Among Rihanna’s many outfits during the show were scanty ones that might suit the high-end call girls of the post-apocalyptic age. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)
Rihanna’s dancers didn’t so much interact with her as gyrate and engage in mock struggles nearby. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)
Astride a hot pink tank cannon, Rihanna used violent imagery to underscore the dark psychic realm she was exploring in her music. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)
The singer’s aggressive presentation and new arrangements pushed her singing into dramatic new territory. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)
Rihanna performs before a trashed car, one of the many unsettling images during her performance at Staples Center. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)
Rihanna bridged rock and soul in vocals that often nodded toward female empowerment through musical virtuosity. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)
In a dress lighted up with a robotic glow of lights and with disturbing images looming in the background, Rihanna delivered her songs in a gothic fantasy landscape. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)
The singer spent much of the show on a mid-room stage extension, separated from her band and backup singers. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)
Rihanna’s “Last Girl on Earth” show takes on difficult topics, even in her earlier, lighter songs. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)
