Lahir di Saint Michael, Barbados, Rihanna pindah ke Amerika Serikat pada usia 16 untuk mengejar karier rekaman di bawah bimbingan produser rekaman Evan Rogers. Dia kemudian menandatangani kontrak dengan Def Jam Recordings setelah audisi untuk kemudian disetujui oleh pimpinan Def Jam yaitu Jay-Z.
Kumpulan Lirik Lagu Rihanna - Robyn Rihanna Fenty
Rihanna telah menjual lebih dari 20 juta album dan 60 juta singel yang membuat dia menjadi salah satu artis dengan penjualan musik terlaris sepanjang masa.
Ia adalah artis paling muda sepanjang sejarah di tangga lagu Billboard yang mencapai sepuluh singel nomor satu pada Hot 100. Pada Maret 2010, Rihanna telah menjual sekitar 5,4 juta unit album dan lebih dari 33,7 juta singel digital di Amerika Serikat.
Billboard dinamai Rihanna the Digital Songs Artist pada dekade 2000an, dan dia diperingkat ke-17 sebagai artis pada dekade 2000an.
Ia telah menerima beberapa penghargaan, termasuk World Music Awards 2007 untuk Best-Selling Pop Female Artist dan Female Entertainer of the Year, dan Brit Awards 2011 untuk Best International Female Solo Artist (Penyanyi Solo Wanita Internasional terbaik). Ia juga menerima total empat penghargaan Grammy Awards, empat American Music Awards, dan delapan belas Billboard Music Awards. Rihanna juga dipilih sebagai duta resmi pemuda dan budaya Barbados.
Biografi
1988–04: Kehidupan awal dan awal karier
Rihanna dilahirkan dengan nama Robyn Rihanna Fenty pada 20 Februari 1988, di Saint Michael, Barbados, dari Monica Braithwaite, seorang pensiunan akuntansi dan Ronald Fenty, seorang pengawas gudang untuk pabrik kain.
Ibunya yang berasal dari Guyana adalah orang Afro-Guyanese, dan ayahnya adalah keturunan Barbados dan Irlandia. Putri sulung dari tiga bersaudara, dia memiliki dua adik dari dua orang tua yang sama, bernama Rorrey dan Rajad Fenty. Dia juga memiliki saudara perempuan tiri dan saudara laki-laki tiri dari pihak ayahnya, masing-masing dilahirkan oleh ibu yang berbeda sebelum ayah Rihanna menikahi ibunya.
Dia tumbuh dengan mendengarkan musik jenis reggae, dan mulai bernyanyi sekitar umur tujuh tahun. Masa kecilnya sangat dipengaruhi oleh kecanduan ayahnya untuk kokain, alkohol, dan ganja, dan perceraian dari pernikahan orang tuanya berakhir ketika ia berusia 14 tahun, meskipun ia tetap menjadi bagian dari hidupnya.
Selama pernikahan orang tuanya, dia menderita sakit kepala yang menyiksa, dokter mengira ia telah menderita tumor otak dan menjalani beberapa pemeriksaan CAT dari usia 8 tahun sampai orang tuanya berpisah. Dia dibesarkan di sebuah tiga tempat tidur bungalo sederhana di kota Bridgetown dan akan menjual pakaian dengan ayahnya di sebuah jalan. Dia bersekolah di Charles F. Broome Memorial School, sebuah sekolah dasar di Barbados, dan kemudian bersekolah di Combermere Sekolah, dimana ia membentuk grup musik tiga orang dengan dua teman sekelasnya.
Dia adalah seorang calon militer di sub-program militer yang dilatih dengan militer Barbados dan Shontelle adalah pelatih tentara nya. Meskipun awalnya ia ingin lulusan sekolah tinggi, ia memutuskan untuk meninggalkan sekolah karena ia terlalu sibuk mengejar karier musiknya.
Pada Desember 2003, Rihanna bertemu produser musik Amerika yaitu Evan Rogers melalui seorang teman, yang tahu istri Rogers, ketika ia dan istrinya yang lahir di Barbados untuk liburan kesana. Rihanna dan dua temannya yang membentuk grup musik waktu bersekolah, mengikuti audisi Rogers di kamar hotelnya, yang mengatakan bahwa "Waktu Rihanna masuk ke ruangan, rasanya seperti dua gadis lainnya tidak ada." Sementara audisi untuk Rogers, ia menyanyikan lagu dari Destiny's Child yang berjudul "Emotion". Terkesan, Rogers mengatur pertemuan kedua, dengan hadir ibunya, dan mengundangnya untuk melakukan beberapa perekaman dan menulis lagu dengan dia dan Carl Sturken di studio mereka di New York. Tak lama setelah berusia 16, dia memenangkan kontes Miss Combermere di sekolah kecantikan dan pentas seni di sekolah SMA-nya, ia menyanyikan lagu dari Mariah Carey yang berjudul "Hero".
Selama tahun berikutnya, Rihanna dan ibunya bolak-balik ke rumah Rogers di Stamford, Connecticut. Dengan bantuan dari Sturken, ia merekam empat lagu demo, yang mana termasuk lagu ballad yaitu "Last Time", lagu dari Whitney Houston yang berjudul "For the Love of You", dan apa yang telah menjadi lagu top pertamanya yaitu "Pon de Replay". Butuh waktu satu tahun untuk merekam musik demo, karena Rihanna sedang sekolah dan hanya akan merekam selama musim panas dan libur Natal sekolah.
Pada bulan Januari 2005, Rogers mulai menawarkan empat lagu demo Rihanna ke berbagai perusahaan rekaman.
Salinan dari demo tersebut talah dikirim ke Def Jam Recordings, dimana Jay Brown, seorang eksekutif A&R, mendengar hal tersebut dan kemudian dimainkannya untuk perusahaan rekamannya yang dipimpin oleh Jay-Z.
Ketika dia mendengarkan "Pon de Replay", Jay-Z merasa ragu-ragu tentang Rihanna pada awalnya karena ia merasa bahwa lagu itu terlalu besar baginya, menyatakan bahwa "Ketika sebuah lagu itu besar, sulit untuk kembali. Saya tidak menandatangani lagu, saya menandatangani seniman ".
Def Jam adalah label pertama yang merespon dan mengundangnya untuk audisi dimana dia menyanyikan lagu "For the Love of You" untuk L.A. Reid dari Island Def Jam Music Group dan Jay-Z.
Dia menandatangani hari yang sama dan membatalkan serangkaian pertemuan dengan label lain.
Setelah penandatanganan dengan Def Jam pada Februari 2005, ia pindah di Amerika Serikat dan pindah dengan Rogers dan istrinya. Meskipun ia masih mengenal dirinya dengan nama Robyn, ia memilih nama tengah sebagai nama panggung yaitu Rihanna, nama hanyalah sebuah tahap yang dimulai di sebuah studio rekaman pada tahun 2005.
2005–06: Music of the Sun dan A Girl Like Me
Setelah bekerja sama dengan perusahaan rekaman Def Jam, dia menghabiskan tiga bulan berikutnya dengan rekaman dan menyempurnakan albumnya. Albumnya digarap bersama produksi Evan Rogers, Carl Sturken, Stargate dan Poke & Tone. Dia kolaborasi pertamanya dengan penyanyi rap Memphis Bleek pada album keempat Memphis Bleek yaitu 534 sebelum debutnya. Dia merilis singel utamanya yaitu "Pon de Replay", pada 22 Agustus 2005, yang mana mencapai nomor dua pada tangga lagu Billboard Hot 100 dan UK Singles Chart. Ini menjadi hit yang mendunia di mana itu memuncak dalam sepuluh besar di lima belas negara. Debut album pertamanya yaitu Music of the Sun, dirilis pada Agustus 2005 di Amerika Serikat. Album tersebut mencapai nomor sepuluh pada Billboard 200, telah terjual 69,000 keping pada minggu pertama. Album tersebut terjual lebih dari dua juta keping di seluruh dunia dan menerima sertifikasi Gold (emas) dari Recording Industry Association of America, yang menunjukkan pengiriman ke pengecer AS lebih dari 500.000 unit.
Lagunya ditandai dengan jenis musik reggae karena keturunan Karibiannya. Albumnya mendapat tanggapan bermacam-macam dari kritikus musik. Majalah Rolling Stone menilai 2.5 dari 5 bintang dan digambarkan sebagai kurang memiliki nilai replay, kecerdikan dan irama dari singel dengan "suara cegukan umum dan embel-embel" dari R&B AS mengubah "pesona Karibiannya". Sal Cinquemani dari Slant Magazine menggambarkan album sebagai "melimpahnya dari remaja R&B chanteuses" dan menggambarkan seingel utamanya yaitu "Pon de Replay" sebagai "campuran dancehall-pop mirip seperti lagu Beyonce yaitu "Baby Boy". Pengulas untuk Entertainment Weekly berkomentar bahwa "debutnya yang dancehall/R&B dipenuhi dengan produksi murahan dan pengaturan sentimentil yang memblokir Music of the Sun." Singel kedua dari album tersebut adalah "If It's Lovin' that You Want" yang kurang berhasil dari "Pon de Replay", berhasil mencapai posisi puncak nomor tiga puluh enam di Amerika Serikat, dan nomor sebelas di Inggris. Singel ini terbukti diterima dengan baik di Australia, Irlandia dan Selandia Baru mencapai sepuluh besar di negara-negara itu.
Sebulan setelah merilis album debutnya, dia mulai bekerja pada album keduanya. Album ini berisi tim produksi dari produser rekaman Evan Rogers dan Carl Sturken yang memproduksi sebagian besar album debutnya, Stargate, J. R. Rotem dan rekan label yaitu penyanyi dan penulis lagu Ne-Yo. Saat merekam album, Rihanna menyiapkan diri sebagai artis pembuka untuk Gwen Stefani untuk mempromosikan album debutnya. Singel utamanya adalah "SOS", mencapai nomor satu di Billboard Hot 100, menjadi singel pertamanya yang menjadi nomor satu di Amerika Serikat. A Girl Like Me dirilis pada bulan April 2006, kurang dari delapan bulan setelah debutnya. Album tersebut mencapai nomor lima di Billboard 200 terjual 115,000 keping pada minggu pertama dan memperoleh sertifikasi Platinum (platina) dari RIAA, dikirimkan lebih dari satu juta unit. Secara Internasional, album tersebut mencapai pada nomor satu di Top Canadian Albums, lima di UK Albums Chart dan lima di Irish Album Chart. Tanggapan untuk album tersebut bermacam-macam; majalah Rolling Stone berkomentar "Seperti kemasan album debut pertamanya, ini terlihat sama tetapi unggul sebagai tindak lanjut tidak memberikan apa pun karena berbakat seperti singel utamanya." Kritikus menggambarkan album tersebut sebagai catatan yang hampir identik bergantian antara dancehall/dub-pop, hip-hop yang cerah berorientasi balada dewasa. Singel kedua yaitu "Unfaithful", menjadi hit di seluruh dunia besar, mencapai sepuluh besar di negara di seluruh dunia, termasuk Amerika Serikat dimana mencapai nomor enam di Billboard Hot 100, sebaik puncak pada tangga lagu di Kanada, Prancis, dan Swiss. Singel ketiga dari albumnya adalah "We Ride" gagal mendapatkan keberhasilan dari singel utama tetapi singel keempat, "Break It Off" yang dinyanyikan bersama Sean Paul, melompat dari nomor limapuluh dua ke nomor sepuluh akhirnya memuncak pada nomor sembilan. Setelah merilis album, Rihanna memulai tur pertamanya yang bertajuk Rihanna: Live in Concert Tour. Dia kemudian memulai tur Rock The Block Tour dan kemudian melakukan tur dengan Pussycat Dolls dari November 2006 sampai Februari 2007 di Inggris. Rihanna juga memulai debut aktingnya dengan berperan sebagai comeo di sebuah film DVD Bring It On: All or Nothing, yang dirilis pada 8 Agustus 2006.
2006–08: Good Girl Gone Bad
Dengan album ketiganya,Good Girl Gone Bad (2007), Rihanna ingin ke jenis musik baru dengan bantuan produser musik Timbaland, Will.i.am dan Sean Garrett, and re-imagine her album compositions dengan lagu yang segar, dan uptempo musik dance. Dia mengadopsi citra yang lebih memberontak saat merekam album, akhirnya ia mengubah rambut menjadi hitam dan memotong pendek. Rihanna berkomentar, "Saya ingin membuat orang menari tetapi masih menggetarkan jiwa pada saat yang sama Anda merasa berbeda setiap album, dan tahap ini aku merasa seperti aku ingin melakukan banyak uptempo ." Album ini menduduki puncak tangga lagu di negara-negara seperti Inggris, Kanada, Jepang, Brazil, Rusia dan Irlandia, dan memuncak pada nomor dua di Amerika Serikat dan Australia. Berbeda dengan karya sebelumnya, album ini lebih mengarah pada musik dance-pop bukan gaya dancehall, reggae dan balada. Album ini mendapat review positif oleh kritikus, menjadi album yang paling kritis diakui pada waktu itu dibandingkan dengan usaha sebelumnya.
