway because anyone with a hundred or so twitter zombies following them is a "star".....wake me when the narcissism ends, that is, if you're not too busy and don't mind the fact that I will probably be of no material value to you nor your ego

Every few years,the media is proclaiming that someone is the "new Madonna".They used to say that Britney Spears is the new Madonna.When it became apparent that she couldn't live up to that title,they started saying that Lady Gaga is the new Madonna.And now it's Rihanna.Next year,it will be somebody else

When will they realize that there is only *ONE* Madonna? Those shoes can't be filled by nobody else.Furthermore,it doesn't do these ladies any good to be compared to Madonna.All artists should strive to have their own identity.

kitbradley said:

Madonna is an Icon. Seriously, is there anyone here brave and sober enough to say that they consider Rhianna an Icon???

Actually, I think I'd have to be drunk as hell and in need of an AA meeting before I'd say some shit like that.

Rihanna has mastered the are of reinvention like Madonna, but no way is her music on the same level.

Mtv is so fickle they got tired of kissing Gaga's ass they moved right along to rihanna they will stop kissing her's too please .. lmao.

MTV has been clueless and irrelevant for decades...

It's funny when Madonna first came out, back in the day, she was criticized. She was the slut who cannot sing. That exactly what critics called her . Now she's an icon. Rhianna is getting the same type of criticism Madonna once had. Will she considered an icon twenty years from now. Who knows.

angel345 said:

It's funny when Madonna first came out, back in the day, she was criticized. She was the slut who cannot sing. That exactly what critics called her . Now she's an icon. Rhianna is getting the same type of criticism Madonna once had. Will she considered an icon twenty years from now. Who knows.

... She's being considered an icon now...

hence the thread...

HermesReborn said:

angel345 said:

It's funny when Madonna first came out, back in the day, she was criticized. She was the slut who cannot sing. That exactly what critics called her . Now she's an icon. Rhianna is getting the same type of criticism Madonna once had. Will she considered an icon twenty years from now. Who knows.

... She's being considered an icon now...

hence the thread...

What else has Rihanna done to be labelled an icon? Absolutely nothing! Her biggest selling point was getting her ass whipped by Chris Brown, it put her on the national(if not global) map. Her singing is fair to middling and her tracks are forgettable and never going to be considered classics. Now if in 15 years she's still around and considered a relevant force in the industry then she might've earned the title of an icon, but as of today she's less than fringe!

List of best female artists:

3. Madonna

5490213589045784165875947560-768901765890368760237659076. Rihanna

I probably exaggerated abit but you inderstand what I mean

aardvark15 said:

List of best female artists:

3. Madonna

5490213589045784165875947560-768901765890368760237659076. Rihanna

I probably exaggerated abit but you inderstand what I mean

That means she has -23 fans!

HonestMan13 said:

aardvark15 said:

List of best female artists:

3. Madonna

5490213589045784165875947560-768901765890368760237659076. Rihanna

I probably exaggerated abit but you inderstand what I mean

That means she has -23 fans!

Well.....

Take a seat MTV.

HonestMan13 said:

HermesReborn said:

... She's being considered an icon now...

hence the thread...

What else has Rihanna done to be labelled an icon? Absolutely nothing! Her biggest selling point was getting her ass whipped by Chris Brown, it put her on the national(if not global) map. Her singing is fair to middling and her tracks are forgettable and never going to be considered classics. Now if in 15 years she's still around and considered a relevant force in the industry then she might've earned the title of an icon, but as of today she's less than fringe!

I agree that the icon label should be something to be earned through time

THAT RIHANNA REIGN JUST WON'T LET UP!!

CHIC0 said:

THAT RIHANNA REIGN JUST WON'T LET UP!!

Is it me or does this chick always have an evil look in her eyes---I dunno, there's something about this chick that seems less than angelic....I dunno, she just seems like a puppet and mindless...

SeventeenDayze said:

Is it me or does this chick always have an evil look in her eyes---I dunno, there's something about this chick that seems less than angelic....I dunno, she just seems like a puppet and mindless...

Baphomet!

Yeah, sure. they can kiss my ass.

I like Rihanna, but come on... no one can be Madonna. god dammit, Madonna is Madonna, and NOBODY else.