No, she is not. And never will be. This is pure nonsense. NO ONE will ever replace or be the "new" Madonna, not even Gaga. Madonna is the original, Rihanna won't even come half as close to accomplishing what Madonna has. And I doubt Rihanna will even have the longevity Madonna has. Madonna has proven herself, Rihanna has yet to prove herself as a vocalist or entertainer because she doesn't compensate for her lack of vocals. And she's not "the black Madonna"
Madonna's talent > Rihanna's "talent" -- no shade, but let's keep it real here. And I don't know what that article is talking about how her performances puts her peers to shame. MTV has "snubbed" Rihanna two years in a row at the VMAs. What performances are they talking about? I could see if we were talking about Gaga who's incredibly talent and knows how to put on a show that leaves a lasting impression upon the masses. That's never the case with Rihanna.