Album ini menghasilkan delapan hit singel – semua singel mencapai dua puluh besar pada Billboard Hot 100 – termasuk nomor satu di seluruh dunia yaitu "Umbrella," yang menampilkan Jay-Z. Selain mencapai nomor satu di berbagai negara, "Umbrella" adalah nomor satu di Inggris selama sepuluh minggu berturut-turut, menjadikannya singel paling lama nomor satu sejak lagu milik Wet Wet Wet yang berjudul "Love Is All Around" menghabiskan limabelas minggu di nomor satu pada tahun 1994. Lagu ini terdaftar nomor tiga pada 100 Lagu Terbaik 2007 (100 Best Songs of 2007) yang diterbitkan oleh majalah Rolling Stone. Singelnya yang lain adalah "Shut Up and Drive", "Don't Stop The Music" dan "Hate That I Love You" yang mampu mencerminkan keberhasilan dari "Umbrella," dengan "Don't Stop the Music" mencapai nomor tiga di Billboard Hot 100, sementara memuncak pada nomor satu di berbagai negara. Dengan kabar yang beredar kembali dari album kompilasi dari album studio ketiganya yang berjudul Good Girl Gone Bad: Reloaded, yang mana dirilis pada Juni 2008. Rihanna merilis singel pertama dari album kompilasinya yang bertajuk "Take a Bow" – yang menjadi nomor satu di seluruh dunia – duet dengan Maroon 5 pada lagu "If I Never See Your Face Again," dan hits lain yang menjadi nomor satu di Hot 100 adalah "Disturbia." "Disturbia" mencapai nomor empat sebelum mencapai nomor satu, sebagai singel sebelumnya, "Take a Bow", berada di nomor dua, membuat Rihanna menjadi penyanyi wanita ketujuh yang memiliki dua lagu dalam lima besar. Sementara itu, Rihanna duet dengan rapper T.I. dalam lagu "Live Your Life," yang menduduki nomor satu di Billboard Hot 100, memberikan Rihanna singel nomornya yang menjadi nomor satu di Hot 100 demikian jauh ("SOS," "Umbrella," "Take a Bow" dan "Disturbia," sebaik lagu T.I. yaitu "Live Your Life"). Hal ini membuat Rihanna menjadi salah satu dari dua artis solo wanita dengan singel nomor satu pada dekade itu, dengan yang lainnya yaitu Beyonce Knowles. Ini telah terjual lebih dari dua juta unit keping cd di Amerika Serikat, dan menerima sertifikasi dua-kali-platinum dari RIAA, hal ini memberikan Rihanna sebagai album terlaris.
Rihanna dinominasikan dalam empat kategori 2007 MTV Video Music Awards, dan memenangkan Monster Single of the Year dan Video of the Year. Dalam ajang penghargaan 50th Grammy Awards, Rihanna meraih penghargaan Grammy Award pertamanya untuk Best Rap/Sung Collaboration, sebagai tambahan lima nominasi lainnya, termasuk Record of the Year, Best Dance Recording, Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group dan Best R&B Song. Untuk mendukung album, ia memulai konser tur keduanya yang bertajuk The Good Girl Gone Bad Tour pada 12 September 2007, dengan beberapa acara yang melewati Inggris, Kanada, dan Eropa, dan kemudian memulai paa konser Glow in the Dark Tour dengan Kanye West, Lupe Fiasco, dan N.E.R.D pada 16 April 2008. Rihanna memenangkan Favorite Pop/Rock Female Artist dan Favorite Soul/R&B Female Artist pada American Music Awards 2008. pada Desember 2008, Margeaux Watson dari Entertainment Weekly menulis artikel yang berjudul "Rihanna: Diva of the year" sebagaimana dimaksud keberhasilan terobosannya pada tahun 2008.
2009: Kasus kekerasan domestik dan Rated R
Pada tanggal 8 Februari 2009, kinerja Rihanna dijadwalkan pada Grammy Awards 2009 dibatalkan. Laporan kemudian muncul dugaan tentang pertengkaran dengan mantan pacarnya, penyanyi Chris Brown, yang ditangkap karena dicurigai melakukan ancaman kriminal. Pada tanggal 5 Maret 2009, Brown dituduh atas penyerangannya dan pengancaman kriminal. Karena foto Rihanna yang luka-luka dari Departemen Kepolisian Los Angeles yang diperoleh oleh TMZ.com sudah tersebar. Sebuah organisasi yang dikenal sebagai STOPaparazzi telah mengusulkan undang-undang yang disebut "Rihanna's Law," (Hukum Rihanna) yang, jika berlaku, akan "menghalangi pegawai dari lembaga penegak hukum dari yang menyebarkan foto atau informasi yang mengeksploitasi korban kejahatan." Gil Kaufman dari VH1 melaporkan “ia menyampaikan berita nonstop dari kasus Rihanna / Brown telah memunculkan sejumlah isu mengenai privasi dugaan korban kekerasan domestik, termasuk keputusan oleh hampir semua outlet berita besar untuk mengungkapkan identitas korban-yang tidak biasanya dilakukan dalam kasus-kasus kekerasan domestik dan distribusi kontroversial dari foto yang tersebar” Rihanna dipanggil untuk memberikan kesaksian dalam sidang awal di L.A. pada 22 Juni 2009. "Jaksa mengatakan kepada saya, Rihanna akan menerima panggilan. Aku akan menerima atas namanya," pengacara Rihanna, Donald Etra mengatakan kepada Us Weekly. Pada tanggal 22 Juni 2009, Brown mengaku bersalah atas kekerasan yang dilakukan pada Rihanna. Dalam pertukaran untuk pembelaannya Brown menerima lima tahun tahanan percobaan dan diperintahkan untuk tinggal lima puluh meter dari Rihanna, kecuali pada acara-acara umum, yang kemudian akan berkurang hingga sepuluh meter.
Rihanna membuat penampilan sebagai karakter utama dalam video musik Kanye West yang berjudul "Paranoid". Dia juga berkolaborasi dengan Jay-Z dan West pada lagu "Run This Town" yang memuncak nomor dua pada Billboard Hot 100 serta mencapai peringkat sepuluh besar di negara lain. Lagu tersebut memenangkan penghargaan Grammy Award untuk Best Rap Song dan Best Rap/Sung Collaboration, membawa dia yang memperoleh total 3 penghargaan Grammy. Album studio keempatnya adalah Rated R, yang dirilis pada November 2009. Rolling Stone yang mendukung dari album ini berkomentar bahwa "Rihanna telah mengubah suara dan membuat salah satu menjadi rekaman pop terbaik tahun ini". Album tersebut mencapai nomor empat di Billboard 200 dan memperoleh sertifikasi platina dari Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) untuk penjualan satu juta keping. Tiha singel pertamanya adalah "Russian Roulette", "Hard" dan "Rude Boy" memuncak dalam sepuluh besar pada Billboard Hot 100 dengan "Rude Boy" mencapai nomor satu. Lagu ini juga menduduki puncak tangga lagu di Australia, sementara mencapai nomor dua di Inggris, Republik Irlandia, Selandia Baru dan Swiss. Pada bulan Januari 2010, Rihanna memenangkan dua penghargaann Barbados Music Awards untuk "Song of the Decade" dengan lagu "Umbrella" dan "Entertainer of the Decade". Dia juga memperoleh penghargaan "International Female Artist of the Year" pada NRJ Music Awards 2010. Dua singel lainnya yang dirilis dari album Rated R yaitu "Rockstar 101" dan singel terakhir dari album tersebut yaitu "Te Amo". Untuk lebih mempromosikan album, ia memulai tur dunia-nya dengan tajuk Last Girl on Earth Tour.
2010–11: Loud dan Talk That Talk
Selama musim panas, Rihanna berkolaborasi dengan rapper Eminem pada lagu "Love the Way You Lie", yang mencapai nomor satu di Billboard Hot 100, serta negara-negara lain termasuk Australia, Kanada, Irlandia, Selandia Baru, Norwegia dan Swedia. "Love the Way You Lie" menjadikan singel nomor satu ketujuh Rihanna di Hot 100 dalam kariernya, membuat dia menjadi artis wanita kelima dengan singel nomor satu dalam sejarah tangga lagu tersebut. Dia juga menyumbangkan vokalnya dalam lagu "All of the Lights", singel keempat Kanye West dari album studio kelimanya yang bertajuk My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, yang menampilkan vokal tambahan dari beberapa artis rekaman lainnya, termasuk John Legend, The-Dream, Elly Jackson, Alicia Keys, Fergie, Kid Cudi, dan Elton John. Pada bulan Oktober 2010, Rihanna merilis sebuah buku yang diberi judul namanya sendiri, dan mengumumkan bahwa ia berpisah dengan manajer Marc Jordan dan selanjutnya akan bergabung Roc Nation Management oleh Jay-Z.
Loud, album studio kelima Rihanna, dirilis pada bulan berikutnya. Singel pertama, "Only Girl (In the World)", mencapai nomor satu di lima belas negara termasuk Australia, Kanada, Britania Raya, dan Amerika Serikat. Singel kedua, "What's My Name?", yang menampilkan rapper asal Kanada yaitu Drake, juga mencapai nomor satu di Amerika Serikat dan di Britania Raya, membuat Rihanna menjadi artis solo pertama perempuan yang memiliki lima singel nomor satu di Inggris pada tahun berturut-turut. Lagu tersebut mencapai nomor satu di Hot 100 sebelum "Only Girl (In the World)", dan itu pertama kalinya di sejarah Hot 100 di mana singel pertama menjadi nomor satu setelah singel kedua. Singel ketiga, "S&M", mencapai nomor satu di Hot 100 setelah perilisan remiks resmi yang menampilkan Britney Spears, menjadi singel nomor satu kesepuluhnya, yang mengikatnya bersama dengan Janet Jackson di tempat keempat di antara solois perempuan yang telah menduduki puncak peringkat. Hanya dengan empat tahun, sebelas bulan, dan dua minggu antara singel nomor satu pertama dan kesepuluhnya di peringkat tersebut, Rihanna membuat rekor sebagai artis solo dengan akumulasi tercepat di sepuluh puncak peringkat. "Man Down" dan "California King Bed" dirilis sebagai singel pada Mei 2011 dengan keberhasilan moderat. "Cheers (Drink to That)", yang mencontoh singel Avril Lavigne pada tahun 2002 "I'm with You", dirilis sebagai singel keenam dan terakhir dari album, mencapai nomor dua puluh di Inggris dan sepuluh di AS. Pada bulan Februari 2011, "Only Girl (In the World)" memenangkan Grammy Award for Best Dance Recording pada Grammy Awards ke-53.
Untuk mempromosikan albumnya, Rihanna memulai Loud Tour pada bulan Juni 2011, yang habis terjual selama sepuluh malam di The O2Arena di London, dan menjadikannya artis wanita dengan pertunjukkan yang paling habis terjual dalam sejarah tempat itu. Tur itu adalah tur ketujuh terlaris di seluruh dunia pada tahun 2011. Tiga pertunjukan final di London difilmkan untuk album video langsung keduanya yang berjudul Loud Tour Live at the O2, yang dirilis pada 18 Desember 2012. Pada bulan Oktober 2011, Nicki Minaj merilis kolaborasi "Fly", yang menampilkan Rihanna.
2012–13: Akting dan Unapologetic
Pada awal tahun 2012, dua kolaborasi yang menampilkan Rihanna dirilis: lagu Coldplay "Princess of China" dari album Mylo Xyloto dan lagu Drake "Take Care" dari album dengan nama yang sama. Pada bulan Februari 2012, Rihanna memenangkan Penghargaan Grammy untuk Kolaborasi Rap/Lagu Terbaik ketiganya pada Penghargaan Grammy ke-54, dan terpilih sebagai Artis Solo Wanita Internasional Terbaik pada Penghargaan BRIT 2012 dua kali berturut-turut. Pada bulan Maret 2012 memperlihatkan perilisan kolaborasi simultan antara Rihanna dan Chirs Brown: remiks dari lagu Rihanna "Birthday Cake"dan lagu Chris Brown "Turn Up the Music". Rekaman itu menerima tanggapan negatif terutama karena riwayat kekerasan domestik yang pernah terjadi pada pasangan itu. Pada bulan September 2012, "We Found Love" memenangkan MTV Video Music Award untuk Video Terbaik Tahun Ini, membuat Rihanna menjadi wanita pertama yang menerima penghargaan itu lebih dari sekali. Rihanna membintangi film fitur teatrikal pertamanya, Battleship sebagai Petugas Petty (GM2) Cora Raikes yang dirilis pada 18 Mei 2012. Didasarkan pada permainan dengan nama yang sama, baik filmnya maupun penampilan Rihanna menerima ulasan dari campuran hingga negatif; The New York Times mengatakan dia "baik-baik saja dalam peran yang agak generik". Dia menerima Penghargaan Golden Raspberry untuk Aktris Pendukung Terburuk dan, pada catatan yang lebih positif, Teen Choice Award. Dia muncul dalam Katy Perry: Part of Me, sebuah film dokumenter konser 3D tentang Katy Perry. Pada tanggal 19 Agustus 2012, Rihanna tampil dalam episode pertama pada musim kedua acara televisi Amerika Oprah Next Chapter milik Oprah Winfrey. Episode ini mencetak peringkat tertinggi kedua dalam sejarah Oprah Winfrey Network.
