‘Anti’ Tour Postponed As Rihanna Battles Illness
Rihanna has been one of the busiest performers of late with a number of celebrated appearances intended to promote her latest album, Anti. One of her last appearances came at the 2016 MusiCares Person of the Year ceremony, which honored Lionel Richie. The event took place at Los Angeles Convention Center on Feb. 13, 2016, in Los Angeles, and even though it was only a short time ago, Rihanna has taken ill since that event. Now, as she fights to regain her health, the “Kiss It Better” singer has been forced to cancel one engagement and to postpone several others.
Rihanna Postpones Anti Concerts Across The Country
Canceling her scheduled appearance at the Grammy Awards left many fans baffled, until it was learned that Rihanna was battling a bout of bronchitis. Since Grammy night, she has continued to struggle with the illness and has now postponed much of her Anti tour. Rihanna’s tour was originally planned to kick off at the end of this month, but the singer has rescheduled several dates to give her additional time to recuperate.
A total of eight dates have been postponed, encompassing planned stops in San Diego, Houston, Austin, Dallas, Atlanta, Phoenix, New Orleans, Oakland, and San Jose.
In addition to Rihanna’s illness, a source revealed that there have been production difficulties with the second show, which was to take place at the SAP Center in San Jose. That concert, originally set for February 28, has been rescheduled for May 8. It was known, even before Rihanna came down with bronchitis, that the show wouldn’t be ready on time, but Rihanna resisted against the idea of delaying the event, because the concert is already close to a sellout. Her sudden illness and the need to put off more of the tour may have been best all around.
The rescheduled dates for the Anti tour are:
May 1* – Phoenix, AZ, Talking Stick Resort Arena
May 6* – San Jose, CA, SAP Center
May 7* – Oakland, CA, Oracle Arena
May 9* – San Diego, CA, Viejas Arena
May 13* – Dallas, TX, American Airlines Center
May 14* – Austin, TX, Frank Erwin Center
May 15* – Houston, TX, Toyota Center
May 17* – New Orleans, LA, Smoothie King Center
May 18* – Atlanta, GA, Philips Arena
Rihanna Makes A Good Run With Puma
Rihanna is proving she has creative talent in more than one area and Puma is reaping the benefits. The singer designed her own line of women’s sneakers, naming the new shoe Creepers, and, since their debut in September, Puma reports a 40 percent increase in U.S. sales. The shoe manufacturer also boasts that Rihanna’s Creepers helped them to leave competitors Nike, Adidas, Reebok, and Under Armour far behind in total sales.
Puma is planning to take over a larger share of the market and they believe focusing on women’s footwear will enable them to succeed. In that vain, partnering with Rihanna has given them a huge boost toward achieving that goal. Puma’s competitors haven’t been ignoring women’s needs, but they also haven’t been quite as innovative.
“Puma has been much more successful in a very short time than many of their competitors,” says analyst Matt Powell of NPD Group.
The success of Rihanna’s new line of sneakers proves she’s one of the most marketable celebrities out there, but Puma isn’t stopping with her. The company recently signed a deal with Kylie Jenner to pose as their brand ambassador, beginning with their spring and summer campaigns.
Rihanna will soon be on the road again, bringing her Anti tour to millions of fans, who will no doubt be wearing her Creepers, but will she bring more of her creativity to Puma? Or will Rihanna find another outlet to explore her artistry?
[Image by Jason Merritt/Getty Images]
