Rihanna’s “American Oxygen”: Controversy?


If Rihanna was looking to make a splash with her new single “American Oxygen,” she exceeded expectations by creating a tsunami of talk and controversy. Commenting on the idea of the American dream (or lack thereof), the song simultaneously serves as both a biting commentary and patriotic anthem, and is a wild departure from her previous single, “Bitch Better Have My Money.” This track is from a more “serious” Rihanna – a Rihanna that has something to say. Intercut with images of the American flag, you see film of the burning twin towers on September 11, Ku Klux Klan horsemen galloping past smoldering crosses, and even a glimpse of Martin Luther King Jr’s corpse laying in a coffin. Also in the mix, however, is footage of patriotic accomplishments as well – whether it’s space ships rocketing into the air or the flag raising over Iwo Jima. Put them all together and it’s hard to tell exactly what Rihanna is trying to say – but maybe that’s the point.

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