Sporting waist-length dreadlocks, long black fingernails and a whole lot of skin, Rihanna rocked the “American Idol” grand finale Wednesday night with a performance of her top 20 hit “Where Have You Been.”
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‘American Idol’ Finale • PHOTOS: ‘Idol’ Finale Highlights • Phillip Phillips Wins ‘Idol’ |
The singer emerged from an illuminated pyramid (equipped with lasers) and was greeted by a bevy of backup dancers in what resembled a sinister tribal ritual, complete with face paint, bongo-striking drummers and four aerialists who, at first, appear to be on stilts before taking flight about two-thirds of the way through the song.
It should be noted, Rihanna sang live during a routine that kept the R&B-pop star busy with its choreography.
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At the end of the show, bluesy singer Phillip Phillips was crowned the 11th winner of the FOX competition.
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Even without this kind of high-impact exposure for the song — finale ratings are not yet in, but they are usually strong — “Where Have You Been” has been steadily climbing the Billboard charts, leaping five spots to No. 13 on the Hot 100 this week and four places on the Dance/Club Play Songs chart, where it now sits at No. 2.
Rihanna performed the song on “Saturday Night Live” earlier this month, but that time she was accompanied by a colorful harem when performing the “Talk That Talk” track.