Jackie Phamotse Roasts Rihanna’s Singing at Jay-Z’s Yankee Stadium Show: "She Can't Sing"

• Jackie Phamotse publicly criticised Rihanna's singing after the star made a surprise appearance at Jay-Z's Yankee Stadium concert
• The controversial South African author claimed Rihanna gives up singing mid-song, suggesting this is why there has been no new album
• Rihanna's American fans pushed back hard, defending the singer against the criticism, while others agreed she has always struggled vocally

South African author Jackie Phamotse has stirred up quite the storm after publicly taking aim at Rihanna's surprise performance at Jay-Z's Yankee Stadium show, with her post quickly spreading far beyond Mzansi's borders.

Phamotse, known for her sharp and often polarising opinions, shared a video of Rihanna performing the Jay-Z and Kanye West collaboration Run This Town and did not hold back in her assessment.

"Goodness, there is no album because she can't sing. She literally gives up singing mid-song. Oh no," she wrote, adding a teary-eyed and broken-hearted emoji to drive the point home.

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Rihanna's first stage comeback in years

The Barbadian megastar has largely stepped away from performing in recent years as she has shifted her focus to building her Fenty Beauty and Savage X Fenty empires, as well as raising her family.

The Yankee Stadium appearance marked one of her first public performances in a considerable stretch of time, making all eyes that much more critical.

The clip and Phamotse's commentary reached Rihanna's fiercely loyal American fanbase, and the response was swift and firm. Read some of the comments below.

autumnapollonia said:

"She wanted to start a family and a business, and comments like yours are the reason why she has anxiety about releasing another one. You people criticise everything. When she finally does release one ya'll gonna be mute."

6dawgbetapsi, who claimed to have been at the show, pushed back even harder:

"This isn't true at all. I had floor seats 10 rows back from the stage. Rihanna sounded incredible. Her mic was on! She wanted to hear the crowd sing, which is the only reason she stopped singing. You have no idea what you're talking about."

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fkablacklegends added historical context:

"I'm convinced y'all were not there in real time during her initial 2006-2016 run. She's been doing this since the Loud era, at least. If she's out of breath, she will put that mic down, lol."

Some agreed that Rihanna's vocals have always been debated

Not everyone rushed to Rihanna's defence, though. Several users pointed out that concerns about her live vocals are nothing new.

elromancitoo said:

"Have y'all ever seen any Rihanna show? She's been doing this for her entire career, lol."

onecelyy wrote:

"It's only NOW that you lot are ready to admit she could never really sing."

Closer to home, South African businessman Lekau Sehoana drew a comparison that raised more than a few eyebrows, likening Rihanna to controversial local singer Credo V Daniels:

"She's just like Credo V Daniels."

Whether fans agree with Phamotse or not, her post has reignited the long-running debate about whether Rihanna's star power has always outshone her raw singing ability.

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Blue Ivy Carter joins Jay-Z on stage

In an earlier report, Briefly News shared online reactions to Jay-Z and Beyonce's daughter Blue-Ivy Carter performing with her dad on stage.

Jay-Z brought out his firstborn for a historic night, and she broke the internet with her incredible singing and piano solo.

Source: Briefly News