Album studio ketujuh Rihanna, Unapologetic, dirilis pada bulan November 2012. Di Amerika Serikat, album ini berdebut di nomor satu di Billboard 200 dengan penjualan 238.000 keping, yang menandai album nomor satu pertama Rihanna di negara itu. Selain itu, Unapologetic merupakan debut minggu terlaris di kariernya, melewati album studio kelimanya Loud (2010). Album itu adalah album ketiganya yang berturut-turut berada di nomor satu di Inggris dan kelima di Swiss. Singel pertama dari album itu, "Diamonds", mencapai nomor satu di lebih dari dua puluh negara di seluruh dunia, termasuk Billboard Hot 100 AS, dan merupakan nomor satu keduabelasnya di peringkat itu dan mengikatnya bersama dengan Madonna dan The Supremes sebagai artis dengan nomor satu terbanyak keempat pada sejarah peringkat itu. Singel kedua album itu, "Stay", yang juga menampilkan Mikky Ekko, mencapai lima besar di lebih dari dua puluh negara, termasuk nomor tiga di Billboard Hot 100. "Pour It Up" dirilis sebagai singel kedua di AS dan ketiga secara keseluruhan, mencapai nomor 19 pada Hot 100. Sebuah remiks resmi yang menampilkan rapper AS Young Jeezy, Rick Ross, Juicy J, dan T.I. kemudian didistribusikan. "Right Now" yang menampilkan David Guetta menjadi singel keempat dari album dan memuncak di nomor lima puluh di Hot 100. Sebagai promosi sebelum perilisan album, Rihanna memulai 777 Tour, tur mini yang terdiri dari tujuh pertunjukan di tujuh negara selama tujuh hari. Sebuah DVD dokumenter dari tur itu kemudian dirilis.
2014: Album studio kedelapan
Pada Desember 2013, rapper Pitbull mengungkapkan pada sebuah wawancara bahwa penyanyi yang ada di lagu "Timber" pada awalnya ditujukan untuk Rihanna. Namun, Pitbull menyatakan bahwa ia sudah diminta untuk menjadi penyanyi di singel pertama dari album Shakira yang mendatang, Shakira dan tidak punya waktu untuk merekam lagu tersebut. "Can't Remember to Forget You" dirilis pada 13 Januari 2014. Pada Januari 2014, diumumkan bahwa Rihanna telah mulai merencanakan album studio kedelapan. Dia bekerja sama dengan beberapa produser seperti DJ Mustard, David Guetta dan Nicky Romero.
Keartisan
Musik dan suara
Volume 65 dari Contemporary Black Biography (Biografi Hitam Kontemporer) buku series mencatat bahwa "Rihanna adalah diva ritme dan blues (R&B) yang langka diva yang muncul dari dunia Karibia." Menjadi sensasi internasional, Rihanna dikenal dengan memadukan musik R&B dengan musik Karibia, seperti reggae dan dancehall. Peter Coulter dari Antrim Times, berkomentar bahwa " memiliki suara yang menakjubkan yang menunjukkan selama peralatan akustiknya, dia hanya perlu bekerja pada keterlibatan para pendengarnya selama pertunjukan langsung." Pada saat debutnya, peninjau menyebut dirinya sebagai "ratu bubblegum pop" dan musiknya pada "teen pop." Larry Meyler dari The Sun menyatakan bahwa "Rihanna akan buruk sangat baik" dan bahwa dia telah " dari semua gambaran 'teen pop' saat ia bergoyang di panggung. " Sementara tampil di Ottawa Bluesfest, Denis Armstrong dari Canadian Online Explorer berkomentar tentang penampilannya mengatakan "acaranya adalah fantasi Disney-esque, koreografernya tanpa henti pinggulnya berputar, sikap centil dan kata sayang pribadi dan serangkaian funky, bebas. "
Rihanna awalnya dipasarkan sebagai penyanyi reggae sejak ia terjun ke dunia musik pada tahun 2005, dengan gaya pop, R&B dan dancehall. Musiknya mencakup berbagai gaya genre musik, termasuk Contemporary R&B, dance-pop dan musik Karibia bergaya reggae dan dancehall. Dengan dirilisnya Music of the Sun dan sebagai singel utamanya adalah "Pon de Replay", Jason Birchmeier dari Allmusic menggambarkan gaya musik Rihanna sebagai "mensintesa irama Karibia dan ketukan dengan standar-isu perkotaan yang dance-pop: Karibia-diinfleksikan perkotaan, jika Anda akan." Rihanna digambarkan sebagai memanfaatkan "ketukan dancehall-lite dan vokal irama reggae." NME menggambarkan Rihanna sebagai sebuah "campuran musik memabukkan dari dancehall, reggae dan R & B. kontemporer" Barry Walters dari Rolling Stone menganggap A Girl Like Me-nya Rihanna menjadi "selai terang ancehall dan R&B." Setelah merilis Good Girl Gone Bad, Andy Kellman dari Allmusic mengkredit Rihanna menjadi "seperti pop yang didapat." Kelefa Sanneh dari The New York Times menggambarkan tentang singelnya "Umbrella" sebagai konfeksi pop ringan dengan ketukan hip-hop yang berat, sebuah lagu cinta dan santai yang diperkaya oleh semua itu tiba-tiba terdengar gothic-keyboard dan dengan sedikit ganjil terdapat kesedihan dalam suara Rihanna yang genit..
Album debutnya menampilkan produksi dari para veteran pop Evan Rogers dan Carl Sturken yang pertama kali menemukan dirinya. Sturken dan Rogers telah berkolaborasi dengan Rihanna banyak kali, termasuk dengan singel debutnya "Pon de Replay", yang membantu meluncurkan kariernya dengan tradisi dari musik reggae dan pop dance, dan berkolaborasi di album kedua. Rihanna kemudian meminta ke pop dan R&B yang bekerja dengan produser musik Stargate dan penyanyi-penulis lagu Ne-Yo pada lagu "Unfaithful". dan pengambilan sampel bagian kunci, garis bass, dan drum dari lagu Soft Cell tahun 1981 yang berjudul "Tainted Love" pada lagu "SOS". Dengan lagu seperti "Kisses Don't Lie" dan "Shut Up and Drive", gaya musiknya menjadi lebih berorientasi rok. Tidak seperti Music of the Sun atau A Girl Like Me, album ketiganya berisi suara lebih ke dance-pop dan kurang dari gaya dancehall, reggae dan balada dari album sebelumnya. Dia telah memasukkan berbagai gaya musik dari uptempo pop-reggae dengan "Pon De Replay", ke 80-an fase baru didorong klub banger "SOS" untuk berbau gothic yang horor dalam lagu cinta "Unfaithful". Sebagian besar subjek cintanya pada musik balada yang berisi suara pop tempo pertengan, dengan pengaruh musik R&B yang menggunakan petikan dari gitar akustik secara perlahan dengan produksi Stargate dan lagu yang ditulis oleh Ne-Yo. Beberapa lagu dance-pop yang up-tempo termasuk produksi dari Carl Rogers Sturken dan Evan, Christopher "Tricky" Stewart dan J. R. Rotem. Dia telah mengambil sampel lagu dari penyanyi lain seperti lagu Soft Cell yang berjudul "Tainted Love" pada lagu "SOS", lagu New Order yang berjudul "Blue Monday" pada lagu "Shut Up and Drive" dan lagu asli era 70-an yang berjudul "Soul Makossa" dari Manu Dibango dengan bagian dari paduan suara dari lagu Michael Jackson yaitu "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'" pada lagu "Don't Stop the Music".
Album studio keempatnya, Rated R memiliki nada lebih gelap dari album Rihanna sebelumnya. Terutama pada musik R&B dan pop yang berorientasi pada album, it juga menggabungkan unsur musik hip hop, rock, dan dancehall. Lagu yang ada pada album Rated R memasukan unsur dubstep, termasuk synthesizer yang murung dan basslines yang menggerutu. Rihanna membahas arah musik dalam sebuah wawancara untuk majalah Glamour, yang menyatakan "Lagu yang benar-benar pribadi. Ini adalah rock 'n' roll, tetapi itu benar-benar hip-hop: Jika Lil' Wayne dan Kings of Leon suka pada album saya, maka saya akan merasa baik". Pada gaya musik Rated R itu, wartawan musik Jim DeRogatis memandang bahwa hanya memasukkan unsur rock, menulis "Meskipun tidak ada pada dasarnya rock 'n' roll ata 'super-fearless' tentanf lacing slick, synthesized dance-pop mengalir dengan sedikit gitar elektrik, beberapa ada izin dari Slash, misalanya dalam lagu Rockstar 101.Lirik album ini ditandai dengan yang suram, nada marah, dan lagu yang mengandung tema membual dan ditandai dengan gambar kekerasan dan kebrutalan. Sementara beberapa penulis musik memandang lirik sebagai sindiran untuk Chris Brown tentang apa yang telah dilakukan padanya,
Musikalitas dari album kelimanya Loud adalah album yang terdiri dari musik up-tempo dan pop, mulai dari dance-pop sampai Electro-R&B dan eurodance, dan kembali ke musik Karibiannya Rihanna yaitu reggae, yang menonjol pada album sebelumnya yaitu Music of the Sun (2005) dan A Girl like Me (2006). Dalam sebuah wawancara dengan MTV News mengenai album Loud, Rihanna berbicara tentang gaya musik dan konten, mengatakan "Saya ingin lagu-lagu yang semua lagu Rihanna, bahwa tidak ada lagi yang bisa dilakukan. Saya tidak ingin merekam pop generik yang Ke$ha atau Lady Gaga atau Katy Perry hanya bisa melakukannya dan itu akan bekerja. saya ingin sebuah lagu, atau lagu, yang lagu-lagu asli Rihanna, yang hanya bisa saya lakukan, punya suasana sedikit Barat India untuk itu, punya nada tertentu, dan energi tertentu. "
Pengaruh
Rihanna telah menamakan Madonna sebagai idola dan pengaruh besar baginya, dan dia mengatakan ingin menjadi "Madonna kulit hitam". Dia berkata: "Saya pikir bahwa Madonna adalah inspirasi besar bagi saya, terutama pada pekerjaan saya sebelumnya. Jika saya harus memeriksa perkembangannya dari waktu ke waktu, saya pikir dia menemukan kembali gaya pakaiannya dan musik yang sukses setiap waktu. Dan pada saat yang sama, waktu tetap menjadi kekuatan nyata dalam hiburan di seluruh dunia." Rihanna juga menyebutkan Mariah Carey sebagai pengaruh dan idolanya. Dia berkata "Aku melihat ke banyak yang bisa masih kulakukan. Aku mengaguminya sebagai seorang seniman , dan. adalah saat dimana aku tidak akan pernah lupa sepanjang hidup saya." Dari Janet Jackson, Rihanna berkomentar bahwa "Dia adalah salah satu ikon pop wanita pertama yang aku bisa hubungkan untuk ... Dia begitu bersemangat, dia mempunyai begitu banyak energi. Dia masih memiliki kekuatan. Aku pernah melihatnya di atas panggung, dan dia bisa berdiri di sana selama 20 menit dan menguasai seluruh panggung untuk berteriak padanya. Anda harus mencintai Janet." Beyoncé telah disebutkan sebagai pengaruh besarnya, mengutip bahwa ia terinspirasi untuk memulai kariernya setelah menonton Knowles di televisi sebagai bagian dari penampilan Destiny's Child. Pengaruh musik yang lain termasuk Bob Marley, (untuk siapa dia membangun sebuah tempat keramat/suci di rumahnya Los Angeles) Alicia Keys Whitney Houston, Destiny's Child, Celine Dion, Brandy dan Gwen Stefani. Temannya dan mantan aktris perusaahan rekaman Island Def Jam, Fefe Dobson adalah seseorang yang ia kagumi dan diidolakan, telah menulis sesama artis, bernyanyi, dan tampil musik yang ia benar-benar mencintai.
Musik Rihanna mengandung pengaruh yang kuat dari musik Karibia yang meliputi reggae dan dancehall. Video untuk "Rude Boy" terinspirasi oleh Karibiannya. Dalam sebuah wawancara, ia menyatakan bahwa saat tumbuh di Barbados, ia tumbuh mendengarkan musik reggae dan ketika dia datang ke Amerika Serikat ia dikenalkan berbagai jenis musik. Selama The Good Girl Gone Bad Tour, Dia telah menampilkan lagu "Is This Love" yang membayar penghargaan kepada Marley; ia kemudian akan mencover sebuah lagu Bob Marley & The Wailers yaitu "Redemption Song". Rihanna berkomentar bahwa Marilyn Monroe dan disiapkan pakaian antik untuk inspirasi dari video musik "Hate That I Love You" dan "Rehab"; sebaliknya " gelap, menyeramkan" adegan dari video musik "Disturbia" telah menarik jika dibandingkan dengan lagu Michael Jackson yang berjudul Thriller. Video musik tersebut diberi peringkat nomor lima pada "Top Five Most Paranoid Music Videos" yang diterbitkan oleh MTV Buzzworthy. Jon Bream dari Star Tribune berkomentar "dalam tradisi dari Madonna dan Janet Jackson, Rihanna telah menjadi model video dari '00s ... Rihanna telah disempurnakan, panjang kaki menopang dan tatanan rambut trend yang menjaga wanita dan pria agar sama-sama untuk melihatnya di YouTube. " George Epaminondas dari InStyle menganggap video musik Rihanna menjadi "sinematik" karena dia "mencampurdari banyak jenis musik ritme dan swinging pop dan ... sensualitas nakal."
Citra publik
Majalah New York menggambarkan tampilan awal Rihanna sebagai ratu remaja sementara menyatakan bahwa dia memiliki kemampuan untuk mengubah, tampak begitu dramatis dan dengan mudah seperti itu. Hal ini digarisbawahi ketika Maret 2011, penulis Amerika Chronicle yang bernama Arturo Tora mengistilahkan Rihanna sebagai “Rihannaissance Woman.” Selama rilis album kedua, banyak kritikus merasa bahwa suara Rihanna dan isi terlalu berat serupa dengan Beyoncé. Media bahkan membuat review negatif dengan membandingkan musiknya, musik video, penampilan dan bahkan citranya kepada Beyoncé, yang mengumpulkan Rihanna banyak kritik. Beberapa media bahkan mengklaim bahwa Jay-Z menggayakan dia menjadi tiruan Beyonce. Selama rilis album ketiga, Good Girl Gone Bad , ia mengadopsi citra yang lebih seksual. Sonya Magett dari Black Voices melaporkan bahwa gaya Rihanna telah menjadi sangat berisiko sejak dia meluncur ke dunia hiburan empat tahun lalu. Setelah mengungkap citra yang baru sementara ia telah memulai konser tur pertamanya, ia cenderung dikritik untuk pakaian kulitnya yang ketat selama masing-masing pertunjukan. Sebuah review di The Times membandingkan gaya pakaian panggung Rihanna dengan Janet Jackson. Dia menggambarkan pakaiannya sebagai "visi dari busa Ann Summers di sepatu bot tinggi sepaha dan beberapa potongan PVC hitam." Stuart Derdeyn dari The Province berkomentar bahwa "bahkan dengan seluruh haute couture B&D dengan jelas menembak ke titik, dia masih punya cara untuk menjadi Janet Jackson yang baru."
