Robyn Rihanna Fenty (born February 20, 1988), better known by her stage name Rihanna (/riˈɑːnə/ ree-ah-nə or /riˈænə/ ree-an-ə),[3] is a Barbadian recording artist, actress, model and fashion designer. Born in Saint Michael, Barbados, her career began when she met record producer Evan Rogers through mutual friends in late 2003 and recorded demo tapes under Rogers's guidance. Her tape was sent to several record labels, and she subsequently signed a contract with Def Jam Recordings after auditioning for its then-president, hip-hop producer and rapper Jay-Z. Both her debut album, Music of the Sun (2005) and its follow-up A Girl Like Me(2006) peaked in the top ten on the US Billboard 200 chart. The albums spawned the US Billboard Hot 100 top two hit single "Pon de Replay" and her first Hot 100 number-one on the chart, "SOS".
Her third studio album, Good Girl Gone Bad (2007), and its chart-topping lead single "Umbrella" were major breakthroughs in her career that brought her to widespread prominence. The album and its 2008 Reloadedversion further produced the worldwide hit singles "Don't Stop the Music", "Take a Bow", and "Disturbia". The record was nominated for nine Grammy Awards, winning Best Rap/Sung Collaboration for "Umbrella". Following a highly publicized altercation with then-boyfriend, entertainer Chris Brown, she released her fourth studio album, Rated R, in November 2009. It was followed by three more albums: Loud (2010), Talk That Talk (2011), and her first Billboard 200 number one album Unapologetic (2012). That same year, she appeared in her first theatrical feature film, Battleship.
She has sold more than 30 million albums and 120 million singles worldwide, making her one of the best-selling artists of all time.[4] Many of her songs rank among the world's best-selling singles of all time, such as "Umbrella", "Take a Bow", "Disturbia", "Only Girl (In the World)", "S&M", "We Found Love", "Diamonds" and "Stay". In addition to her solo work, Rihanna has collaborated with numerous other artists, including being featured on the worldwide hits "Live Your Life" (with T.I.), "Run This Town" (with Jay-Z and Kanye West), "Love the Way You Lie" and "The Monster" (both with Eminem). She has achieved thirteen number one singles on theBillboard Hot 100 chart, becoming the youngest and fastest solo artist to achieve the feat. Billboard named her the Digital Songs Artist of the 2000s decade and the top Hot 100 artist of the 2010s decade.[5][6][7]
Rihanna is known for frequently reinventing her style and image, most notably since Good Girl Gone Bad.[8][9] Her work has earned her numerous awards and accolades, including seven Grammy Awards,[1] eight American Music Awards, 22 Billboard Music Awards, and two BRIT Awards. In 2012, Forbes ranked her the fourth most powerful celebrity of the year, with earnings of $53 million between May 2011 and May 2012. The same year,TIME named Rihanna one of the 100 Most Influential People in the World. At the American Music Awards of 2013, she received the first ever Icon Award. On June 2, 2014, Rihanna received the Fashion Icon lifetime achievement award from the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA).
