There is a lot of talk in many urban media blogs of up-and-coming/established black female artists who have their own ”unique” style. For example, the Concrete Loop post on Teyana Taylor had a mixture of thoughts from commenters, some who think her style is unique and others who think she is a Kelis duplicate.
(scans from Trace magazine — seen @ Concrete Loop)
I have to admit, I only have a vague notion of who she is but since I am interested in Trace magazine as a publication, I will be interested to buy the issue and find out what it is about. Teyana Taylor is just one of a recent myriad of black female artists who are appearing ”alternative” and ”different”. And is it just me or does this Teyana bird look Aaliyah-ish on the cover of Trace?
Look at Rihanna’s newly sculpted image and then compare it with Fefe Dobson, the black Canadian rock singer who had been looking strangely similar to Rihanna before the bajan girl dyed her hair black:
It seems to me that black female artists are trying very hard to stand out from the crowd, and not mesh in with everyone else. However, I think it comes across almost pretentious to try too hard to be ”different”. Aren’t we all different as human beings with our own style and perspectives on fashion? I also find the concept of celebrities as ”style icons” laughable too because most of these girls (Fefe Dobson not included) seem like they are just doing what they think the public wants to see. And for now, the trend seems to be looking as-different-as-possible. If people aren’t careful, all it will do is create a sea of homogeneity in the same vein of iced teeth.
I think the key issue here too is young girls like Rihanna and Teyana Taylor have GIANT marketing companies behind them to make sure that the looks sell. If people are buying into it, then no doubt, it will sell and thus appear genuine. Style comes across glossy and as a commodity that people want to acquire in order to be attractive. Celebrities know they must ”seem” to have it in order to maintain their lifestyles. Perhaps all these girls are doing is giving us the image we, the consumers, think we want.
I am all about people dressing how they want, don’t get me wrong. However, when something is constantly lauded, like how Rihanna’s ”new” Dobson-esque look was chatted about, it ceases to become what it claims to be and just sinks into banality. And what happens when image becomes banal? I think we all know…
–A–
Charcoal Ink 
That would be sweet to go see Avril Lavigne in concert in Beijing China. Her tour date says it’s October 6th. After watching the olympics, I really want to visit Beijing now.
Maybe if the record company didn’t drop Fefe Dobson they wouldn’t have needed to rip off her style and use it on Rihanna!! Either way, Fefe lives on, and this isn’t going to stop her.
man this is da badest site eva!!!1
“I mean Kelis rocked the blue, green, pink, orange hair long before Gwen Stefani and Pink copied her”
As much as I like kelis that is not true she was NOT the first person to rock the mutli coloured her, pink awlays had pink hair and they came out around the same time, gwen stefani came out waaay before the both of them and was always dying her hair different colours but her hair was mostly blond, do you actually think gwen would “copy” kelis?
and pink never planned on doing rnb/rock but the label made her come out as a rnb singer she originally wanted to do rock, pink doesn’t even make rnb music anymore.
And rock and rnb doesn’t go well together in my opinion, rock will always be better.
smh at the deluded kelis stans.
Great observation Aulelia on the whole Rihanna and Fefe Dobson similarities because its obvious Def Jam copied Fefe. I mean one minute Rihanna is all R&B and suddenly her look changed? Rihanna looks like a studio puppet she just does what’s she’s told to do. Maybe people are catching on to this? Rihanna’s new album isn’t selling as well as her first two albums?
I was looking at Rihanna’s record sales and she’s selling but she’s not selling huge she’s doing alright but I thought she would of sold over a million in the USA by now and she’s only gone gold in America. I definitely think Def Jam is playing this girl I sure hope she saves her money.
