Is Music's Wild Child Getting Tame?

In a world where we’re so used to seeing Nicki Minaj in fishnets and pasties and Miley Cyrus half-nakedly grinding on anything she can get her hands on (including, most recently, Madonna), it’s somewhat shocking to see one of the music industry’s “bad girls” doing or wearing something so, well, normal. And that was exactly the case yesterday when Rihanna — a singer who's become synonymous with topless Instagram pics, jean thongs, and rhinestoned bras — was spotted not just once, but twice, looking more covered up than we’ve seen her since basically 2005.

Making an appearance on Good Morning America yesterday, Rihanna talked music, her new MAC Cosmetics line, and her AIDS fund campaign, all while wearing a drastically more conservative than usual orange tweed skirt suit by Chanel. She finished off the unusually tame look with super-sleek locks, a gold chain Chanel necklace, and chic ankle-strap Manolo Blahniks. (Oh, and in case you missed it, she also photobombed the Full House guys.)

Later in the day, Rihanna made a second public appearance in New York City at the launch of her MAC Cosmetics Viva Glam Rihanna line, looking like a high-fashion flight attendant in a ruffle-hem navy blue pencil skirt, silver lamé blouse, sparkling purple blazer, and printed neck scarf, all from Lanvin.

The pair of toned-down, mostly tasteful ensembles may be Rihanna’s attempt at reinforcing her recent insistence that’s she’s much more low key than her Instagram account full of model-filled nights out and scantily clad beach vacays would have you believe. Yesterday, the Barbados beauty told USA Today:

I think [fans] think I'm drunk all the time. I think they think I am always partying, that my house is probably a party all the time with tons of people and tons of music and no clothes. I think that's what they think. ... I'm actually very laid back. I love watching TV on a big old couch by myself. I love to swim in the ocean or the pool.

But covered up though she was on Wednesday — if you can call a miniskirt on morning television “covered up” — there’s little evidence that Rihanna’s less risqué image is here to stay. Just last weekend, she showed up at multiple pre-Grammys events showing quite a lot of skin with high-slit skirts and deeply plunging tops. And then there’s the entire series of barely there bikini shots on Instagram from her recent trip to Brazil. So don’t worry, all you Rihanna fans and 15-year-old boys: Bad girl RiRi is going nowhere.

Image: Twitter; Good Morning America