For women who make a living singing and performing on stage in front of wind machines, hair is more than just hair. “Your hair is your biggest form of expression when you’re a pop star.”
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It's hard to remember now, but Rihanna's superstardom wasn't always assured. Before 2007, she lacked an identity and sound that set her apart from the other one-name would-be divas who've since fallen off the charts. But that summer, she released "Umbrella," Good Girl Gone Bad, and got a haircut that changed everything.
Stylist Ursula Stephen first met Rihanna on the set of her "Unfaithful" music video the year before. The pop star's usual stylist wasn't available, so Stephen was called to fill in. Rihanna's hair at the time was typical diva fare: long and beautiful, perfect for billowing in wind machines. Stephen calls the look "conveyor belt."
"To me, it didn't separate her," Stephen says. "She was fun. That look wasn't representing who she was at all."
Stephen said Rihanna wanted to try a different style, but couldn't because "the label specifically had a look for her."
"They basically control your image. If they want your image to be girl next door," she says, you're going to get a girl-next-door haircut. "The label wanted Rihanna to look like everybody else."
For her upcoming album, though, they were finally willing to let Rihanna show some personality. She was transitioning from girl next door to good girl gone bad, and she was allowed to get a haircut she and Stephen had recently discussed: the bob.
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