Tonight, I'm going to discuss Rihanna, because, the time has come.

I used to hate her, because she represented everything I tried so hard to distinguish myself from: a 'hot' girl flicking her hair, shaking her hips and doing it all so well. She produced music that was popular - which I hated, she was an icon of people I didn't want to be like, (mainstream girls, no one I didn't like personality wise), and she had and still has this attitude of 'I don't give a shit' which I have been trying to achieve since I was 6 years old and stropping round the playground with fake tears in my eyes, flashing the boys to try and make them fancy me.

To be honest, I had this picture in my head of how I wanted my childhood to be, and it was totally different. I had this image in my head of being one of those pretty girly girls who the boys liked and everyone wanted to be friends with. Those girls were Charley, Ellie, Georgie, Izzy and Shiffa. Okay, Shiffa I resented the most for being popular by being herself. She's still like that, you heard the cheer she got when she stood in front of our school. Anyway. I wanted to be like them, they always got the boyfriends and the pretty hair styles.

And my actual childhood? I spent my childhood peeing myself because I couldn't be bothered to go to the loo, playing football like a boy and being called fartalot. (Enough people know that nickname for me to make it public now). And let's not forget running for my god damn life from the only boys who would chase me in kiss chase. So, up came this barrier of being witty and sarcastic. I sincerely apologise to anyone who went to St. Osmunds with me. I was not fun. But cheers for people who gave me any time at all. The best times were being sat behind the bench that Daniel used to sit on to eat his shoes, waving our 'Thrilling Three' club flags. We had passports and everything.

Anyway, back to how Rihanna relates to this. For a start, my parents are classical musicians, so I never had that natural hatred for classical music that people my age did. Outside of that, I've grown up with Rock from my dad, Mud - Tigerfeet to be specific, drifty french jazz singers from mum, Red Hot Chilli Peppers from Barney and the classically horrendous Prog Rock from Joz. From which I've evolved into Lykke Li and Tom Vek. I have no sense of good taste in music, and I hold my hands up to that. I like good repetitive tunes, that go round and round for 3 minutes solid. I think Jessie's salvaged a little bit of style into my repertoire.

Rihanna was around when I was little, when I was trying so hard to be different, and so I didn't admit to liking her. Recently, I admitted I like her songs and not her, and finally that I liked her. She's got the perfect attitude. And now, I admit that I have a little essence of normality in my music taste. I have Rihanna, Tinie Tempah and Jason Mraz on my iPod. Mainstream and proud.

This song has been on repeat for 2 solid days now:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b3HeLs8Yosw