Rihanna
| Rihanna | |
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| Born | Robyn Rihanna Fenty February 20, 1988 Saint Michael, Barbados |
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| Years active | 2003–present |
| Net worth | US $230 million (est. 2017)[1] |
| Website | rihanna |
| Musical career | |
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She assumed creative control for her third studio album Good Girl Gone Bad (2007) and adopted a public image as a sex symbol while reinventing her music. Its successful lead single "Umbrella" became an international breakthrough in her career, as she won her first Grammy Award for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration with Jay Z in 2008. After releasing four consecutive platinum studio albums, including the Grammy Award winner Unapologetic (2012), she was recognized as a pop icon. Her eighth studio album Anti (2016) and its lead single "Work" reached number-one on the Billboard 200 and Hot 100. 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", and "Stay" in which she is the lead artist, and her collaborations "Live Your Life" (with T.I.), "Love the Way You Lie" and "The Monster" (both with Eminem).
Rihanna is one of the best-selling artists of all time. Rihanna is the youngest and fastest solo artist to earn fourteen number-one singles on the Billboard Hot 100, as well as a current total of 31 Top 10 Hits on the same chart. She was named the Digital Songs Artist of the 2000s decade and the top Hot 100 artist of the 2010s decade by Billboard, as well as the number one artist in the history of their Pop Songs Chart.[3][4][5][6] Among numerous awards and accolades, Rihanna has won eight Grammy Awards, twelve American Music Awards, twelve Billboard Music Awards and the inaugural Icon Award at the American Music Awards of 2013. Widely recognized for frequently reinventing her style, she received the Fashion Icon lifetime achievement award from the Council of Fashion Designers of America in 2014. Forbes ranked Rihanna the fourth most powerful celebrity of 2012, and was named one of Time's "100 Most Influential People in the World" later that year.[7]
Her early life
Robyn Rihanna Fenty was born on February 20, 1988,[8] in Saint Michael, Barbados. Her mother, Monica (Braithwaite), is a retired accountant of Afro-Guyanese background, and her father, Ronald Fenty, is a warehouse supervisor of Afro-Barbadian and Irish descent.[9][10] 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.[11][12] 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: "[The doctors] even thought it was a tumor, because it was that intense."[11] By the time she was fourteen, Rihanna's parents had divorced and her health began to improve.[10][13] Rihanna grew up listening to reggae music and began singing at around the age of seven.[11][14] 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.[15][11] Rihanna was an army cadet in a sub-military programme; the singer-songwriter Shontelle was her drill sergeant.[16] Although she initially wanted to graduate from high school, she chose to pursue a musical career instead.[17]Her career
2003–2005: Beginnings and debut
In 2003, Rihanna formed a musical trio with two of her classmates.[11] 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".[11] Rihanna went to Rogers' hotel room, where she performed renditions of Destiny's Child's "Emotion" and Mariah Carey's "Hero".[18] 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.[18] 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.[19][20] That same year, Rihanna was signed to Rogers' and Carl Sturken's production company, Syndicated Rhythm Productions.[18]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.[21] When Jay Z first heard the track "Pon de Replay", he felt the song was too big for her.[22] Despite being skeptical, he invited Rihanna to audition for the label. In early 2005, Rihanna auditioned for Def Jam in New York, where Jay Z introduced her to music mogul Antonio "L.A." Reid.[18][23] 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".[18] Jay Z was absolutely certain about signing her after she performed her future hit single "Pon de Replay".[22] 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.[24] 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 till three in the morning to get lawyers to draft up a contract because he wanted to prevent her from signing with another label.[22] Rihanna cancelled other meetings with record labels and relocated from Barbados to the United States to live with Rogers and his wife.[25]
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.[24] She worked with different producers to complete her debut studio album, primarily Rogers and his production partner Carl Sturken.[26] With several songs to pick as a lead single, "Pon de Replay" was chosen because it seemed liked the best song suited for a summer release.[27] In May 2005, her debut single, "Pon de Replay", was released which 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.[28] The song became a big club hit in the United States, peaking at number-one on the Billboard Dance Club Songs.[29]
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.[30] 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.[31] 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.[32]
2006–2008: Breakthrough and new image
Rihanna performing at the KIIS-FM Jingle Ball, December 2006
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.[42] With the help of producers Timbaland, Tricky Stewart and Sean Garrett she embraced a new musical direction through uptempo dance tracks.[43][44] 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.[45] The album received the most positive critical reviews of her first three albums.[46]
The lead single, "Umbrella", topped the charts in thirteen countries and remained 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.[47][48] It was Rihanna's first single to be named one of the best-selling singles worldwide, with sales of over 8 million copies.[49][50] 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.[51] 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.[52]
Rihanna performing at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre, 2008
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.[57] Throughout 2008, Rihanna performed on the Glow in the Dark Tour alongside Kanye West, Lupe Fiasco and N.E.R.D.[58] 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.[59] All four were released as singles and charted highly, reaching peak positions worldwide.[60][61][62] 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.[63] "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 February 8, 2009, Rihanna's scheduled performance at the 51st Annual Grammy Awards was cancelled.[64] Reports surfaced that then-boyfriend, singer Chris Brown, had physically assaulted her. He was arrested on suspicion of making criminal threats.[65] On March 5, 2009, Brown was charged with assault and for making criminal threats.[66] A leaked photograph from the police department obtained by TMZ.com revealed that Rihanna had sustained visible injuries.[67] 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.[68]In early 2009, Rihanna began working on her fourth studio album, Rated R.[69] 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".[70][71] Rated R featured a darker and more foreboding tone than Rihanna's previous albums.[72] 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.[73][74][75] 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.[76][77]
