Rihanna performing in Abu Dhabi on New Year’s Eve

It’s more than possible that the whole “Rihanna must dress conservatively” angle was played up in the media for some added hype. It worked too - Rihanna’s performance probably won her legions of new fans in the Middle East. In any case, I think she came out a winner - and she also came out $500,000 richer for her two-hour performance.

In one last piece of Rihanna news, there are new rumors about Rihanna partying too hard and trying to “drive herself into the ground.” At least, according to Britain’s Now Magazine, where this story seems to have originated. A source who seems to think getting a tattoo is the sign of the apocalypse claims: “She’s going too far with it. She’s impulsive: she goes all out for something, but when it’s a tattoo, you can’t take it back. Every night’s the same. She goes clubbing, downs shots and manages to stay up until the early hours. It’s playing havoc with her sleep pattern, but she doesn’t seem to care. She seems to be on a mission to drive herself into the ground.” Rihanna recently got a backwards-cursive “Never a failure, always a lesson” tattoo, which seems like the least offensive thing she’s done, honestly. I mean, sure, she does out partying a lot. But I also think she works hard and she’s 21 years old. Meh. Maybe she is on the cusp of a breakdown. Or maybe she’s just figuring some sh-t out.