Mode dan gaya Rihanna membuatnya masuk di daftar People's 10 Best Dressed Stars of 2008 (10 Bintang Berbusana Baik versi majalah People tahun 2008). Pada 2009, dia berada diposisi tujuh belas pada daftar 50 Most Glamorous Women versi majalah Glamour. Tracey Lomrantz dari Glamour berkomentar, "Jika risiko gaya dapat diukur dalam mil, Rihanna akan dipetak-petak dunia seribu kali sudah." Dia telah tampil di daftar Hot 100 versi majalah Maxim untuk empat tahun berturu-turut, yang tercantum dalam posisi delapan pada tahun 2007, limabelas pada tahun 2008, delapan pada tahun 2009, dan enam pada tahun 2010. Pada bulan Juni 2007, Rihanna dinamakan "Celebrity Legs of a Goddess"-nya Venus Breeze oleh Gillette. Rihanna mempunyai tiga patung lilin dirinya sendiri di Wax Museums Madame Tussauds, pertama di Washington D.C. (Amerika), kedua di Wina (Austria), dan yang baru diresmikan pada 29 Agustus 2011 di Berlin (Jerman).
Tato yang dimiliki oleh Rihanna telah menarik banyak perhatian media. Tatonya meliputi tato catatan musik pada pergelangan kakinya, tanda Pisces di belakang telinga kanannya, doa berbahasa Sanskerta terletak turun di pinggulnya, sebuah bintang di telinga kirinya, kata love (cinta) pada jari tengah kiri, istilah bahasa Arab yang berarti "Kebebasan dalam Kristus" pada daerah tulang rusuknya, jejak bintang-bintang turun bagian belakang lehernya, tengkorak dengan pita rambut merah muda, kalimat "shhh ..." di jari telunjuk sebelah kanan, tanggal 11.4.86 di angka Romawi di atas bahu kirinya, sebuah gaya cakar naga meliputi bunga kembang sepatu, pistol di bawah ketiak kanannya, kalimat enam kata pada dadanya, dan tulisan "rebelle fleur" di lehernya, kata berarti "bunga pemberontak/memberontak" dalam bahasa Prancis. Tato pistolnya direncanakan akan tepat di bawah pundaknya, tetapi akhirnya terletak di tulang rusuknya. Dalam menjawab kritik atas tema tatonya yang sukar dimengerti, Keith "Bang Bang" McCurdy, seniman tatonya, dengan cepat menjelaskan pendapatnya bahwa gambar itu hanya "mewakili tenaga dan kekuatan". Tato ketigabelasnya yang telah berada di dada dan terbaca, Never a failure, always a lesson (Jangan pernah menyesal dengan kegagalan, selalu belajarlah). Dia telah menato bagian punggungnya, McCurdy says, karena dia ingin bisa membacanya di cermin. Ketika ia ditanya mengapa ia menginginkannya, ia mengatakan bahwa itu "motto dalam hidup untuk segalanyanya".
Usaha lain
Pada bulan Oktober 2005, Rihanna melakukan persetujuan kesepakatan pertamanya dengan Secret Body Spray bagi mereka untuk mensponsori tur pertamanya, Rihanna's Secret Body Spray Tour Pada tahun 2006, Rihanna berpartisipasi dalam beberapa kesepakatan persetujuan, termasuk pakaian olahraga bermerek Nike untuk perilisan lagu "SOS" dan J. C. Penney. Pada tahun yang sama, ia menerima kesepakatan persetujuan dari Clinique untuk mempromosikan wewangian mereka "Happy Fragrance". Ia merekam sebuah lagu yang ditulis oleh Ne-Yo berjudul "Just Be Happy" sebagai bagian dari persetujuan untuk mempromosikan parfum "Happy" mereka. Rihanna juga merekam sebuah lagu yang berjudul "Winning Women" dengan anggota Pussycat Doll yaitu Nicole Scherzinger untukparfum permpuan Secret dari Procter & Gamble. Pada tahun 2007, Rihanna menandatangani kontrak dengan CoverGirl dan menjadi juru bicara selebriti yang melibatkan penampilan di iklan TV dan dalam iklan pariwisata Barbados Tourism Authority.
Pada bulan Desember 2008, Rihanna kontrak dengan Gucci untuk muncul dalam iklan mereka untuk Tattoo Heart Collection, sebuah garis edisi khusus. Dalam iklan tas Gucci, Rihanna terlihat menggantung dari sebuah ring raksasa, berpakaian minim dalam bodysuit putih dan mengenakan sebuah tas putih besar bermerek Gucci. Suksesnya dari singel "Umbrella" mendapatkan gelar persetujuan kesepakatan dengan Totes. Peraihnya dalam nada singel hitnya "Umbrella" untuk Totes dan lagu tersebut menjadi soundtrack untuk iklan yang dibintanginya. Pada 8 April 2009, ia mengumumkan bahwa Rihanna menandatangani kesepakatan sebuah parfum dengan perjanjian perusahaan Iconic Fragrances Jay-Z. Parfum tersebut dinamakan Reb'l Fleur dan telah dirilis pada tahun 2011. Rihanna bekerja sama dengan direktur artistiknya untuk album Rated R, Simon Henwood, pada buku yang dinamai dirinya sendiri yaitu Rihanna. Buku tersebut telah dirilis pada 14 September 2010. Pada bulan Agustus 2010 Rihanna mulai muncul di iklan televisi Australia untuk Optus, sebuah posisi yang sebelumnya dipegang oleh Pink. Pada Mei 2011, Rihanna menjadi model iklan untuk merek perawatan kulit Jerman Nivea. Lagu Rihanna "California King Bed" adalah fitur sebagai bagian dari iklan kampanye "100 Years of Skincare" Nivea.
Filantropi
Rihanna menciptakan sebuah yayasan bernama Belive Foundation pada tahun 2006 untuk membantu anak-anak yang sakit parah. Rihanna menjelaskan alasan dia untuk memulai yayasannya dengan mengatakan, "Ketika saya masih muda dan saya ingin menonton televisi dan saya melihat semua anak-anak menderita, saya selalu berkata: Ketika aku tumbuh, aku ingin membantu." Rihanna juga sangat terlibat dalam pemasaran negara asalnya dari Barbados. Dia mulai dengan meliputi bendera Barbados dan serampangan yang patah. Di banyak video musiknya, pengambilan gambar kemasan album ada untuk A Girl Like Me pada bulan September 2007, dia menjadi duta resmi pariwisata untuk Barbados, yang termasuk dalam banyak kampanye iklan mereka. Dia menyandang gelar kehormatan Duta Kebudayaan dan Pemuda di Barbados. Disamping itu, dia diberi penghormatan oleh Perdana Menteri David Thompson, yang disampaikan dengan beberapa hadiah di konser nasional pada 20 Februari 2008, di Barbados, yang disebut "Rihanna Day". Pada bulan Februari 2008, Rihanna mengucapkan terima kasih dan rasa hormatnya kepada negaranya selama pidato penerimaan untuk menangnya "Best Rap/Sung Collaboration" pada ajang penghargaan Grammy Awards. Meskipun Rihanna sangat terlibat dalam promosi negaranya dan bekerja dengan pemerintah di Barbados untuk melakukannya, ia sering dikritik oleh orang Barbados lainnya untuk segalanya dari musiknya ke keberhasilannya dan untuk mengenakan "pakaian minim". Rihanna, berbicara pada satu insiden, berkata, "Aku pergi ke pantai dan aku punya baju renang satu potong dengan jeans Mereka mengambil gambar dan mereka membuatnya tampak seperti atas yang benar-benar menampakkan ... ada program radio tentang hal itu. Hal itu menjadi masalah besar untuk, seperti, tiga minggu berturut-turut -.. berbicara tentang aku tidak menetapkan contoh yang baik." Rihanna menyatakan ia diganggu di sekolah. "Memiliki kulit yang lebih terang bukanlah masalah di rumah saya, tetapi ketika aku pergi ke sekolah -. Yang benar-benar membingungkan saya pada awalnya. Pelecehan tersebut terus terjadi di setiap hariku yang terakhir di sekolah dasar."
Rihanna telah melakukan sejumlah konser untuk mengumpulkan dana bagi badan amal dan yayasan dan untuk Duta Cartier Love Charity Bracelet pada tahun 2008. Dia tampil dalam penggalangan dana Raising Malawi yang diadakan oleh Madonna pada 6 Februari 2008, di New York City. Setelah menjadi duta budaya kehormatan untuk Barbados, Rihanna terlibat dengan DKMS, sebuah jaringan donor internasional berpusat di Tübingen, Jerman, mencoba untuk menemukan donor untuk Lisa Gershowitz Flynn. Pengacara Manhattan didiagnosa pada bulan November dengan leukemia myelogenous akut dan Rihanna membantunya. Pada Januari 2008, Rihanna memberikan kontribusi dalam memerangi AIDS ketika dia mengunjungi H&M di New York untuk mendukung Fashion Against AIDS dengan menghadirkan desain kaos dan tanda tangan untuk waktu yang terbatas dengan slogan-slogan seperti "Percayalah" dan "Berhenti dan Pikirkan." Koleksi tampilan kaosnya dirancang oleh Rihanna, Timbaland dan pendesain terkenal lainnya, musisi dan seniman. Saluran, yang disebut Fashion Against AIDS, diluncurkan pada Februari 2008 untuk meningkatkan kesadaran dari penyakit di antara remaja dan menyebarluaskan kesadaran tentang penyakit HIV/AIDS. Pada Agustus 2008, Rihanna dan penyanyi pop, rock, R&B dan country seperti Carrie Underwood, Ciara, Beyoncé Knowles, Leona Lewis, Mary J. Blige, Mariah Carey, dan Fergie merekam sebuah lagu amal yang berjudul "Just Stand Up!", lagu tema untuk kampanye anti-kanker Stand Up to Cancer. Penampilan para penyanyi langsung pada 5 September 2008. Rihanna juga dipilih sebagai kampanya iklan promosi untuk Dana Anak-anak Perserikatan Bangsa-Bangsa pertama Gucci. Dia muncul dalam kampanye Tattoo Heart rumah mode, yang perdana pada Desember 2008. Rihanna difoto dalam serangkaian iklan cetak edisi khusus dengan barang-barang Dana Anak-anak PBB, dua puluh lima persen dari penjualan akan bermanfaat bagi badan amal anak-anak.
Pada tanggal 19 November 2008, Rihanna didaftarkan oleh Frida Giannini-nya Gucci bersama Madonna untuk meringankan Dana Natal Anak-anak PBB di New York City tepatnya di Grand Army Plaza. Pada tahun 2008, ia menjadi wakil global dan menghadapi Gucci Campaign tahunan ke-4 untuk dana Benefit United Nations Children. Kampanye ini bertujuan untuk mengumpulkan dana bagi anak-anak di Afrika melalui penjualan koleksi Tatoo Heart dari tas-tas yang diluncurkan di seluruh dunia pada 19 November 2008. Rihanna telah menjadi bagian dari konser banyak manfaat untuk membantu mengumpulkan uang untuk berbagai penyakit, seperti kanker untuk Hope Rocks. Rihanna tampil pada tanggal 20 Januari 2009, di Recording Industry Association dari America's Presidential Inauguration Charity Ball untuk mengumpulkan uang bagi organisasi anti-kelaparan terbesar di dunia. Pada 2 April 2009, Rihanna mengunjungi NYU Medical Center untuk membantu mencari donor sumsum tulang yang lain untuk seorang gadis muda bernama Jasmina Anema. Rihanna pertama kali belajar tentang penderitaan Anema pada Februari 2009, ketika dia melihat video bergerak teman baiknya Anema, Isabelle Huurman, dan ibunya, Karen Detrick, dibuat yang menarik bagi para donor untuk menyelamatkan Anema. Rihanna merasa termormat atas teman baik Anema, Isabella, karena usahanya untuk mencoba menyelamatkan sahabatnya di DKMS Gala pada tanggal 7 Mei 2009. Jasmina Anema akhirnya menerima transplantasinya pada tanggal 11 Juni 2009, tetapi meninggal pada 27 Februari 2010. Pada bulan September 2009, Rihanna tampil di konser tur "Answer the Call"-nya Jay-Z, yang memberi penghormatan kepada petugas polisi dan petugas pemadam kebakaran yang meninggal pada Serangan 11 September. Pada bulan Februari 2011, Rihanna dijadwalkan untuk tampil di konser amal untuk Women's Cancer Research Fund, tetapi terpaksa membatalkan konser pada menit terakhir, disebabkan oleh bronkitis.
