Rihanna’s April Vogue cover preview: surprisingly sexy or just awkward?

rihanna-vogue

This is a preview of Rihanna’s April Vogue cover. We already knew that this was happening – Rihanna tweeted about her photo shoot with Annie Leibovitz, and she’s been really excited about it. It’s certainly groundbreaking for Vogue – they rarely put women of color on the cover, and when they do, it’s usually an actress like Halle Berry. But Rihanna is one of the most famous pop stars in the world (at the moment), and Vogue has been doing a pop music thing lately, given Lady Gaga’s recent cover. As for Rihanna’s cover… I actually kind of like it, awkward pose and all. It’s sexy, and I usually don’t find Rihanna that sexy. I LOVE her wig on the cover – I’m so, so happy there’s no bangs trauma wig!

Meanwhile, Rihanna did Chelsea Lately last night in Australia. Some people are saying Rihanna seemed kind of drunk during this interview, which… eh. I could kind of see that. But Chelsea seems kind of drunk too (isn’t she always?).

Okay… once you get to the end of the video, it does seem like Rihanna is a bit drunk. It’s fine. BOOZEHOUND.

Also – Gossip Cop really, really wants us to know that Rihanna and Colin Farrell are totally NOT HOOKING UP. Whenever I read such extreme denials, I always think it’s true.

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Preview shot courtesy of Hollywood Life. Additional pics by Fame.

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67 Responses to “Rihanna’s April Vogue cover preview: surprisingly sexy or just awkward?”

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  1. anti says:

    awkward and boring.

  2. irishserra says:

    I’m thinking a really tacky take on Jessica Rabbit…

  3. Quest says:

    RiRi will bone anything with a pulse and a shank, put Colin’s irish ass on that line up and you got woopie

  4. silken_floss says:

    She betta twerk!

  5. Weird looking. I find it hard to believe that is the best the photographer could do. Who did they hire? Tyra Banks??

  6. tiki says:

    she looks like she was caught snitching cookies out of the jar. pretty much just silly. liebovitz’s formerly groundbreaking photography has grown yawn-inducing.

  7. xxxyyy says:

    she looks great with long straight hair and fringe and red lips like in the video

  8. Kat says:

    Yuck. Lame. I guess Nuclear Wintor didn’t much care for Rihanna, and went with the most awkward cover shot.

  9. SHump says:

    I think she looks sexy!

  10. Kimberly says:

    Okay

    I liked her when she first came out, but now every song is the same, and really boring. Still has a great voice but boring boring boring music.

    her red hair looks so shitty and she’s more beautiful than that.

    she ALWAYS looks high!!!! What is she a dirty pill popper?

    IDk She just sucks now

  11. searching4grace says:

    I like the cover in an old fashioned female running for cover pose, but it makes her hips and thighs look huge! And she’s such a tiny pretty girl. I think Annie Leibovitz is losing her love of the photography, and just doing it to make money now. I do love the wig though!!

  12. Victoire says:

    SURPRISE ! She actually looks sexy, and I like her hair and makeup too

  13. Can says:

    Please.

    Name me some Vogue covers that DON’T look awkward. Case in point, last month’s with Kirsten Stewart.

    The only people who don’t look awkward or weird on Vogue covers are Halle Berry and Angelina Jolie.

    Everyone else always has awkwardness or some weird detail that could have been avoided: Natalie Portman – too much photoshop; Carey Mulligan – eyebrows; Keira Knightley – weird hair.

    All things considered, Rihanna’s pose merely looks odd. She’s still beautiful – an achievement considering the expression. No detail oddities. And a nice dress.

    I breathe a sigh of relief, actually.

  14. RHONYC says:

    meh.

  15. gabs says:

    The cover is kind of boring for her. Shes rihanna! Why such a plain dress? Idk its not a bad cover just dull. Vogue has been missing the mark lately. All their covers suck lately

  16. Jackson says:

    Meh. Looks like the handiwork of ANTM. And when is this chick gonna ditch that Ronald McDonald clown hair? Her face and neck look nice but that’s about it….if you can look past the hair color.

  17. guesty says:

    Awkward. Hate that hair color. Hate it.

  18. Natalie says:

    the pose is wierd and the red hair needs to go

  19. dread pirate cuervo says:

    I’m going to jump on the hate the hair color bandwagon.

  20. jover says:

    Thank you Anne Wintour for ruining Vogue – Grace Mirabella had class you’ve turned Vogue into a glorified version of US. Remember when Vogue covers were beautiful, artistic and featured supermodels – not vacant, no talent overexposed corporate hacks like Rihanna. There’s nothing interesting about her and her music (its not actually her music of course) is boring because she has no talent, voice or knowledge of music – this is just a means for her to lead the glamorous life – music is an afterthought.