Fefe was original she was so cool and special. Its sad that Def Jam just didn’t have the belief in Fefe she was doing so well. I mean the girl’s first album sold 100,000 in Canada and she sold over 300,000 in the USA. You would think that would be solid? The problem for Fefe is that she came out the exact same time as the white girl Avril Lavigne and of course Lavgine’s album sales were like in the millions. I think Lavigne sold over 12 million records. The interesting thing about Lavigne now is that her songwriting credentials are being called into question. I think Avril Lavigne is a puppet just like Rihanna of the record company. I really believe that Fefe Dobson is not that she was her own person and she wasn’t going to compromise for the record company. Its the same thing for Kelis. In the USA Kelis is actually on her FOURTH record label right now because the other record companies she was with wanted to package her and make her into something she was not. I mean Kelis rocked the blue, green, pink, orange hair long before Gwen Stefani and Pink copied her. Kelis was doing the whole R&B/Rock thing long before Pink made it popular in the mainstream. I really hope Kelis fifth album is a huge success. I heard in the UK Kelis’s fouth album only went silver around 60,000 copies sold. But I imagine it must of gone gold by now? Kelis had a huge hit in the UK this year Lil Star went to no.3 in England and no.2 in Ireland. I wish I knew where I could find more European music stats? Anyhow, I hope Fefe Dobson comes back.
orville, you are right on about fefe and kelis. i think europe is different because here it seems like people dont care as much about race as long as the songs are bangers (of course racism still persists). fefe had a good look too and you could tell it was real. i think def jam are squeezing as much out of rihanna as they can and they will drop her pretty soon. she will change her image again i bet. my little sister likes her and wants to see her in concert this december when she comes. i’ll keep you guys up2date if i am dragged there.
invisible woman — thanks 4 ur comments!
Fefe Dobson is from Toronto Canada and she was on the scene BEFORE Rihanna doing the whole rock and pop thing. Fefe Dobson was an amazing talent and TREND SETTER. Fefe was BIG a few years ago in Canada. And I think Rihanna’s record company in my mind are clearly RIPPING OFF Fefe Dobson’s image.
The thing with Fefe is she was ALWAYS pop/rock and NEVER R&B. Fefe is also biracial her father is a black man and her mother is a white woman. I really believe that Rihanna’s record company ripped off Fefe big TIME. Fefe had one album released in Canada and it went platinum selling 100,000 copies which is good I think. Also, Fefe was signed to Def Jam in the United States. Sadly for Fefe she was dropped by her record company but she’s not giving up and trying to get a new record deal. I like Fefe Dobson because she challenges the stereotype that black people cannot do pop/rock music. I mean one of the puzzling things about black radio and black music TV, Magazines is how racially stratified it is. Its like the companies just believe all young blacks are into hip hip and R&B and that’s it. Its frustrating.
I like Kelis because she challenges that and Kelis said in an interview that the USA music industry is really racist and it is. Kelis no surprise is huge in Europe especially the UK and Ireland. Kelis biggest record sales are always over there and not in North America.
aulelia too
byrd: agreed
byrd, i have always been confused about rihanna’s father’s parentage! i keep hearing that he is a white bajan but i read the observer magazine’s piece on her and they showed a picture of him and he just looks like a light-skinned black man to me. either way, def jam are playing up her eurocentric look…i mean, anyone remember that ‘girl like me’ cover? she did not even look black.
i do feel bad for fefe dobson. i do feel like her style was tiffed by rihanna’s people because rihanna is more marketable to the urban and mainstream crowd. the songs on good girl gone bad are just a mish-mash of generic rock and pop. whereas fefe dobson seems like she actually loves rock. i would love to see james spooner interview her on her views about being black & being within the pop-rock arena.
the magazine is coming along! i am disappointed with a few things and i really don’t think i will be able to write as many features as i hoped because i am going back to school on monday which means i will be swamped with errands but i hope write some good articles. keep an eye out for it!
teyana taylor ,
is not like kelis , she is a skateboarder / choreographer , and i guess now singer . she was also featured on that silly sweet sixteen show .
i am glad u brought up fefe dobson , rhianna’s team is trying to duplicate her for the states . fefe is not a name here yet .. what is funny when u read the bios ….. rhianna’s father is african and european . what the heck is that.
how is the magazine coming .