Diskografi
Music of the Sun (2005)
A Girl Like Me (2006)
Good Girl Gone Bad (2007)
Rated R (2009)
Loud (2010)
Talk That Talk (2011)
Unapologetic (2012)
Robyn Rihanna Fenty (/riˈænə/; born 20 February 1988) is a Barbadian singer, businesswoman, diplomat, actress and songwriter. Born in Saint Michael, Barbados, and raised in Bridgetown, she was discovered by American record producer Evan Rogers in her home country of Barbados in 2003. Throughout 2004, she recorded demo tapes under the direction of Rogers and signed a recording contract with Def Jam Recordings after auditioning for its then-president, hip hop producer and rapper Jay-Z. In 2005, Rihanna rose to fame with the release of her debut studio album Music of the Sun and its follow-up A Girl like Me (2006), which charted on the top 10 of the US Billboard 200 and respectively produced the successful singles "Pon de Replay", "SOS" and "Unfaithful".
With the release of her third studio album Good Girl Gone Bad (2007), Rihanna developed a public image as a sex symbol and incorporated more elements of dance-pop into her music. It became a major breakthrough in her career and earned Rihanna her first Grammy Award at the 2008 ceremony. Recorded after her assault by her then-boyfriend, singer Chris Brown, her fourth studio album, Rated R (2009), is distinguished for its dark themes and lyrical content. Her pop-influenced fifth studio album, Loud (2010), proved successful producing three Billboard Hot 100 number one singles, "Only Girl (In the World)", "What’s My Name", and "S&M". She followed this success with the follow-up albums, Talk That Talk (2011), and the Grammy Award winner Unapologetic (2012). Her eighth studio album, Anti (2016), became her second Billboard 200 number one album and was one of the most streamed albums of the year.
Recognized as a pop icon, Rihanna is one of the best-selling music artists of all time, with 280 million records sold worldwide. Many of her songs rank among the world's best-selling singles of all time, including the singles "Umbrella", "Take a Bow", "Disturbia", "Only Girl (In the World)", "S&M", "We Found Love", "Diamonds", "Stay" and "Work", as well as her collaborations "Live Your Life" with T.I., "Love the Way You Lie" and "The Monster", both with Eminem. Rihanna is the youngest solo artist to earn fourteen number-one singles and has a total of thirty one top-ten singles on the Billboard Hot 100, she also has over thirty top-tens in the United Kingdom and Australia, making her the only artist in the 21st century to achieve that. She was named the Digital Songs Artist of the 2000s century, the top Hot 100 artist of the 2000s century, as well as the all-time top Pop Songs artist by Billboard. Additionally, she is Spotify and Apple Music's most streamed female artist of all time.
Among numerous awards and accolades, Rihanna has won nine Grammy Awards, thirteen American Music Awards and twelve Billboard Music Awards. She currently holds six Guinness World Records. Furthermore, she was awarded with the inaugural American Music Award for Icon in 2013 and the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award in 2016. Rihanna received the Fashion Icon lifetime achievement award from the Council of Fashion Designers of America in 2014. In 2012, Forbes ranked her the fourth most powerful celebrity, while Time included her on the annual list of the most influential people in the world in 2012 and 2018. Rihanna was named Harvard University's "Humanitarian of the Year" by the Harvard Foundation in early 2017.
She was appointed as an Ambassador on behalf of the government of Barbados in 2018, with her duties involving the promotion of "education, tourism and investment."
Early life
Robyn Rihanna Fenty was born on 20 February 1988, in Saint Michael, Barbados. Her mother, Monica (née Braithwaite), is a retired accountant of Afro-Guyanese background, and her father, Ronald Fenty, is a warehouse supervisor of Afro-Barbadian and Irish descent. Rihanna has two brothers, Rorrey and Rajad Fenty, and two half-sisters and a half-brother from her father's side, each born to different mothers from his previous relationships. She grew up in a three-bedroom bungalow in Bridgetown and sold clothes with her father in a stall on the street.
Rihanna's childhood was deeply affected by her father's addiction to crack cocaine and alcohol, which contributed to her parents' strained marriage. As a child, she went through a lot of CT scans for the excruciating headaches she suffered: " even thought it was a tumor, because it was that intense." By the time she was fourteen, Rihanna's parents had divorced and her health began to improve.
Rihanna grew up listening to reggae music and began singing at around the age of seven. She attended Charles F. Broome Memorial Primary School and Combermere High School, where she studied alongside future England cricketer Chris Jordan and future West Indies cricketer Carlos Brathwaite. Rihanna was an army cadet in a sub-military programme; the singer-songwriter Shontelle was her drill sergeant. Although she initially wanted to graduate from high school, she chose to pursue a musical career instead.
Career
2003–2005: Beginnings and debut
In 2003, Rihanna formed a musical trio with two of her classmates. She was discovered in her home country of Barbados by American record producer Evan Rogers. Without a name or any material, the girl group managed to land an audition with Rogers who commented, "The minute Rihanna walked into the room, it was like the other two girls didn't exist". Rihanna went to Rogers' hotel room, where she performed renditions of Destiny's Child's "Emotion" and Mariah Carey's "Hero". Impressed, Rogers scheduled a second meeting with her mother present, and then invited her to his hometown in the United States to record some demo tapes which could be sent to record labels. She recorded the demo over the next year intermittently, due to only being able to record during school holidays. "Pon de Replay" and "The Last Time" were two tracks recorded for the demo tape, which were eventually included on her debut album Music of the Sun. That same year, Rihanna was signed to Rogers' and Carl Sturken's production company, Syndicated Rhythm Productions.
Rihanna's demo was shipped out to Def Jam Recordings, where Jay Brown, an A&R executive at the record label, was one of the first to hear the demo. Brown played the demo tape for rapper Jay-Z, who had recently been appointed as president and Chief executive officer (CEO) of Def Jam. When Jay-Z first heard the track "Pon de Replay", he felt the song was too big for her. Despite being skeptical, he invited Rihanna to audition for the label. In early 2005, Rihanna auditioned for Def Jam in New York City, where Jay-Z introduced her to music mogul Antonio "L.A." Reid. At the audition, she sang Whitney Houston's cover of "For the Love of You" (1987), as well as the demo tracks "Pon de Replay" and "The Last Time". Jay-Z was absolutely certain about signing her after she performed her future hit single "Pon de Replay". His boss L.A. Reid was also impressed with her audition, telling Jay-Z not to let Rihanna leave the building until the contract was signed. Reid left it to Jay-Z and his team to close the deal which resulted in a six-album record deal with Def Jam. She waited in Jay-Z's office until three in the morning to get lawyers to draft up a contract because he wanted to prevent her from signing with another label. Rihanna cancelled other meetings with record labels and relocated from Barbados to the United States to live with Rogers and his wife.
After signing with Def Jam, Jay-Z and his team did the A&R for Rihanna's debut album and spent the next three months recording and completing her debut album. She worked with different producers to complete her debut studio album, primarily Rogers and his production partner Carl Sturken. With several songs to pick as a lead single, "Pon de Replay" was chosen because it seemed like the best song suited for a summer release. In May 2005, her debut single, "Pon de Replay", was released under her mononym "Rihanna". It charted successfully worldwide, peaking in the top five in fifteen countries, including at number two on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart and the UK Singles Chart. The song became a big club hit in the United States, peaking at number-one on the Billboard Dance Club Songs.
Music of the Sun was released in August 2005. It debuted at number ten on the Billboard 200 and received a gold certification from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), denoting shipments of over 500,000 units. The album sold over two million copies worldwide. A second single, "If It's Lovin' that You Want", was not as successful as its predecessor, but reached the top ten in Australia, Ireland, and New Zealand. Aside from her work in music, Rihanna made her acting debut in a cameo role in the straight-to-DVD film Bring It On: All or Nothing, released in August 2006.
2006–2008: Breakthrough and new image
A month after the release of her debut album, Rihanna began working on her second studio album. A Girl like Me was released in April 2006. Rolling Stone felt that "the burning rock guitar" and haunted strings of some of the album's tracks made "A Girl like Me likable." The album was a commercial success, charting in the top ten in thirteen countries. The album reached number one in Canada and number five in the United Kingdom and the United States, where it sold 115,000 copies in its first week. The album became Rihanna's first to be certified Platinum by the RIAA, after selling over 1,000,000 units. Its lead single, "SOS", was an international success, charting in the top five in eleven countries. The song reached number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 and in Australia, her first to reach this chart position. "Unfaithful", the album's second single, reached the top ten in eighteen countries, including number one in Canada and Switzerland. Two more singles were released from the album: "We Ride" and "Break It Off".
In early 2007, Rihanna appeared on the single "Roll It" with Jamaican band J-Status and fellow Barbadian singer-songwriter Shontelle. The song appeared on J-Status' debut album The Beginning, released in several European countries only. Around that time, Rihanna had already begun work on her third studio album, Good Girl Gone Bad. With the help of producers Timbaland, Tricky Stewart and Sean Garrett she embraced a new musical direction through uptempo dance tracks. Released in May 2007, the album charted at number two in Australia and the US and topped the charts in multiple countries, including Brazil, Canada, Ireland and the UK. The album received the most positive critical reviews of her first three albums.
The lead single, "Umbrella", topped the charts in thirteen countries and remained at number one in the UK for ten consecutive weeks, the longest-running number-one single there since Wet Wet Wet's single "Love Is All Around" spent fifteen weeks at the top in 1994. It was Rihanna's first single to be named one of the best-selling singles worldwide, with sales of over 8 million copies. The songs "Shut Up and Drive", "Hate That I Love You" (featuring Ne-Yo) and "Don't Stop the Music" were also released as singles, with the latter becoming an international hit. In support of the album, Rihanna began the Good Girl Gone Bad Tour in September 2007, with 80 shows across the US, Canada and Europe. Rihanna was nominated for several 2008 Grammy Awards for Good Girl Gone Bad, winning Best Rap/Sung Collaboration for "Umbrella" alongside Jay-Z, her first Grammy Award.
On 9 June 2008, Rihanna released Good Girl Gone Bad Live, her first live long-form video. The DVD and Blu-ray release featured Rihanna's concert at the Manchester Arena in Manchester, United Kingdom, held on 6 December 2007 as part of the Good Girl Gone Bad Tour. Most of the concert's set list originates from Good Girl Gone Bad; however, Rihanna also performed songs from her previous albums Music of the Sun and A Girl like Me. The release also contained a special documentary that presented Rihanna discussing her experiences during the tour. By late 2008, Rihanna still remained on the charts with the release of the fifth single from Good Girl Gone Bad, "Rehab", and was named "Diva of the Year" by Entertainment Weekly for her "newfound staying power". Good Girl Gone Bad has sold over 2.8 million units in the United States alone, receiving a two-times-Platinum certification from the RIAA. It is Rihanna's best-selling album in the country to date. The album has sold nine million units worldwide.
During the late 2000s, Rihanna experimented further with pop, dubstep and rock music, officially shifting her musical style and image away from the Barbados island girl. Throughout 2008, Rihanna performed on the Glow in the Dark Tour alongside Kanye West, Lupe Fiasco and N.E.R.D. Her third studio album's reissue, Good Girl Gone Bad: Reloaded, was released in June 2008 with three new songs: "Disturbia", "Take a Bow" and the Maroon 5 duet "If I Never See Your Face Again", plus a Spanglish version of "Hate That I Love You" featuring Spanish pop singer David Bisbal. All four were released as singles and charted highly, reaching peak positions worldwide. In August 2008, Rihanna and a host of other female singers recorded the charity single "Just Stand Up!", the theme song to the anti-cancer campaign Stand Up to Cancer. "Live Your Life", a duet between T.I. and Rihanna, was released that November and topped the Billboard Hot 100, becoming Rihanna's fifth number-one single on the chart. Rihanna's first remix album, Good Girl Gone Bad: The Remixes, was released in January 2009 and contained club remixes of tracks from Good Girl Gone Bad and its re-release Good Girl Gone Bad: Reloaded.
2009–2011: Collaborations and annual releases
On 8 February 2009, Rihanna's scheduled performance at the 51st Annual Grammy Awards was cancelled. Reports surfaced that then-boyfriend, singer Chris Brown, had physically assaulted her. He was arrested on suspicion of making criminal threats. On 5 March 2009, Brown was charged with assault and for making criminal threats. A leaked photograph from the police department obtained by TMZ.com revealed that Rihanna had sustained visible injuries. A few months after the incident, Rihanna was featured on the single "Run This Town" by Jay-Z, which also featured Kanye West and was released as the second single from Jay-Z's eleventh studio album The Blueprint 3.
In early 2009, Rihanna began working on her fourth studio album, Rated R. Rated R was released in November 2009. The album had Rolling Stone magazine stating that Rihanna "transformed her sound and made one of the best pop records of the year". Rated R featured a darker and more foreboding tone than Rihanna's previous albums. Rated R debuted at number four on the US Billboard 200 chart, with first-week sales of 181,000 copies in the United States, giving Rihanna her highest first-week sales in the US at that time. The album was supported by six singles, including "Rude Boy", which was the biggest worldwide success from the album, topping the US Billboard Hot 100 for six weeks and reaching top ten positions in twenty-two other countries.
In January 2010, Rihanna released her charity cover version of "Redemption Song" for the Hope for Haiti Now campaign. She also recorded the song "Stranded (Haiti Mon Amour)" together with Jay-Z, Bono and The Edge for the same campaign to alleviate the 2010 Haiti earthquake. In summer 2010, Rihanna collaborated with rapper Eminem on "Love the Way You Lie", which was a major worldwide success, reaching number one in over twenty countries. The song was Rihanna's seventh US number-one of her career, making her the female artist with the fifth-most number-one songs in the chart's history. Reaching number two, the song became the biggest-selling song of 2010 in the UK, and the first of Rihanna's singles to sell over one million copies in the country. In October 2010, Rihanna switched managers, joining Jay-Z's Roc Nation Management. In late 2010, she was featured on three collaborations that were released as singles: Kanye West's "All of the Lights", from the album My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy (2010), Nicki Minaj's "Fly", from her debut studio album Pink Friday (2010) and David Guetta's "Who's That Chick?", from the album One More Love (2010).
