Will you buy Rihanna's new perfume?

This week, Jay-Z, Rihanna, Kanye West, and a "well established" female artist (they're keeping it a secret but everyone's pretty sure it's Beyoncé) signed a zillion dollar fragrance deal with Parlux Fragrances Inc. The details of the agreement kind of make my brain hurt, but it seems like an unusual arrangement; instead of a contract fee, the singers will be paid in royalties, profit shares, and some kind of stock in the company. Basically, they'll all get much, much richer than they already are. Jay-Z will buy seven yachts, Kanye will pick up 15,000 pairs of weird sunglasses and a new girlfriend, Beyoncé will splurge on $7 million worth of clothes in 13 minutes-you know the drill.

The deal itself is not all that surprising, it's actually more shocking that none of these super-famous performers has a name-branded scent already. (What were they waiting for? Diddy has been doing it for years! So has Hilary Duff! And Mariah! And every other person you can think of!) However, what is interesting about this news, to me anyway, is...what will happen to Rihanna?

She's been keeping a low-profile lately, but that will definitely change next year. Her perfume is set to debut in 2010 and there's sure to be a glitzy/pretty media blitz surrounding the launch, along with a specific campaign for the scent. Every perfume sells an image-think of the empowering, "I've got my sh*t together and that's what makes me sexy" vision of J.Lo's Glow, or the freaky/sad "I'm a little girl lost in the woods and then some hot dude shoots an arrow and captures me" fairytale of Britney's Fantasy. Rihanna will have one of these perfume personas, too. Given the fact that every fragrance is sold on a feminine identity (usually some version of overt sexiness, innocent romance, or "I can do it all/have it all" lady power) and considering Rihanna's sad recent relationship history, will her perfume be about hope? Survival? If she reconciles with Chris Brown will the world want to see a "forgiveness" eau de toilette? Please, Lord, no.
Source: WWD