Rihanna Comes Under Fire For Cultural Appropriation

Pop superstar Rihanna has been absent from the music scene for a while now. But, she’s just as relevant as before. Further, in recent years, the singer took the cosmetic and fashion worlds by storm with her Fenty lines. And, as of yesterday, she made waves with the 2nd edition of her fashion show.

And, while the star has been lauded for her show of inclusion, things aren’t all peachy in the Fenty world. Late last night, Rihanna came under fire for cultural appropriation and disrespecting Islamic culture. 

What Went Down?

Rihanna, whose Fenty fashion show is now available for viewing on Amazon Prime, released a teaser for the show prior to the release. The trailer featured the models in the lineup and clips from the show itself. However, what brought the show, Rihanna and her team under fire was the music heard in the background of the clips.

The track, called ‘Doom’, produced by one Coucou Chloe, features verses from religious scriptures in Islamic culture known as the ‘Hadith’. The ‘Hadith’, a collection of quotes, and sayings from the Prophet Muhammed, is considered extremely sacred in the religion. And, the track heard laced the verses into high-energy dance music, while the models danced to the track on the runway.

What Followed…

Many fans took to Twitter to discuss the issue, and expressed their anger at the occurrence. From cultural appropriation to blatant disrespect, Rihanna and her brand found themselves at the centre of intensely hurt sentiments.

Further, one fan even called out the fact that this may not be the first time that the singer appropriated Islamic culture. In her first season of Fenty x Savage, one model was seen wearing a headwrap bearing close similarity to a hijab – a traditional Islamic headscarf. 

Rihanna and her team are yet to address the issue. So, there’s nothing left to do but keep your eyes peeled for updates.  

By: Ahalya Narayanan