Loud, Rihanna's fifth studio album, was released in November 2010. Its lead single, "Only Girl (In the World)", reached number one in fifteen countries, including the United Kingdom and the United States. The album's second single, "What's My Name?", featuring rapper Drake, also reached number one in the US and the UK. "Raining Men" was sent to US urban radio on 7 December 2010, as the album's third single in the United States. The song featured rap vocals by Nicki Minaj. The fourth single, "S&M", reached number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 following the release of its official remix featuring Britney Spears, becoming Rihanna's tenth number one single on the chart. Rihanna set a record as the solo artist with the fastest accumulation of ten chart toppers in the Hot 100's history. At the 53rd Grammy Awards, "Only Girl (In the World)" won the award for Best Dance Recording. "Man Down" and "California King Bed" were released as singles in May 2011 with moderate success. "Cheers (Drink to That)", which interpolates Avril Lavigne's 2002 single "I'm with You", was released as the seventh and final single from the album, reaching the top twenty in the UK and the top ten in the US. To promote the album, Rihanna embarked on her Loud Tour in June 2011, which sold out ten nights at The O2 Arena in London, the most sold-out shows for a female artist in the venue's history. Loud Tour Live at the O2, Rihanna's second live long-form video was filmed during the last three of these shows in London and was released on 13 December 2012. The tour was the seventh highest grossing tour worldwide of 2011.
Rihanna's sixth album, Talk That Talk, was released in November 2011. The album debuted at number three on the US Billboard 200 with sales of 198,000 copies and number one in the UK, selling 163,000 copies. The album's lead single, "We Found Love", topped charts in twenty-seven countries, peaked in the top ten in thirty countries and broke many chart records worldwide. The single topped the Billboard Hot 100 for ten non-consecutive weeks, becoming Rihanna's longest-running number-one single on the chart and the longest-running number-one single of 2011 in the US. The song was later named the 24th biggest hit of all time on the Billboard Hot 100. "You Da One" and the album's title track, featuring Jay-Z, were released as the second and third singles, to moderate success. "Where Have You Been", the fifth single, successfully charted worldwide, reaching number five in the US and number six in the UK. "Cockiness (Love It)" was released as the album's sixth and final single in a remixed form featuring rapper ASAP Rocky.
2012–2014: Battleship and Unapologetic
In early 2012, two collaborations featuring Rihanna were released: Coldplay's "Princess of China", from their album Mylo Xyloto, and Drake's "Take Care", from his album of the same name. In February 2012, Rihanna won her third Grammy Award for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration at the 2012 Grammy Awards for her Kanye West collaboration "All of the Lights", and was voted the Best International Female Solo Artist at the 2012 BRIT Awards for the second consecutive year. March 2012 saw the simultaneous releases of two collaborations between Rihanna and Chris Brown: remixes of her song "Birthday Cake" and his "Turn Up the Music". The recordings received mainly negative responses due to the pair's history of domestic violence. In September 2012, "We Found Love" won the MTV Video Music Award for Video of the Year, making Rihanna the first woman to receive the accolade more than once.
Rihanna starred as Petty Officer (GM2) Cora Raikes in her first theatrical feature film Battleship, which was released on 18 May 2012. Loosely based on the game of the same name, both the film and Rihanna's performance received mixed-to-negative reviews; The New York Times said she was "just fine in the rather generic role". On 19 August 2012, Rihanna appeared in the first episode of the second season of Oprah Winfrey's American prime time television show Oprah's Next Chapter. The episode scored the second-highest ratings in the history of the Oprah Winfrey Network. Her first television program, Styled to Rock, premiered in the UK in August 2012 on Sky Living. In the ten-week series, Rihanna, Nicola Roberts, Lysa Cooper, and Henry Holland assist up-and-coming British designers with their clothing lines. Meanwhile, the US version of Styled to Rock premiered on 25 October 2013 on Bravo.
Rihanna's seventh studio album, Unapologetic, was released in November 2012. In the United States, the album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 albums chart with first-week sales of 238,000 copies, marking Rihanna's first number-one album in the country. The album was Rihanna's third consecutive number-one album in the United Kingdom and fifth in Switzerland. The lead single from the album, "Diamonds", reached number one in more than twenty countries worldwide, including on the US' Billboard Hot 100, where it became Rihanna's twelfth number one on the chart. The album's second single, "Stay", featuring Mikky Ekko, reached the top five in over twenty countries, including number three on the Billboard Hot 100. As promotion prior to the album's release, Rihanna embarked on the 777 Tour, a mini tour of seven shows in seven countries in seven days. On 6 May 2013, Fox aired a documentary about the tour, with a documentary DVD being released the following day as Rihanna's third live long-form video release.
In February 2013 at the 55th Grammy Awards, Rihanna won her sixth Grammy Award, in the category Best Short Form Music Video for "We Found Love" (2011). Also that month, the Official Charts Company in the UK announced that Rihanna had sold 3,868,000 records in the past year in the country, ranking at number one in the list of 2013 BRIT Awards artist nominees. Rihanna's fifth headlining concert tour, the Diamonds World Tour, began in March 2013 in support of Unapologetic. Rihanna then appeared in the Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg comedy film This Is the End, which was released in June 2013. That same month, American hip hop artist Wale released a remixed version of his single "Bad" featuring Rihanna.
In October 2013, Eminem released his Rihanna-assisted single, "The Monster", as the fourth release from his eighth studio album The Marshall Mathers LP 2 (2013). With the song entering the UK Singles Chart at number one, Rihanna joined Elvis Presley and The Beatles as just one of three acts to have scored a number-one single each year over seven consecutive years in the chart's history. The song also peaked at number one on the US Billboard Hot 100, which marked Rihanna's thirteenth chart topper, tying her at the time with Michael Jackson for the fourth most number ones in the chart's history. Rihanna then appeared on Shakira's single, "Can't Remember to Forget You", which was released in January 2014. Following the release of Unapologetic and its accompanying tour, Rihanna aimed to take a hiatus from recording music, stating: "I wanted to have a year to just do whatever I want artistically, creatively." In January 2014, Rihanna began working on her eighth studio album. In May 2014, Rihanna left Def Jam Recordings to sign fully with Roc Nation, the record label that had managed her career since October 2010.
2015–present: Anti, film projects and upcoming ninth studio album
A year after Rihanna began working on her eighth studio album, the single "FourFiveSeconds" was released, which featured Rihanna paired up with Kanye West and Paul McCartney. Two further singles followed its release: "Bitch Better Have My Money" and "American Oxygen"; neither made the final track listing for Rihanna's eighth studio album. In March 2015, Rihanna released a concept album based around the 3D animated film Home, which she starred in, alongside Jim Parsons, Steve Martin and Jennifer Lopez. "Towards the Sun" was released as the first single from the album. In late 2015, Rihanna inked a $25 million contract with Samsung that would see her promoting Samsung's Galaxy line of products whilst Samsung would sponsor the release of her eighth studio album and its supporting tour. The Anti World Tour was announced in November 2015 and began in March 2016, with Travis Scott supporting in North America, and The Weeknd and Big Sean supporting at selected European dates.
On 28 January 2016, Rihanna released her eighth studio album, Anti, exclusively through streaming service Tidal. The album peaked at number one on the US Billboard 200, becoming Rihanna's second number one and eighth top ten album on the chart. The album was supported by the release of four singles, including the lead single "Work", featuring Drake, which topped the US Billboard Hot 100 chart. Further Platinum-certified singles "Needed Me" and "Love on the Brain" both peaked inside the top ten of the US Hot 100. In 2016, Rihanna was featured on several singles. The first collaboration single was Kanye West's "Famous", where Rihanna provided uncredited guest vocals. She was then officially featured on Calvin Harris' "This Is What You Came For," which reached No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 2 on the UK Singles Chart. Rihanna was also featured on Drake's "Too Good" and on Mike Will Made It's "Nothing Is Promised". On 27 June 2016, Rihanna released "Sledgehammer", the lead single from the Star Trek Beyond movie soundtrack. On 28 August 2016, Rihanna was honored with the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award at the 2016 MTV Video Music Awards after performing various medleys of her hit songs.
Rihanna released several collaborations in 2017. First she was the featured part in Future's "Selfish", the lead single from the rapper's sixth studio album, Hndrxx. Summer 2017 saw the release of Rihanna's collaborations with record producer DJ Khaled, "Wild Thoughts", which also featured Bryson Tiller and was a worldwide success and peaked at number two on the Billboard Hot 100, and Kendrick Lamar's single, "Loyalty", which earned Rihanna her ninth Grammy Award at the 60th Annual Grammy Awards. In November 2017, Rihanna was part of N.E.R.D's comeback single "Lemon" from the band's album No One Ever Really Dies. Rihanna officially revealed that she had begun work on her ninth studio album, just months after releasing Anti.. On 19 October 2017, Shakka revealed that he was working with Rihanna on her "absolutely insane" album.
Rihanna played the recurring role of Marion Crane in the fifth and final season of Bates Motel. The show received universal acclaim from critics. Rihanna also had a major role in the Luc Besson film Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets, an adaptation of the comic book series Valérian and Laureline. Also starring Dane DeHaan and Cara Delevingne, the film was released by STX Entertainment on 21 July 2017 in the U.S. Rihanna was one of the all-female cast in the heist film Ocean's 8, directed by Gary Ross and released by Warner Bros. on 8 June 2018. The movie grossed $300 Million worldwide and became a major box office success.
In August 2018, it had been reported that Rihanna had been filming a secret project in Cuba titled Guava Island throughout that summer alongside Donald Glover. The exact details of the project are currently unknown.
Artistry
Music and voice
Rihanna is a mezzo-soprano, with a range spanning from B2 to C#6. While recording tracks for her third studio album, Good Girl Gone Bad (2007), Rihanna took vocal lessons from Ne-Yo. Speaking of the experience she stated, "I've never had vocal training, so when I'm in the studio, he'll tell me how to breathe and stuff... He'll call out these big fancy words: 'OK, I want you to do staccato.' And I'm like, 'OK, I don't know what that is.'" Her vocal performance on Loud (2010) received positive reviews from music critics. James Skinner from BBC praised Rihanna's vocals on the song "Love the Way You Lie (Part II)" and wrote that her voice is powerful and that "it is Rihanna's vocal – at once commanding, soulful and vulnerable – that anchors the song, and Loud itself". Andy Gill from The Independent feels that "California King Bed" features her best vocal performance. In a review of Unapologetic, Billboard magazine wrote, "Diamonds finds Rihanna doing one of her throatiest, most impassioned vocals to date, on this inspirational pop ballad." Jon Caramanica of The New York Times stated, "over the years, as her game face froze in place, her voice cured into a weapon of emotional chill and strategic indifference. It's decidedly unfriendly, made to give orders".
" just imagination, being creative; that's what my music is composed with. Being creative and thinking of situations, whether situations I went through or situations I've observed people going through. I can't tell you where I'll see myself in five years, but I can tell you I will work my best to be the most successful artist that I can be in five years. Remembered as Rihanna. Remembered as being the artist from the Caribbean who came here and made it internationally. Just remembered as me, 'cause I'm true to my music, and I just want people to realize that and appreciate me for that"
—Rihanna during her first interview with MTV News
Growing up in Barbados, she wasn't exposed to a lot of music, mainly reggae, hip-hop, and soca music. When she moved to the United States, she became exposed to a lot of American music "rock being one of them, and I fell in love with it. I love rock music." At the time of her debut, she recorded songs that were inspired by her Caribbean roots and described her early sound as "a fusion of reggae, hip-hop and R&B, with a little something different thrown in". Her early dancehall roots can be found on her debut album, Music of the Sun (2005), and its follow-up, A Girl like Me (2006). Music of the Sun demonstrates the influence of Rihanna's musical heritage of the Caribbean. Kelefa Sanneh of The New York Times complimented its combination of dancehall and reggae, who said, "Dancehall reggae sometimes seems like a furiously insular form of music, but ... Rihanna is only the latest singer to discover how versatile the genre's spring-loaded electronic rhythms can be". Her debut single, "Pon de Replay" features a dancehall-pop mixture that infuses a reggae style, while "If It's Lovin' that You Want" talks about a girl seducing a guy to be her boyfriend. Aiming for artistic growth, A Girl like Me expresses personal experiences that typical 18-year-old girls go through with ballads that were described as elegant and mature. After her second album, she slowly dismissed her dancehall and reggae roots.
Rihanna's music has incorporated a wide range of genres including, pop, R&B, reggae, dubstep, hip hop and EDM. With its provocative subject matter and lyrics, her musical career has been an experiment with new musical ideas and stated that she wants "to make music that could be heard in parts of the world that I'd never been to". During a review for Good Girl Gone Bad (2007), Slant Magazine to write that Rihanna "finally figured out that she's a dance artist and the majority of the album is comprised of uptempo dance-pop " "Push Up on Me" and "Don't Stop the Music". It represents a departure from the Caribbean sound of her previous albums, and is described as a turning point in her career. While the first half of the record shares a lot of 1980s pop influences with songs like "Don't Stop the Music" and "Shut Up and Drive", the second half retreats into standard R&B.