  21. Cheyenne says:

    @jover: Co-sign. Anna Wintour is the reason I cancelled my subscription to Vogue. Vogue covers used to be works of art. Some of them were made into posters. That cover is a disaster. The whole magazine is a disaster. I’ve seen better covers on Women’s Day.

    At least the foreign editions of Vogue are still classy. British Vogue is good, and Vogue España is great — if you can find it.

  22. bagladey says:

    Kat: Yuck. Lame. I guess Nuclear Wintor didn’t much care for Rihanna, and went with the most awkward cover shot.

    I would have to agree with that, because imo that pose is so awkward it looks stupid, and she’s dressed in what looks like a shower curtain and a Katy Perry/Kat vonD wig. Isn’t Vogue supposed to be high fashion, high class? Imagine you only ever get one Vogue cover and this is it? I would brag about it but I wouldn’t put it in my portfolio.

  23. eternalcanadian says:

    Awkward! Not glamorous, classical, or anything.

  24. Alarmjaguar says:

    I actually don’t hate her hair on the cover (it totally looks fake, but whatever). The pose, however, is horrible. So thumbs down

  25. anonymoose says:

    i’ll never buy vogue again.

  26. Zzzzzzzzzz says:

    I find myself really liking the red hair on her. Think she pulls it off. Don’t buy the alleged hookups with Colin Farrell, who used to be hot. But hey, anyone is a step up from Chris Brown and then some.

  27. ADS says:

    Something in her eyes on the cover is not connecting. Mind you fashion folk like their models to showcase the pretty vacant look. Other than that the outfit/body is banging. Hopefully the other pics inside will be good. In regards to the Chelsea interview they were clearly both wasted especially Riri. Love that they both totally felt each other up when they greeted. Lol.

  28. melinda says:

    It looks like she is trying to hard. That is never sexy.

  29. Deven says:

    Unlike most beautiful people, it’s just boring to see Rihanna over again and again. She never strikes me as having anything going on in her head. She’s just a pretty girl who got lucky, or she’d be working in the San Fernando Valley.

  30. Marc says:

    In my opinion magazines like Voque should not put celebs on the cover. Leave it to tabloids. It’s smell desperation. BTW I don’t like the cover at all. Tacky.

  31. sdfds says:

    jesus. this Illuminati puppet..

    Again, one-eye symbol..

    that is just everywhere..

    especially Rihanna,,

    and lady gaga,beyonce..

  32. poodlemom says:

    After that tacky see-through dress at the Grammy’s…I think she is just so gross lately! Put on some clothes already…we don’t need to see if the curtains match the carpet!

  33. Crash2GO2 says:

    She has curves? LOL Silly article.

  34. truthzbetta says:

    Where are the Madonna’s of today? For 10-15 years she turned out stunning photo shoots. From Time Mag back when it was a decent publication to Vogue.

    There is not one drop dead, head turning, cool, wild and sexy music star out there where the personality and excitement ooze from every shot.

    Gwen Stefani had it but Britney is barely this side of average with photoshop, Gaga is downright fugly to the core, RiRi is a bore, and Beyonce’s wig is overpowering. Yawn and go away to Gaga and RiRi who really offer nothing at all.

  35. Hakura says:

    I really like Rihanna for some reason. She doesn’t ever take herself too seriously, with fashion or anything else. She seems like she’d be a lot of fun to hang out with.

    As to the cover, I’m surprised at all the negative comments, I think she looks great. But like everyone said, awkward unnatural position.

    I don’t think there’s anything wrong with her hair color… At the risk of getting a negative response, that’s pretty close to what color *my* hair is right now. http://tinyurl.com/4t6k5by , http://tinyurl.com/4o2grjg .

  36. Micah says:

    Boring.

  37. swanjaco says:

    Not nearly as sexy as she seems to think she is.

  38. HRH says:

    Awkward and just …. weird.

  39. judyjudy says:

    That hair. Ugh.

  40. K-MAC says:

    I love it! I like the energy and the movement, like she is about to step out of the cover and talk to you… LOVE IT!

  41. Sarah says:

    1. it looks like she’s ripping a fart
    2. she’s taking modeling tips from big foot, I’m not calling her fat or anything she is just in the famous big foot pose. http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_pQATIiaPRUM/S2z08VtdGbI/AAAAAAAAABc/kRox4Oe4EiA/s400/sasquatch.jpg

  42. Memory28 says:

    I know that’s the first thing I thought ” Jessica Rabitt” I hate her hair with a passion somebody needs to throw tha wig far far away from her please!!!!

  43. Crash2GO2 says:

    @Hakura: I have always at least like her hair this color. And yours looks stunning!! I love the layers of color. Did that take FOREVER to do??

  44. ordinarygirl86 says:

    She looks GREAT on the cover…and the wig looks so much better then what she’s been doing with it lately! I like it…

  45. arock says:

    it looks like a film still from flash gordon.

    why, oh why is her hair still that color?

