I don’t have any cutesy tie-in reason for featuring Rihanna here, other than that when I sat down to my computer to write these, I thought, “Huh, I wonder how long ago Rihanna first turned up at the Grammys.” It turns out the answer is 2007. RiRi is two years younger than Lady Gaga, but beat her to the Grammys by three years, which goes to show how early she got started. At this point, Rihanna had released two albums: The first, Music of the Sun, had “Pon de Replay” on it; the second, A Girl Like Me, brought that super dramatic ballad “Unfaithful.” Here, in February 2007, she’s on the cusp of releasing Good Girl Gone Bad, which would come out in May, and which turned her from Rihanna into FREAKING RIHANNA. The list of recognizable songs on that is long and begins with “Umbrella.” So yeah. THAT album. It’s fun to see her here, looking like your everyday innocent starlet, knowing she’s on the cusp of an incredible and edgy run. I’m conflicted on the dress, because even back then, Rihanna could carry stuff that is not TECHNICALLY very good. The top fits so perfectly, and then the work on the waistband looks cheap, like it was taped into place. If we could just get a do-over on that… the color is fabulous on her, and the bracelets, a crowning glory. It’s very close. I hope she still has it, pulls it out tomorrow, and gives it a Rihanna 2021 makeover.

[Photo: Shutterstock]
Tags: 2007, Rihanna
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