It’s been a hot minute since I’ve gushed about my love for Rated R campaign, which is why the video for “Rockstar 101” has provided the perfect platform to go gaga for RiRi all over again.
Though this song should never, ever, ever have been released as a single (does anything aside from “G4L” play more like an album track on Rated R than “Rockstar 101”?), it truly bodes well for a ferocious video clip.
As usual, Rihanna gives us fierce again and again (The outfits! The poses! The faces!), at times evoking the animalistic roar and deadly ‘tude of Miss Grace Jones, and perhaps even a trace of Like A Prayer-era Madonna with the vague religious/demonic undertones. (Possibly a stretch comparison?)
Yet I think what I like most about this whole scenario is the sheer audacity of Rihanna–one of the leading mainstream pop stars in the industry–grabbing onto a guitar and writhing around singing “I’m a rock star.” It’s a big, irreverent middle finger given to everything that the pretentious little shits of hipster/indie culture hold as holy, and I’m kind of in love with her and her people for doing it.
The rock star of 2010 is the pop star. Get with it.