  46. Patti says:

    anonymoose lol that made me laugh!

  47. jemshoes says:

    I actually find Rihanna one of the most unsexy female celebrities out there, and it’s because she always tries too hard.

  48. fallen says:

    Man, I am so tired of her, shes everywhere on the radio and her music is so annoying and she cant sing!

  49. Toe says:

    @ Hakura, i loooovvveee you hair color. It has nice depth to it (diff shades of red) did you do it your self. I’m one of the few persons that love red hair.
    I love the red on RiRi, but it clearly looks like a wig. She has enough money to buy a wig with a better shade of Red.

    @ Sarah: looool at the Sasquatch pose comparison. It’s totally true 🙂

  50. mire says:

    I kind of like the cover, it’s not bad. She looks pretty, actually, I think she looks like Ariel from The Little Mermaid 🙂

  51. Ashley says:

    Her body’s mid section looks like if it is about to break in a min

  52. Meanchick says:

    She looks posed and unhappy.

  53. Debra says:

    What is wrong with this girl?
    Her hair is horrible…ever since Chris smacked her.
    Maybe she has brain damage.

  54. JenJen says:

    She has really over-exposed herself and become boring, Katy Perry take a hint.

  55. Bill Hicks is God says:

    I totally agree she really captures the Patterson Sasquatch footage, what a goofy pose.

  56. Hakura says:

    @Toe“@ Hakura, i loooovvveee you hair color. It has nice depth to it (diff shades of red) did you do it your self. I’m one of the few persons that love red hair.”

    Aw, thank you!! As i’m sure is obvious in those pictures, due to my skin color (looking like a white-washed fence xD), reds are pretty much the only colors that i think actually make my skin tone better.) I certainly *wish* I could do it myself. We’re actually pretty lucky, because we live very close to a ‘hair salon’ school, that practices by bringing in customers at discounted prices (which is very useful when you want your hair colored & cut). We save a lot of money, & the students (who have to be finished with their several months of studies before being allowed to work actually doing a real person’s hair) get the chance to practice with real experience for a few months before they graduate & go out to find jobs in salons. =)

    At every step of whatever you’re having done, a teacher must come over to ‘check’ their work, so there’s really no risk involved. The way my hair is colored now, I actually asked for them to do blonde highlights in the red, but asked them to let the red coloring ‘bleed’ into the blonde, so it made the streaks look like random shades of pink. Someone did that by accident last time, but I really loved the way it looked. =)

    I do think some depth in her hair, different shades, would be more interesting, & would be a huge improvement. A solid color has no ‘movement’, & does make it more obvious it’s a wig. But I love the flamboyant colors. =)

    @Debra“What is wrong with this girl? Her hair is horrible…ever since Chris smacked her. Maybe she has brain damage.”

    Her attitude change after the assualt was pretty noticable… she changed her style, & suddenly seemed to try to bring out a very loud, tough, & sexually explicit persona. It just seems very much like it was her way of coping with the aftermath, wanting to feel more ‘powerful’ & ‘in control’ after an experience where I’m sure that was the last thing she felt.

  57. DiMi says:

    Why is everybody trashing this gorgeous young woman? This is not my favorite picture of her – I do think the pose is a bit odd, and they could have a chosen more flattering one – but she looks lovely and sexy. I love it that she plays around with her hair color and style. Plus, her body is fantastic.

  58. Monique says:

    TO ALL YOU JEALOUS AZZ FEMALES HATING ON RIHANNA,KEEP HATING!SHE ON TOP, WHILE ALL OF YOU WISH THAT YOU WERE HER. LIVING HER DREAM.HAHA

  59. Alex says:

    I think it looks awesome. So does she. Love her hair.

  60. hatekyle says:

    without the makeup, she’s ugly

  61. Claire says:

    Do not wish I was her – she is sleazy and over-rated!

  62. Sharonkings says:

    I like her, but that cover could have been better. The hair is too much at times.

  63. lcat says:

    Monique #59: Pretty sure I’m ok with not being Rihanna.
    I don’t dislike her, but some of her music seriously annoys me. I think the hair is bad (I’m sure that color looks lovely with your skin tone Hakura, but Rihanna’s not so much) and the pose is awkward. The dress makes her body look really good though. All around not a bad cover, but boring. She and Chelsea did seem kind of drunk, but that could have just been them trying to be funny. Sometimes it’s hard to tell the difference.

  64. samihami says:

    As I’ve come to expect for this living, breathing fashion fail, she looks like a fool. And if that is what Vogue considers to be high fashion, then I’ll stay happily in my blue jeans, thank you very much.

  65. hatekyle says:

    The red frizzy hair makes her look like the offspring of a cracked out Whitney and Carrot Top!

  66. feralmama says:

    Is that Rihanna or RuPaul?