All of the above!

She is Rihanna. One and only. Nobodys "modern version".

Rih is Rih. Stop being so obsessed with tracing everything back.

She's obviously inspired by most of the women in that poll but mostly she is just herself. she only contains a few things that the women named have and even at that she can't do any of those things better than the women named.

Aaliyah - I've see her in the past year trying to have that sexy tomboy gangsta lean look babygirl was rocking in the 90s but that's about it.
Celine Dion - i don't make a connection
Mariah Carey - don't make me go pull up that video
Janet Jackson - overt sexuality but JJ is a lot more sensual with hers and less ratchet and JJ is 10x the performer/dancer Rihanna isn't and most of her albums are complete works so she's out.
Whitney Houston - let's not. the only thing they have in common is maybe drugs and they're both black.
Madonna - besides a bunch of catchy hits, style re-invention and an abusive ex there's not as much in common that these two have that pop stans think.

Madonna can put on a A+ show, she has brains, her music (even just the first 7 albums) contains the diversity in content that Rih seems to be lacking more and more every album, most of her videos make Rihanna's look like powerpoint presentations and she's far more independent. So Maddie, Rihanna is definitely not a black version of.

No, I don't think Madonna is the end all, be all of artistry or music but even with her having less vocal ability than Rihanna, she still is the standard in female pop tart territory. I can't take Rih seriously as being on Madonna's product level, sorry. Not right now anyway.

Paula Abdul

Madonna.


p.s. Tina

Out of those choices, Madonna. She has the same hit consistency (though her hits aren't generally as good) and she's cultivating a more notorious public persona (something Janet and Aaliyah didn't really have).

Madonna Mariah Carey mix

None of them

Brilliant analysis, hon.

The entire world will always see Rihanna as a far inferior artist to Madonna but there's no denying she's the most global, prominent pop star of the moment.

I know her fans jokingly say Black Madonna but really none of these ladies tbh, though i voted madonna.

God.

Cyndi Lauper

This.