Recorded after the assault by her then-boyfriend, Chris Brown, Rated R (2009) had a much darker tone and was filled with various emotions she experienced throughout 2009. In Loud (2010), Rihanna reflects on the fun and energetic vibe she had while recording the album. The album is a mixture of ballads, party anthems, and empowering love songs. Talk That Talk (2011) was similar to Rated R, as both contain hip hop, R&B, dancehall, and dubstep genres. Loud and Talk That Talk saw her explore sexuality in her work ("S&M" and "Birthday Cake") and return to her dancehall roots ("Man Down" and "Watch n' Learn"). She also branched out into house music with tracks like "We Found Love", "Only Girl (In the World)" and "Complicated." Her songs are also inspired through record sampling from other artists.
Influences
Rihanna has named Madonna as her idol and biggest influence. She said that she wanted to be the "black Madonna" and praised the singer for being able to constantly reinvent herself successfully throughout her career. "I think that Madonna was a great inspiration for me, especially on my earlier work. If I had to examine her evolution through time, I think she reinvented her clothing style and music with success every single time. And at the same time remained a real force in entertainment in the whole world." Another major influence on Rihanna's music and career has been Mariah Carey, whose song "Hero" she performed when Rihanna was still a teenager at her high school talent show. She revealed that Carey's song "Vision of Love" "was the song that made want to do music."
She grew up watching videos of reggae legend Bob Marley on television because that's what they would play in the Caribbean. She stated, "He's one of my favourite artists of all time – he really paved the way for every other artist out of the Caribbean". She built a shrine in her home dedicated to the reggae legend and has covered Marley's "Is This Love" and Bob Marley & The Wailers' "Redemption Song" during her concert tours. During her childhood, she would go around singing Whitney Houston songs and "A Whole New World" into her hairbrush so much that her neighbors started calling her "Robyn Redbreast". She also stated that one of the first songs she remembers falling in love with was Houston's version of "I Will Always Love You" and that it "was really inspiring, and it made me develop a passion for music, so really, she's partly responsible for me being here in this industry."
Rihanna was also influenced by Janet Jackson, Aaliyah, Beyoncé, and Destiny's Child. Other musical influences and idols include Celine Dion, Grace Jones, Lil' Kim, Alicia Keys, Prince, Fefe Dobson, and Brandy. Rihanna takes influence from the different types of music she discovered when she came to America and revealed that rock music was one of the first genres she fell in love with. She commented, "as I grow older, I want to know more about music. I want to discover more types of music". She cited Brandy's fourth studio album, Afrodisiac (2004), as her main inspiration for her third album, Good Girl Gone Bad (2007). In her early career, her music contained strong influences of Caribbean music, including reggae and dancehall. The music video of the song "Rude Boy" featured images inspired by her Caribbean roots.
Videos and stage
Rihanna has worked with music video director Anthony Mandler on more than a dozen music videos, the first being "Unfaithful" (2006). "We've done 16 videos together; they're not all tough, Yeah, I mean, I'm known for the 'Disturbia's and the 'Russian Roulette's and things like that, but 'Only Girl (In the World)' is certainly an ethereal kind of empowering, beauty-filled video," Mandler said. Jocelyn Vena of MTV wrote, "Rihanna, like Madonna, also has a tendency to make truly thought-provoking music videos that fit the songs they represent. Smattered in between glitzier, more glamorous clips, Madge and Ri want us to think about bigger issues". Jon Bream of the Star Tribune commented "n the tradition of Madonna and Janet Jackson, Rihanna has become the video vixen of the '00s ... Rihanna has perfected the pout, the long-legged strut and trend-setting hairdos that keep women and men alike checking her out on YouTube." George Epaminondas of InStyle considers Rihanna's music videos to be "cinematic" due to her "blend of lush island rhythms and swinging pop and ... mischievous sensuality." Tamar Anitai from MTV Buzzworthy listed "Disturbia" at number five on the "Buzzworthy's Top 5 Most Paranoid Music Videos" and said that "Paranoia never looked so supernaturally sexy!".
Many of her music videos were shot as short films exploring issues such as love triangles, abuse, and substance abuse romance, including "We Found Love" and "Man Down". Her music video for "Umbrella" shows Rihanna's transition into adulthood and her newly adopted image. The "dark, creepy" scenes of "Disturbia" have been compared to Michael Jackson's Thriller. The video for "Russian Roulette" features Rihanna in a padded room playing a game of russian roulette with her partner. A scene of Rihanna being approached by a speeding car at night was compared to the altercation with Chris Brown. The Caribbean-inspired music video for "Rude Boy" was compared to rapper MIA's video "Boyz" by many critics for its colorful aesthetic similarities. In 2011, she released three controversial music videos about sadomasochism, rape, and domestic violence. "Man Down", which features Rihanna shooting a man in a train station, was criticized by the Parents Television Council. "We Found Love", which shows Rihanna and her love interest in a drug-filled unhealthy relationship, sparked criticism from the Rape Crisis Centre for its inappropriate message. But Charne Graham of the Houston Press defended the singer, asking, "Why should Rihanna's music videos get everyone riled up when others' equally sexual and controversial videos are in rotation? she just like to make music videos that give us something to talk about." She is the first woman to pass two billion cumulative views on the music video website VEVO. As of December 2016, she has accumulated over 10 billion views on the site. Her VEVO YouTube channel is currently the fifth most subscribed channel on YouTube.
Denis Armstrong of Canadian Online Explorer commented on her performance at the Ottawa Bluesfest, saying "her show was a Disney-esque choreographed fantasy of non-stop hip-swiveling, sassy attitude and personal endearments and a string of funky, sugar-free hits." Her performance of "Disturbia" at the 2008 MTV Video Music Awards was ranked tenth best on the MTV Video Music Awards, according to a Billboard poll. Her revealing leather costumes during her Good Girl Gone Bad Tour were highly criticized by Malaysia's conservative Islamic party, who recommended that her concert tour should be banned. Whilst commenting on her third album's accompanying tour, The Times compared Rihanna's stage wardrobe styling to that of Janet Jackson and called her "a vision of Ann Summers couture in thigh-high boots and a few scraps of black PVC." In the October 2011 issue of British Vogue, Rihanna said her performance outfits and appearances are all an act; "hat's not me. That's a part I play. You know, like it's a piece of art, with all these toys and textures to play with".
Public image
Known for reinventing her style and image, Rihanna's music and fashion sense are noted by the media. In 2009, New York magazine described Rihanna's early look as that of "a cookie-cutter teen queen", noting she has the ability "to shift looks dramatically and with such ease". Around the time of the release of her second studio album, A Girl like Me (2006), many critics felt that Rihanna's style, sound, and musical material were too similar to those of Beyoncé. In an interview with Look magazine, Rihanna spoke about comparisons to Beyonce: "Beyoncé is a great artist and I feel honored to be mentioned in the same sentence, but we're different performers with different styles". She revealed during Oprah's Next Chapter that Def Jam's pop-princess blueprint made her feel claustrophobic during her early years with the label. According to Rihanna, "I felt like they were giving me a blueprint. They had a brand, they had an idea of what they wanted me to be without figuring out who I was." With the release of her third album, Good Girl Gone Bad (2007), Rihanna dismissed her innocent image for an edgier look with a new hairstyle, which was inspired by Charlize Theron's bob cut in the science fiction thriller Æon Flux (2005). She followed the likes of recording artists Janet Jackson and Christina Aguilera who also shed their innocent image for an edgier look and sound.
Nico Amarca of Highsnobiety magazine wrote "over the course of her now 10-year career, has undergone one of the most significant aesthetic metamorphoses the world has ever seen". Her image and fashion has changed several times with different hairstyles since the release of her third album. She commented that as a child she "used to watch her get dressed" and that her love and admiration for fashion started with her mom. When putting together her own wardrobe she stated, "It's become more about taking a risk ... I always look for the most interesting silhouette or something that's a little off." Jess Cartner-Morley of The Guardian wrote that "Rihanna's wardrobe is the most talked-about, influential and dissected in pop right now" and that whatever she wears "is immediately reproduced on the high street, because it sells". Country singer Miranda Lambert admires Rihanna's fashion and style stating, "I don't necessarily get inspired by the whole no-bra thing, but I love that you never know what she's going to wear. It always keeps you guessing, which makes her sassy and interesting."
In an interview with Alexa Chung during Vogue Festival 2015, Balmain designer Olivier Rousteing praised Rihanna by stylistically comparing her to some of the biggest fashion icons in music history, such as Madonna, David Bowie, Michael Jackson, and Prince. Commenting on the cultural expectation for pop stars to be role models, she said " became more of my job than I wanted it to be. But no, I just want to make music. That's it". In a May 2013 interview with MTV, The Vagina Monologues writer and feminist Eve Ensler praised the singer, saying, "I'm a huge Rihanna fan, I think she has a kind of agency over her sexuality and she's open about her sexuality, she has enormous grace and she's immensely talented."
Described as one of the sexiest women of her generation, she revealed that being a sex symbol is not a priority and that "it's definitely flattering, but also uncomfortable." Rhianna's body-toning exercise routine includes workouts on a Pilates-inspired technique on a machine called the Supraformer. Her appearance has landed her on the cover of magazines such as Maxim, FHM, Rolling Stone and in December 2012, Rihanna became the first woman to be featured on the cover of GQ magazine's "Men of the Year" issue.
Rihanna is well known for having a wide collection of small tattoos around her body. Some of them refer to Egyptian antiquity, a subject of a particular interest of the singer.
Legacy and influence
Rihanna is recognized by the media as a pop and fashion icon, particularly since her third studio album Good Girl Gone Bad (2007). Nick Levine of Digital Spy described Good Girl Gone Bad as "the closest thing to a Thriller that 2007/08 is likely to produce". Her single "Umbrella", famous for its "ella ella" hook, is considered by Rolling Stone to be one of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. Her 2011 single "We Found Love" was ranked by Billboard as the 24th biggest US Billboard Hot 100 hit of all time. Her eighth studio album Anti (2016) and its lead single "Work" has been credited by a Billboard editor for bringing the dancehall genre to the forefront of mainstream American music. Music critic Jayson Greene of Pitchfork described Rihanna as the most influential singer of the past decade, writing:
Rihanna Voice has become an industry-wide idea, a creative property like the Korg synth or LinnDrum We crave the thrill that you can only get when a dozen or so good ideas manifest themselves in a single voice. For the past 10 years, that voice has more or less been Rihanna's. Now that she's gleefully shredding it apart, she’ll probably generate a whole new comet trail of Rihannabes. Inevitably, none of them will carry the charge, the glassy cool and subterranean heat, of the real thing.
Time magazine included Rihanna on its 100 Most Influential People in the World issue in 2012 and 2018. Stella McCartney writes "She's one of the coolest, hottest, most talented, most liked, most listened to, most followed, most impressive artists at work today, but she does it in her own stride. She works hard, very hard. She gives to her fans, friends and foundation not just herself but her energy and spirit." On 2 June 2014, Rihanna was presented with Fashion Icon lifetime achievement award from Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA), a special prize reserved for "an individual whose style has made a significant impact on popular culture on an international stage". In August 2018, Billboard ranked Rihanna as the tenth biggest Hot 100 artist of all time, as well as the fifth biggest female act of all time. Billboard also ranked Rihanna the top Hot 100 artist of the 2010s decade. In 2014, Time magazine's pop stardom ranking metric ranked Rihanna second in history, based on all-time chart performance and contemporary significance.
Rihanna's work has directly influenced a number of contemporary artists such as Lorde, Sam Smith, Little Mix, Selena Gomez, Justin Bieber, Ellie Goulding, Tegan and Sara, Marilyn Manson, Jessie J, Cover Drive, Fifth Harmony, Camila Cabello, Demi Lovato, Alexandra Stan, Grimes, and Cher Lloyd. Nigerian singer Orezi and British-Irish boy band The Wanted have also released songs named after her, titled "Rihanna" and "Walks Like Rihanna", respectively. Additionally, Rihanna has become a dominating figure in social media and internet streaming, ranking at number one on Forbes' 2012 list of Social Networking Superstars. In 2013, Rihanna was also named the most influential pop star in the United Kingdom by UK channel 4Music.
Rihanna has an honorary title of Ambassador for Culture and Youth in Barbados. On 22 February 2008, former Barbados Prime Minister, David Thompson, launched the national "Rihanna Day" in their country. Although it is not a bank holiday, Barbadians celebrate it every year in honor of Rihanna. In February 2017, Rihanna was named Harvard University's "Humanitarian of the Year" by the Harvard Foundation. During Rihanna's third annual "Diamond Ball", the former President of the United States, Barack Obama, praised Rihanna's work stating: "You've become a powerful force in the fight to give people dignity." Additionally on 30 November 2017, Westbury New Road in St. Michael, Barbados, the road where Rihanna was raised, was renamed "Rihanna Drive" to honor Rihanna's success in the music industry.
Achievements
Rihanna has received numerous awards throughout her career such as 9 Grammy Awards, 12 Billboard Music Awards, 13 American Music Awards, 8 People's Choice Awards, among others. Rihanna received the "Icon Award" at the 2013 American Music Awards and the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award at the 2016 MTV Video Music Awards. She currently holds six Guinness World Records. In the United States, Rihanna has sold over 10 million albums, while Nielsen SoundScan ranked her as the best-selling digital artist in the country, breaking a Guinness World Record for digital single sales of over 58 million as of 2012. On 1 July 2015 the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) announced that Rihanna had surpassed more than 100 million Gold & Platinum song certifications. In doing so Rihanna has the most digital single awards and is the first and only artist to surpass RIAA's 100 million cumulative singles award threshold. In the United Kingdom, she has sold over seven million albums, making her the third best selling female artist this century. According to Billboard, her total album sales stand at 54 million copies sold worldwide.
