Rihanna’s voice, however, lovely when not muddled the frequent by backing tracks, is truly best showcased on quietly evocative numbers like “Stay.” A pop-loving audience, driven to purchase a ticket largely because of radio exposure, tends to have little patience for ballads or acoustic numbers. If there is a weak point endemic to all pop shows, it’s that singers spend too long showcasing ballads, particularly those that were never singles. The worst was no better than a nightclub lounge act with Rihanna dressed in a red, midriff baring evening gown as sunsets and pastel colors danced across the video screens. The best acts were those featuring the more dynamic songs - “Umbrella,” “Rockstar 101,” et al. Rihanna would perform a medley of loosely connected tunes - some not in their entirety - after a lengthy instrumental interlude and a costume- and set-change. PHOTOS: Grammys 2013: Inside the Industry’s Biggest Bashesīut Rihanna, ever the chameleon seven albums into her career, bounded offstage and reappeared in a black jersey, thigh-high boots and no pants to offer a few reggae-inspired tunes, including “Man Down” and “Rude Boy.” And so the rest of the evening followed. A$AP, who spent much of his set sitting on a white throne, was centered on his song-led motto of “Pussy Money Weed.” Those desires, augmented when the words “Sleaze Please” appeared on the video screens during “F-in Problems,” aren’t that far off from Rihanna’s own, it seems. In many ways, A$AP Rocky’s bombastic opening performance, which featured appearances by A$AP Ferg and Schoolboy Q, as well as a very drunk friend who swayed onstage sans microphone, was an apt lead-in. If this first segment was about anything, it was about sex, particularly Rihanna’s inherent desire to have it, a sentiment amplified by the significant number of times she grabbed her crotch.
The next tune, so thoughtfully dedicated to LA, was current radio charter “Pour It Up,” an edgy number about strippers. “Y’all like that? Y’all want some more of that? I live here now. “Los Angeles, what the f–k?!” Rihanna yelled, her thighs glistening in the lights. Accompanied by taut backup dancers, the singer gyrated and strutted around the stage, quickly diving through Unapologetic standout “Phresh Out The Runway and past hits “Birthday Cake” and “Talk That Talk.” The set, which opened with “Mother Mary,” revealed lush, lavish sets, the video screen reflecting gold and marble imagery and Rihanna herself draped in gold - and no pants (a theme that would continually reveal itself throughout the evening).
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