5 Unexpected similarities between Rihanna and SOL Rally Barbados
If you think this article is just a means to shamelessly exploit the current wave of Rihanna-mania sweeping across the Caribbean and convert it to website hits for Adrenaline Sun… Yes, you would be absolutely right, but that’s not the only reason I’m doing this.
I had actually planned to ride on Rihanna’s elegant coattails long before there was any mention of the LOUD concert coming to Barbados, but due to other demands, the article had to be placed on hold along with my piece about “Why Willow Smith dresses like a deranged midget skater”.
Now, I have the excuse I’ve been waiting for to compare Barbados’ biggest star to Barbados’ biggest sporting event. Getting into the concert was a challenge but luckily, I scored some seats in the building across the street from Kensington Oval and with my new “Planet of the Apes” binoculars, I got an excellent view of Rihanna’s right hand, every time she went to the far left of the stage and raised her microphone.
From my initial scrutineering, I could tell…
SOL Rally Barbados and Rihanna: get the biggest crowds
You can usually tell by the amount of umbrellas - ellas - ellas
Unless the Olympics go to Malvern, SOL Rally Barbados is the biggest spectator sport in our island. Every year thousands of fans assemble at various vantage points along the stages to lime and cheer on competitors. The 5km Canefield stage alone, gets about 10,000 spectators annually. It’s no wonder why SOL Rally Barbados is called the Caribbean’s biggest annual motorsports international.
Our girl RiRi was able to pack an estimated 30,000+ people into Kensington Oval to witness the spectacle of LOUD. With one of the biggest and most complex stages that I’ve ever seen, Rihanna has a pretty strong argument of having the biggest concert EVER in Barbados.
SOL Rally Barbados and Rihanna: Are both LOUD… Get It!!!
"OMG...You guys at Adrenaline Sun are sooooo hilarious!"...
If you’ve just escaped from the Phantom Zone, or spent the last 10 months locked in your Panic Room, LOUD is Rihanna’s fifth studio album. It was released on November 12, 2010 and featured the number one hits “Only Girl in the World”, “What’s My Name” and S&M. Other top ten hits included “California King Bed” and Rihanna’s revisit to reggae/dancehall “Man-Down”.
LOUD debuted at number 3 on the Billboard Top 200 and was certified Platinum in 13 different countries.
You wouldn’t find many chains and whips at Sol Rally Barbados but it’s exciting and loud. With powerful turbo-charged engines revving at high rpms, rally cars don’t know how to whisper. Further racket is generated during tarmac stages as tires grip, squeal and skate through corners to the amusement of bawling crowds.
SOL Rally Barbados and Rihanna: Are both badass
Did you just say that Rihanna is a WHAT???
I know what you’re thinking. I’ll explain about Rihanna being a badass. On her debut album, “Music of the Sun”, Rihanna was introduced as an innocent teen pop-princess with a slice of Caribbean flavor. As time passed and because she’s not a vampire or the bastard daughter of Conner Macleod, she didn’t remain a teenager forever and like the many teen idols before her, RiRi had to toss that pesky innocence aside and get used to performing in leather lingerie and knee-high boots.
This good girl was then injected with several doses of Bad and unlike Lindsay Lohan who was injected with several doses of crazy, Rihanna’s bad gal persona actually worked. Since then, the Disturbia singer has gotten into the habit of boob-grabbing fans and grinding on audience members during performances while notching a few law suits under her studded belt. From controversial music videos to a highly publicized domestic violence case, RiRi is showing the music industry how to be “bad”… and she’s perfectly good at it.
SOL Rally Barbados is badass by default.
Can your sedan fly through the air?.... I don't think soooo!
Just take a gander at these machines; Roger “The Sheriff” Skeete pilots a Subaru Impreza WRC S12, we’ve got Mark Hamilton with a Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX and Paul “The Surfer” Bourne competes in a Ford Focus WRC07.
In terms of horse power, the Surfer’s Focus generates over 300 bhp at 6000 rpms and over 550 N·m (406 lbft) of torque at 4000 rpm. Let’s just say to compare these well run vehicles to your dad’s station wagon would be like kicking the old man in the shins.
SOL Rally Barbados and Rihanna: are always evolving
This year, we saw several changes to SOL Rally Barbados with the most prominent being the first time running of the SOL Aviation SuperSpecial after dark.
Other tweaks included cutting the Hangman’s Hill and the Vaucluse corner from the Canefield stage and creating a new stage design for Pickerings.
The changes Rihanna has gone through since crooning the lyrics “Mista DJ, song pon de replay” have been as extreme as they have been fabulous!!! It’s almost like her image is completely overhauled with every album she releases.
So young, so not dressing like a dominatrix...
Fast forwarding to “Good Girl Gone Bad” any thoughts that RiRi was still a kid were lost in the first viewing of the “Umbrella” music video. Several revealing get-ups including a sexy french maid outfit and a “nude” scene wearing nothing but silver paint, Rihanna’s trademark long flowing locks were traded in for a jet black pixie cut. For “Rated R”, Rihanna proved to be a trendsetter when she brought back the mohawk, completely shaving the sides of her head and dying the top black and blonde. It was a look that totally matched the aggressive tone of the album. For her latest album, RiRi hit us with some long, LOUD locks, to the tune of bright red and curly . She’s one of the only entertainers in the world who could pull off so many extreme style transformations.
SOL Rally Barbados and Rihanna: Are Record Breakers
At this year’s Sol Rally Barbados, even before the event started there were records being broken. Australian businessman Paul Darrouzet set a new travel-distance record with a round trip of more than 36,000 kms to compete in the rally. There were also record breaking entries from 100 crews from 14 different countries including 40 international drivers and co-drivers, who represented 16 different car companies. Record setting media coverage was also noted.
They also equalled the record for Mooning rally Fans by several mascots
Rihanna has basically broken every record set by any Bajan singer… EVER. She’s won the most Barbadian Music Awards, she’s the first Barbadian singer to go platinum in the US and the first to win multiple grammys. She’s also the youngest singer to achieve 10 Billboard number one hits.
Another fact worth noting (although this isn’t a record); in Rihanna’s short career (6 years), she has sold over 80 million album units worldwide, making her….
I'm gonna let you finish... but rihanna is one of the best selling artists of all time!
written by Jamal Hall- Action Sports Editor for Adrenaline Sun
