Illustration by Laura Lannes Welcome to New Retro Week, a celebration of the biggest artists, hits, and cultural moments that made 2012 a seminal year in pop. MTV News is looking back to see what lies ahead: These essays showcase how today’s blueprint was laid a decade ago. Step into our time machine. By Jaelani Turner-Williams With six albums and a multitude of artistic transformations under her belt, in 2012, Rihanna was the most daring mainstream act in pop music. An experimental vanguard of the genre, Rihanna was worlds away from the Bajan, honey-tressed sweetheart introduced to fans on her 2005 Caribbean-tinged debut album, Music of the Sun. At each of her musical eras, Rihanna defied expectations of what audiences presumed a Black female singer to be, eschewing “urban” marketing for crossover fanfare. Meeting her Unapologetic phase, Rihanna had one set vision: to reclaim her happiness. Just five days prior to the album’s release, on November 14, the si… Click below to read the full story from MTV News
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Rihanna Embraced Boldness And Eased Into Her Next Act On Unapologetic
