Maybe it’s just because I love red hair or possibly because I love a smooth Barbadian accent, but most likely it’s just because she’s absolutely smokin’. I must admit — I kind of have a girl crush on Rihanna.

Snagging two major magazine covers this month, Rolling Stone and Vogue, she’s impossible to ignore. And those two covers are perfect fits for her, as she dominates the music charts and refuses to be overlooked with her fearless fashion risks.

Let’s talk style first. The red hair’s great, but ever since she stepped onto the scene in 2005 with her breakout song ‘Pon de Replay,’ she has constantly reinvented her image. First as a Rastafarian teenager, next as a leather-clad dominatrix and now sporting a soft, feminine style, she kills it with every look. And as if her curves weren’t coveted enough already, she’s been getting in even better shape (if that’s even possible) for her role in the upcoming film ‘Battleship,’ coming out next year.

But a look is nothing without a strong persona. And that’s definitely what keeps audiences spellbound by this femme fatale. Truly a mystery, Rihanna has every fan and critic wondering if she really is the kind of girl to be into ‘S&M,’ or does she just want someone to make her feel like the ‘Only Girl in the World’? Both. Ri-Ri is by no means a simple girl, and her complex, multifaceted personality has the world wrapped around her finger, wondering what she’ll do next. 

Rihanna has mastered the ability to mold into an array of different characters with a broad scope of appeal and talent — the mark of true stardom. So you can sing and dance— who cares? Show us passion, versatility, a yearning to push the limit. I’ll pay attention to someone like that.

— Compiled by Danielle Odiamar, asst. feature editor, dmodiama@syr.edu