Are Drake And Rihanna Right For Each Other?
Analyzing one of the most confounding musical romances of the millennium.
By now, everyone with a set of eyes and ears has seen what happened at the VMA’s earlier this week. If you haven’t, because the rock that you live under has just been too heavy to lift, here is a recap of the most important (from a pop-culture standpoint) four minutes of the entire night:
With all due respect to an incredible Beyonce performance, a touching display of admiration from Chance The Rapper, and a spot on Ryan Lochte impression from Jimmy Fallon, there was nothing that matched the poetic masterpiece that was Drake’s dedicated speech to his largely speculated beau.
After Drake hit the world with “A girl I’ve been in love with since I was 22-years-old”, the Twitter-sphere imploded and hearts everywhere exploded. They HAVE to be dating, said, well, pretty much everyone. But, it seems with them that it’s never really that simple.
Their history is wide-ranging and hotly debated. They are the Ross and Rachel of the music industry. Will they, won’t they? Were they on a break? Can they please just work it out, for the sake of humanity?
And what’s been taking so long to finally come out and publicly embrace the relationship, honestly? They have hinted at it, but there’s always been a little cloud of smoke. There are a few semi-obvious explanations.
For one, dating in your 20’s can be extremely difficult, whether you’re a massive star or an average mortal like myself (sob). For most, there is an uneasy feeling that comes along with the idea of settling down. Our generation does not want to commit the rest of their lives to a companion, when the rest of their lives has yet to be even remotely explored. This could very well be the case for Rih and/or the strip club-loving Drizzy. They’ll retire their dating careers when the time is right.
Maybe the grind of working and touring constantly makes the relationship unsustainable for the time being. All the collaborations in the world still can’t provide them with quite enough time together to make a full-fledged commitment to one another worth it. So they wait. They postpone their Jay-Bey business/love partnership for the future.
Or maybe, another possible explanation, is that they aren’t right for each other, and that’s what has really caused all the on-again off-again bullshit. It really hurts to think about that being a possibility, but it is one.
Here is a list of things that go well together: Peanut butter and jelly, bacon and eggs, the beach and the ocean, popcorn and a movie, Martin Scorsese and Robert DeNiro, Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen.
These things were all inextricably meant to be. Cupid or God or some higher being put them together for a very specific reason. When you think of one, the other almost immediately pops up into your head. So, should Drake and Rihanna be mentioned in the same category? Is AubRih not just what the people want, but what the two megastars actually need to live out a life of fulfillment?
The only way to really find out for sure is to look at some variables.
Dating Histories
Here is a list of some of the men Rihanna has been either rumoured or confirmed to being romantically linked with: Chris Brown, J.R. Smith, Justin Timberlake, Shia LaBeouf, Leonardo DiCaprio, Rashard Lewis, Dudley O’Shaughnessy, Travis Scott, Matt Kemp, Drake.
Of the men on that list, who could you realistically list as a better prospect than Drake?
Justin Timberlake is married, so no. Matt Kemp already lived through the entirety of his prime. Leonardo DiCaprio is arguably the world’s most notorious bachelor. J.R. Smith is a lot of things, but not a realistic King to Rihanna’s Queen. And Chris Brown is, well, Chris Brown.
Drake is charming and soothing and just the right amount of corny. He wants to be tough but can’t help having the other side of him constantly reflected. He is on a streamline to being one of the most successful musicians ever, as is RiRi. There is not much that he doesn’t possess, aside from maybe an inability to get over trust issues. He seems like a perfect fit for her.
A short time ago, a friend of mine said to me, “I just feel like he’s not aggressive enough in bed for her”, but I definitely disagree. For some reason, there is something about Drizzy that makes me see him as someone who knows what he’s doing sexually. I’m sure he’s plenty competent in the boudoir. And Rihanna, well, I can only imagine.
Drake’s (also rumoured) dating history, on the other hand, looks like this: Jade, Nebby, Alisha Phillips, Maliah Michel, Keshia Chante, Nicki Minaj, Tyra Banks, Tatyana Ali, Zoe Kravitz, Serena Williams, Rihanna.
An all-time model, an all-time tennis player, and an all-time pop star, all on the same list? Impressive, but doesn’t Rihanna still beat out all the rest in terms of who’s right for Drake?
Publicity Stunt?
As is very common with celebrity relationships, there is speculation that it is just being put on. The fact that these two met over seven years ago, before they were Rihanna and Drake like they are today, and have been canoodling ever since, says otherwise. Next.
Their Place In The Power Couple Pantheon
There is more than just fitting together as a couple, there is also fitting into the society that surrounds you. Some couples are meant to thrive in more isolated environments (these are the couples who make you say, “I wonder what they’re like when they’re alone”), while some, like Jay and Bey, are meant to thrive on the grand stage.
There is no doubt, none, that a Drake and Rihanna alliance would immediately become the most likely successor to Jay-Z and Beyonce’s current stranglehold atop the celebrity dating throne. Picture the duo walking red carpets with their arms linked. Picture the business ventures they could set out on together. Good Lord, picture the children the two would create. Would a Drake-RiRi child immediately become the earth’s most prized possession?
How They Act Together
Finally, nothing is more important for these two, and whether or not they are right for one another, than how they act together. If Walter White taught us anything, it’s that chemistry is vital. Let’s look at some exhibits of their actions together:
Exhibit A
Oh my. Here we go kids. This has been the grind chain we have been witness to on both of their tours since the Work video dropped. Every single time it happens, it seems like the first time. It seems like everything slows down and there is only the two of them dancing — and really nothing else matters.
Exhibit B
This was 2010, for the What’s My Name video. The fact that this interaction took place on camera does not matter. It looks, pretty clearly, like the blossoming of a very deep and profound love.
Exhibit C
Now here they are acting like a real couple who have realized their full potential. Watch as they struggle to grab each other’s hands, with such want. Watch as Ri finally succeeds at linking her perfect arm around his newly acquired massive bicep. Watch, and tell me you aren’t convinced that they really and truly belong.
What happens next in this love-saga is anyone’s guess. Two weeks from now, Drake could be spotted with someone else and shatter all of our dreams. What is clear though, after a deep sort of analyzation, is that they really do seem like superb fit. There shouldn’t be any speculation regarding that. As much as I and some other Yonge staffers would like to marry Rihanna (or Drake), we can all agree that their bond should remain uninterrupted.