Music and voice
At the time of her debut, she was marketed as a reggae singer because of her Caribbean descent.[141] She began recording songs that were inspired by caribbean music genres such as soca, dancehall, and reggae. She later departed into a broad range of musical genres such as dance-pop, hip hop, dubstep, rock, and house.[142] Some of her songs are also inspired through samples, containing samples from other artists.[143] The combination of dancehall and reggae genres on her debut album, Music of the Sun (2005), was complemented by Kelefa Sanneh of The New York Times, 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".[144] Her debut album featured production from Stargate and production duo Carl Sturken and Evan Rogers, who discovered her and helped launch her career with her debut single "Pon de Replay".[41] For her second studio album, A Girl Like Me (2006), Rihanna stuck with her Caribbean roots but also infuse a bit of rock music with the track "Kisses Don't Lie".[145] The ballads on the album were described as elegant and mature, showing artistic growth.[146]
Influences
Rihanna has named Madonna as her idol and biggest influence. She said that she wanted to be the "black Madonna".[155][156] "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."[155] She also cites Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey as major influences and idols.[157][158] Of Janet Jackson, Rihanna has commented that "[s]he was one of the first female pop icons that I could relate to."[159] Rihanna has said the late R&B singer Aaliyah has a huge impact on her style and also complimented on the singers artistry as well.[160] Rihanna was inspired to start her career after watching Beyoncé on television with Destiny's Child.[161]
Rihanna commented that Marilyn Monroe and vintage clothing served as visual inspiration for the music video "Hate That I Love You" and "Rehab". The "dark, creepy" scenes of "Disturbia" have been compared to Michael Jackson's Thriller.[162][163] Other musical influences include Alicia Keys,[164] Fefe Dobson,[165][166] Celine Dion,[167] Brandy,[168] and Gwen Stefani.[169] Jon Bream of the Star Tribune commented "[i]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."[162] 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."[170]
Rihanna's music contains strong influences of Caribbean music, including reggae and dancehall.[171] The video for "Rude Boy" was inspired by her Caribbean roots.[171] She stated that while growing up in Barbados she listened to reggae music, and when she came to the United States she was exposed to many different types of music.[172] Rihanna is heavily influenced by the Jamaican singer-songwriter Bob Marley. She stated, "[h]e's one of my favorite artists of all time [...] he really paved the way for every other artist out of the Caribbean".[173] She built a shrine in her home dedicated to Marley.[174] Rihanna has covered Marley's "Is This Love" and Bob Marley & The Wailers' "Redemption Song"
Public image
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 great ease.[191] 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.[192][193] 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".[194] In 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).[195] That same year she was tagged Venus Breeze's "Celebrity Legs of a Goddess" by Gillette.[196]
Known for reinventing her style and image, she has changed her personal appearance several times, scoring different hairstyles since the release of her third album.[8][9] 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."[197] 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".[198] However, her style evolution has been criticized by many critics for its strong message and revealing outfits.[199] People listed her second on its "10 Best Dressed Stars of 2008" list.[200] Country singer Miranda Lambert admires Rihanna's fashion and style. "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."[201] Commenting on the cultural expectation for pop stars to be role models, she said "[being a role model] became more of my job than I wanted it to be. But no, I just want to make music. That's it".[190] 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."[202]
Despite being recognized for her sex appeal, she revealed being a sex symbol is not a priority and that "it’s definitely flattering, but also uncomfortable."[203] Emily Hewett from Metro wrote, "Rihanna is quite possibly THE most sexiest woman in the world. The 25-year-old songbird can grind like no other, pull off a provocative pose better than a Playboy pro."[204] Her appearance has landed her on the cover of magazines such as Maxim, FHM, Rolling Stone and GQ.[205] She has appeared in the top ten on Maxim's Hot 100 list and on FHM's "100 Sexiest Women in the World" several times.[206][207] In 2009, Glamour ranked her at number 17 on the 50 Most Glamorous Women and Esquire named her the Sexiest Woman Alive of 2011.[208][209] In December 2012, Rihanna became the first woman to be featured on the cover of GQ magazine’s "Men of the Year" issue and ranked fifth on Complex list of "100 Hottest Female Singers of All Time".[205][210] The following year, VH1 placed Rihanna second on their list of "100 Sexiest Artists".[211]
She has a collection of small tattoos: a music note on her ankle, a Pisces sign behind her right ear, a Sanskrit prayer on her hip, a star in her left ear, the word "Love" on her left middle finger, the phrase "Freedom in Messiah" in Arabic on her ribcage, a trail of stars going down the back of her neck, a skull with a pink hair bow on the back of her foot, the word "Shhh..." on her right index finger, the date Nov 4, 1986 in Roman numerals on top of her left shoulder, a henna-style dragon claw on her hand, a handgun on her ribcage, the motto "never a failure, always a lesson" near her right shoulder, a rebelle fleur on her neck, the words "Thug Life" on her knuckles, a small cross on her collar bone, an Egyptian falcon shaped like a gun on her right foot, and a goddess Isis above her stomach
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