I remember as a kid the older folks would argue about Diana Ross, "She can't sing like Aretha Franklin! She can't dance like Tina Turner! She backstabbed the other Supremes and after Berry Gordy she only likes white men!" If you think Beyonce is a topic now, there was nothing like the Diana battle.
Back when Miss Ross was around there was Aretha, Gladys, Chaka, Stevie Wonder, Donnie Hathaway, and so many others. Many were perplexed why Diane received so much of the fame and adulation, in comparison to the others of her time, Miss Ross seemed minimal. In retrospect, Diana Ross is coined as a pioneer; she is the first glamorous black woman and paved the way for every black female pop star thereafter. I will be a lifelong fan of Diana Ross, but revisionist history causes us to forget Diana was once called an untalented sell-out. I can recall people rolling their eyes at Janet Jackson, especially after her first two albums bombed, "She can't sing and she is from that 'crazy' Jackson family." Janet is my era so I didn't pay attention to these critiques; I wasn't even a teenager when Control was released. However, I do remember after Rhythm Nation exploded worldwide, which I think is one of the greatest pop albums of all time; Janet was beat-up for trying to save the world while being a millionaire who always lived a privileged life. Suddenly, Diana Ross was deemed much more creative, important and ground-breaking. Critics cried, "Janet Jackson is no Diana Ross!"
The battles about Beyonce's talent have always been intense. I've read the same magazines who criticized Janet Jackson ten years ago saying, "Beyonce will never be a Janet Jackson. She is too overexposed, overrated, and contrived." After enduring the Beyonce era, the days of Janet's heyday is the golden period, when music was "so much better."
Now, we have Rihanna who has been dominating music for the past year. "Disturbia" is her latest #1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100, equaling Beyonce's four #1 hits in only thee years.
Rihanna has crossed over with a weak voice, no dancing skills, and zero stage presence. The best thing she has going for her is a short haircut. In comparison, Beyonce seems like a genius. Again, the same mags that critiqued Beyonce are critiquing Rihanna and saying, "At least Beyonce could sing!" I recently saw a live performance of Rihanna, which had about as much energy as a salted slug, and believe it or not...I started missing Bey.
Is the bar just getting lower and lower? How much lower can we go than Rihanna -- what's next? Who is coming post Rihanna for the public to praise the island girl gone completely pop? A life-size computer image and a robot's voice squealing over a melody? What will we say a few years from now when a robot replaces Rihanna, "Rihanna really was talented... at least she was a living and breathing human!"
With all the said, Rihanna's "Disturbia" video is HOT!
Labels: Beyonce, JANET JACKSON, RIHANNA
