Words by Emily Shapiro–
Over the years, Rihanna has done a stellar job of repping her Bajan roots while maintaining her worldwide pop appeal. All of her albums have at least one Caribbean-inspired song, and this year she took things to another level by busting some popular dancehall party dances during her Grammy performance of “We Found Love.” #Williebounce was trending on Twitter almost immediately after the show, one of the few moments where dancehall has crept over into mainstream consciousness recently.
Rihanna’s new video for “Where Have You Been” sees her revisiting the terrain of her Grammy performance, switching it up with some high energy African- and Caribbean-inspired dance moves. The video, choreographed by Nadine “Hi-Hat” Ruffin, features the super-sexy starlet wining and gyrating alongside a co-ed troupe of back up dancers, against the backdrop of deserts, swamps and caves. We’re happy to see Rihanna stepping out of her comfort zone, and hope to see her paying more homage to the West Indies via dance in future videos and performances. #Dancehalltodiwurl!