Rihanna has accumulated fourteen number-one singles on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart for the third most number ones in the chart's history. She has been named the top Mainstream Top 40 chart artist of the past twenty years by Billboard; she ranks first with most entries (36), most top tens (23), and most number ones (10). As of March 2014, Rihanna has sold over 18 million singles and six million albums in the United Kingdom. She is the tenth best-selling and the second best-selling female singles artist in the country, only behind Madonna and is second only to The Beatles for the most million-selling singles in the UK of all time. Her collaboration with Eminem, "Love the Way You Lie", together with "Umbrella", "Disturbia", "Only Girl (In the World)", "We Found Love", and "Diamonds", are some of the best-selling singles of all time worldwide. Rihanna has seven number-one singles on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, and Airplay chart, as well as sixteen number-one singles on the Rhythmic chart.
Other ventures
Rihanna has ventured into other businesses and industries. In October 2005, Rihanna struck an endorsement deal with Secret Body Spray. In 2010, Rihanna featured in the Optus commercial, in conjunction with Optus supporting Rihanna's Last Girl on Earth Tour. The same year Rihanna also featured in the Kodak commercial along with rapper Pitbull. In October 2010, the singer released an eponymous book. The book, featured photos from Rihanna's Last Girl on Earth Tour and served as an accompaniment to her fourth studio album Rated R (2009). In 2011, Nivea celebrated its "100 Years of Skincare" festivities which featured several performances from Rihanna. Rihanna also became the face of Vita Coco in 2011. In 2013, the singer collaborated with MAC Cosmetics and released her own summer, fall and holiday lines of makeup called "RiRi hearts MAC". In July 2013, lager production company Budweiser announced that Rihanna had become a part of their global "Made For Music" campaign, also co-starring Jay-Z.
Business endeavours
Rihanna's first fragrance, "Reb'l Fleur", was released in January 2011. The product became highly successful, according to Rolling Stone, Reb'l Fleur was a financial success and was expected to gross US$80 million at retail by the end of 2011. Rihanna's second fragrance, "Rebelle", was released in February 2012. The promotional campaign for Rebelle, was shot by director, Anthony Mandler, who also shot the promotional campaign for Reb'l Fleur. In November 2012, Rihanna released her third fragrance, "Nude". Rihanna's fourth women's fragrance, titled Rogue was released on 14 September 2013, followed by a male version entitled "Rogue Men" which was released in 2014.
On 30 March 2015, it was announced that Rihanna is a co-owner, with various other music artists, in the music streaming service Tidal. The service specialises in lossless audio and high definition music videos. Jay-Z acquired the parent company of Tidal, Aspiro, in the first quarter of 2015. Including Beyoncé and Jay-Z, sixteen artist stakeholders (such as Kanye West, Beyoncé, Madonna, Chris Martin, Nicki Minaj and more) co-own Tidal, with the majority owning a 3% equity stake. "The challenge is to get everyone to respect music again, to recognize its value", stated Jay-Z on the release of Tidal. In 2016, it was revealed that Rihanna would be releasing her music through her own label Westbury Road Entertainment, which was established in 2005. Westbury Road is the name of the area Rihanna grew up in back in Barbados. The music would be distributed through Universal Music Group. Westbury Road Entertainment's artist roster includes Melissa Forde as the label's photographer, and KazeLoon.
In November 2015, Rihanna and Benoit Demouy launched a beauty and stylist agency named Fr8me. The business based in Los Angeles was set up in order to assist artists in booking commercials, editorial shoots, ad campaigns, and red-carpet appearances. Rihanna stated, "Hair, makeup, and styling play an important role in creativity, I am very involved with that part of my process, so this agency was an organic thing for me to do." The roster includes Rihanna's makeup artist Mylah Morales, wardrobe stylist Jason Bolden, hairstylist Patricia Morales, and Marcia Hamilton. In addition to Fr8me, Rihanna opened a photo agency called "A Dog Ate My Homework", which represents photographers Erik Asla and Deborah Anderson.
In 2017, Rihanna launched cosmetic company Fenty Beauty under LVMH's Kendo Brands. The partnership was worth $10 million and would see Rihanna release various beauty products. The first installment of Fenty Beauty was released on 8 September 2017 in stores and online, available in over 150 countries. It included an array of products including foundations, highlighters, bronzers, blush compacts, lip glosses, and blotting sheets and was praised for its diverse range for all skin colours. Time magazine named Fenty Beauty as one "The 25 Best Inventions of 2017", citing the breadth of its range.
In 2018, Rihanna launched a lingerie brand named "Savage X Fenty".
Fashion
Early in her career, Rihanna made clear her interest in fashion and desire to work in the clothing design industry. In November 2011, Rihanna announced her first fashion venture with Armani. In February 2013, Rihanna presented her first women's spring fashion collection at London Fashion Week for British street fashion brand River Island, collaborating with her personal stylist Adam Selman. They published two more collections for the brand, a summer edition released on 25 May 2013 and an autumn edition released on 10 September 2013. The fourth and last collection for River Island, the winter edition was released on 7 November 2013. Rihanna went on to collaborate with numerous fashion house's including Dior, Stance and Manolo Blahnik. In March 2015, it was announced that Rihanna had been chosen as the new face of Dior; this makes her the first black woman to be the face of Dior.
In December 2014, it was confirmed that Rihanna would become the creative director of the fashion sportswear Puma, overseeing the brand's women's line which will include collaborations in apparel and footwear. In the fall of 2015, Rihanna released her first trainer with Puma, and the sneaker sold out online with three hours of its pre-sale launch. Over the next two years, Rihanna released various other footwear in different colorways and styles, which were all met positively by both critics and buyers. 2016 saw Rihanna debut her first clothing line in collaboration with Puma at New York Fashion Week; the collection was met with rave reviews from fashion critics. In the spring of that year, Rihanna debuted her second collection at Paris Fashion Week and was met with critical acclaim. Vogue magazine praised the collection and Rihanna, stating "Sometimes when a famous person tries his or her hand at another discipline, the results can be uneven. And yet there are those special cases when making the switch leads to a good surprise. Judging by the collection she showed today, we can add Rihanna to that list." In Autumn 2017, Rihanna x Puma returned to New York, for the debut of their autumn collection, like previous lines the collection was met with positive reviews. Vogue Magazine stated "Fenty x Puma has kept one step ahead, so to speak, thanks in part to shoe designs that think outside the box—Rihanna is the first woman to have won Footwear News's coveted Shoe of the Year award, after all."
Rihanna has become a fashion icon. On 2 June 2014, Rihanna received the Fashion Icon Award at the 2014 Council of Fashion Designers of America Fashion Awards at the Lincoln Center's Alice Tully Hall. Regarding this, she said, "Fashion has always been my defense mechanism". Mexican singer Becky G told Latina magazine that Rihanna is one of her style icons. Rihanna presented her "Savage X Fenty" lingerie line in the New York Fashion Week on 12 September 2018.
Philanthropy
In 2006, she created her Believe Foundation to help terminally ill children. In 2007, Rihanna was named as one of the Cartier Love Charity Bracelet Ambassadors, with each celebrity representing a different global charity. To help raise awareness and combat HIV/AIDS, Rihanna and other public figures designed clothing for the February 2008 H&M Fashion Against AIDS line. In 2008, Rihanna performed a series of charity concerts entitled A Girl's Night Out to benefit the Believe Foundation. The concerts were made free for the public. Money from sponsors and advertisers were to be donated to provide medical supplies, school supplies and toys to children in need. In September 2008, Rihanna contributed to the song "Just Stand Up!" with fifteen other female artists, who shared the stage to perform the song live on 5 September 2008, during the "Stand Up to Cancer" television special. The proceeds from the single were given to the fundraiser. The television special helped raise $100 million for cancer research.
Rihanna founded the Clara Lionel Foundation (CLF) in 2012, in honor of her grandparents, Clara and Lionel Braithwaite. Current programs include the Clara Braithwaite Center for Oncology and Nuclear Medicine at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Barbados, and education programs. The CLF hosts an annual Diamond Ball charity fundraiser event. The inaugural event in 2014 raised over $2 million, and the second raised over $3 million. On 12 February 2012, Rihanna performed a benefit show at the House of Blues to raise money for the Children's Orthopaedic Center and the Mark Taper-Johnny Mercer Artists Program at Children's Hospital. In November 2012, Rihanna gave $100,000 to food bank donation for Hurricane Sandy, On 3 January 2014 Rihanna was part of the MAC Viva Glam campaign, which benefits women, men, and children living with HIV/AIDS.
In February 2017, Rihanna was named Harvard University's "Humanitarian of the Year" by the Harvard Foundation. During Rihanna's third annual "Diamond Ball", the former President of the United States, Barack Obama, praised Rihanna's work stating: "You've become a powerful force in the fight to give people dignity."
Diplomacy
On 21 September 2018, Rihanna was appointed by the government of Barbados to be an Ambassador at-Large, with special duties of promoting "education, tourism and investment for the island."
Personal life
On 8 February 2009, Rihanna's scheduled performance at the 51st Annual Grammy Awards was canceled. Reports surfaced that then-boyfriend, singer Chris Brown had physically assaulted her. He was arrested on suspicion of making criminal threats. On 5 March 2009, Brown was charged with assault and making criminal threats. Due to a leaked photograph from the police department obtained by TMZ.com—which revealed that Rihanna had sustained visible injuries—an organization known as STOParazzi proposed "Rihanna's Law", which, if enacted, would "deter employees of law enforcement agencies from releasing photos or information that exploits crime victims." Gil Kaufman of VH1 reported the "nonstop coverage of the Rihanna/Brown case has brought up a number of issues regarding the privacy of alleged victims of domestic violence, including the decision by almost all major news outlets to divulge the identity of the victim—which is not typically done in domestic-violence cases" and discussed the controversial distribution of the leaked photograph. Rihanna was subpoenaed to testify during a preliminary hearing in Los Angeles on 22 June 2009. On 22 June 2009, Brown pleaded guilty to felony assault. Brown received five years of probation and was ordered to stay fifty yards (46 meters) away from Rihanna, unless at public events, which then would be reduced to ten yards (nine meters). In February 2011, at the request of Brown's lawyer and with Rihanna's consent, Judge Patricia Schnegg modified the restraining order to a "level one order", which allows the singers to appear at awards shows together in the future.
From December 2009 to 2010, Rihanna dated Dodgers baseball player Matt Kemp. Rihanna has also dated Canadian rapper Drake. In a January 2013 interview with Rolling Stone, Rihanna confirmed that she had rekindled her relationship with Chris Brown, though he remained under probation for the 2009 domestic violence incident. The confirmation followed persistent media speculation throughout 2012 regarding the pair's reunion. In a May 2013 interview, Brown stated that he and Rihanna had broken up again. In 2015, Rihanna briefly dated Travis Scott, a rapper from Missouri City, Texas. Rihanna has been in a relationship with Saudi Toyota heir Hassan Jameel since December 2016. She confirmed the relationship in Vogue's June 2018 issue.
Rihanna has stated that she believes in God and that she focuses on obeying God and reading her Bible. She is a fan of Protestant charismatic minister Joyce Meyer. In 2015, Rihanna told Harper's Bazaar that her faith in God has helped her throughout her career. During her performance at the NCAA March Madness Music Festival, Rihanna expressed her disagreement with Indiana's Religious Freedom Restoration Act that allows companies and individuals to use their religious beliefs as protection, in case of being accused of discrimination against LGBT people. Rihanna along with numerous other high-profile celebrities featured in an online video titled "23 Ways You Could Be Killed If You Are Black in America". The video was released in partnership with the We Are Here Movement and called for action against police brutality. In January 2017, Rihanna participated in the 2017 Women's March, which took place in New York and protests the day after President Donald Trump's inauguration. Following the announcement of Trump's Executive Order 13769 banning citizens of Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen from entering the United States, Rihanna expressed disgust for the order and condemned the US President's act.
According to the New York Post, Rihanna filed a lawsuit against Peter Gunis and the firm Berdon LLP for $35 million in 2012 but settled out of court for more than $10 million in 2014. Forbes began reporting on Rihanna's earnings in 2012, calculating that she earned $53 million between May 2011 and May 2012, for her music, tour, and endorsements. In 2013, Rihanna came in at number 13 on the list with a total earning of $43 million due to endorsements such as vita coco. In 2015 Rihanna earned $26 million, which resulted in her net worth rising to $160 million by 2016. In July 2016, Forbes magazine placed Rihanna at number 13 on their list of highest paid celebrities, earning $75 million between 2015 and 2016. Rihanna currently lives in Manhattan, New York City and owns a penthouse there that is worth $14 million.
In March 2018, Rihanna posted a statement on Twitter shaming Snapchat for mocking her domestic violence situation. The ad put out by Snapchat asked if users would rather "slap Rihanna or punch Chris Brown" in a "Would You Rather" format. Snapchat issued an apology statement.
Discography
Studio albums
Music of the Sun (2005)
A Girl like Me (2006)
Good Girl Gone Bad (2007, reissued in 2008 as Good Girl Gone Bad: Reloaded)
Rated R (2009)
Loud (2010)
Talk That Talk (2011)
Unapologetic (2012)
Anti (2016)
Selected filmography
Bring It On: All or Nothing (2006)
Battleship (2012)
Coldplay Live 2012 (2012)
This Is the End (2013)
Home (2015)
Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets (2017)
Ocean's 8 (2018)
Tours
Rihanna: Live in Concert Tour (2006)
Good Girl Gone Bad Tour (2007–2009)
Last Girl on Earth Tour (2010–2011)
Loud Tour (2011)
Diamonds World Tour (2013)
The Monster Tour (with Eminem) (2014)
Anti World Tour (2016)