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.[78] 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.[79] 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.[80] 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.[81][82] In October 2010, Rihanna switched managers, joining Jay-Z's Roc Nation Management.[83] 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),[84] Nicki Minaj's "Fly", from her debut studio album Pink Friday (2010)[85] and David Guetta's "Who's That Chick?", from the album One More Love (2010).[86]
Rihanna performing at the Target Center during her Loud Tour, June 2011
Rihanna's sixth album, Talk That Talk, was released in November 2011.[100] The album debuted at number three on the US Billboard 200 with sales of 198,000 copies[101] 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.[102] 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.[103][104] The song was later named the 24th biggest hit of all time on the Billboard Hot 100.[105] "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.[106][107] "Cockiness (Love It)" was released as the album's sixth and final single in a remixed form featuring rapper ASAP Rocky.[108]
2012–2014: Battleship and Unapologetic
Rihanna at the Battleship premiere in April 2012
Rihanna starred as Petty Officer (GM2) Cora Raikes in her first theatrical feature film Battleship, which was released on May 18, 2012.[115] 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".[116] On August 19, 2012, Rihanna appeared in the first episode of the second season of Oprah Winfrey's American prime time television show Oprah's Next Chapter.[117] The episode scored the second-highest ratings in the history of the Oprah Winfrey Network.[118] 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.[119] Meanwhile, the US version of Styled to Rock premiered on October 25, 2013 on Bravo.[120]
Rihanna in Canada, performing on her Diamonds World Tour (2013)
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).[129] 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.[123] Rihanna's fifth headlining concert tour, the Diamonds World Tour, began in March 2013 in support of Unapologetic.[130] Rihanna then appeared in the Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg comedy film This Is the End, which was released in June 2013.[131] That same month, American hip hop artist Wale released a remixed version of his single "Bad" featuring Rihanna.[132]
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.[133] 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.[134] Rihanna then appeared on Shakira's single, "Can't Remember to Forget You", which was released in January 2014.[135] 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."[136] In January 2014, Rihanna began working on her eighth studio album.[137][138] 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.[139]
2015–present: Anti and film projects
A year after Rihanna began working on her eight studio album, the single "FourFiveSeconds" was released, which featured Rihanna paired up with Kanye West and Paul McCartney.[140] Two further singles followed its release: "Bitch Better Have My Money" and "American Oxygen";[141][142][143] 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,[144] which she starred in, alongside Jim Parsons, Steve Martin and Jennifer Lopez. "Towards the Sun" was released as the first single from the album.[145] 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 eight studio album and its supporting tour.[146] 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.[147]On January 28, 2016, Rihanna released her eighth studio album, Anti, exclusively through streaming service Tidal.[148] 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.[149] 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.[150][151] 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 #3 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #2 on the UK Singles Chart.[151][152] Rihanna was also featured on Drake's "Too Good" and on Mike Will Made It's "Nothing Is Promised".[153][154] On June 27, 2016, Rihanna released "Sledgehammer", the lead single from the Star Trek Beyond movie soundtrack.[155] On August 28, 2016, Rihanna was honored with the MTV Video Vanguard Award at the 2016 MTV Video Music Awards after performing various medleys of her hit songs.[156][157] Rihanna's first release for 2017 was her 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 Kendrick Lamar's single, "Loyalty". The former was a worldwide success and peaked at number two on the Billboard Hot 100.[158]
Rihanna played the recurring role of Marion Crane in the fifth and final season of Bates Motel.[159] The show received universal acclaim from critics.[160] 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 July 21, 2017 in the U.S.[161][162] In August 2016, Rihanna joined the all-female cast in Ocean's Eight directed by Gary Ross. Warner Bros. will release the film on June 8, 2018.[163][164]
Rihanna officially revealed that she begun working on her ninth studio album, just months after releasing Anti.[165][166] In August 2017, Diplo submitted his material, however Rihanna told him the music reminded her of a "Reggee song at an airport" and was not going to use it for the album.[167][168] On October 19 2017 Shakka revealed that he was currently working with Rihanna on her "Absolutely Insane" album.[169]
Artistry
Music and voice
Rihanna possesses a mezzo-soprano vocal range of three octaves and two notes.[170] 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.'"[44] 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".[171] Andy Gill from The Independent feels that "California King Bed" features her best vocal performance.[172] 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."[173] 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".[174]
"[My music is] 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. [I want to be] 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's music is mainly pop,[182] but she also explores with R&B, dubstep, hip hop and EDM. With its provocative subject matter and lyrics,[177] 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".[183] 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 [songs like]" "Push Up On Me" and "Don't Stop the Music".[184] It represents a departure from the Caribbean sound of her previous albums, and is described as a turning point in her career.[185][186] 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.[187][188]
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.[189] In Loud (2010), Rihanna reflects on the fun and energetic vibe she had while recording the album.[190] The album is a mixture of ballads, party anthems, and empowering love songs.[191] Talk That Talk (2011) was similar to Rated R, as both contain hip hop, R&B, dancehall, and dubstep genres.[192] 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").[193] She also branched out into house music with tracks like "We Found Love", "Only Girl (In the World)" and "Complicated."[194] Her songs are also inspired through record sampling from other artists.[195]
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.[196][197] "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."[196] 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.[198] She revealed that Carey's song "Vision of Love" "was the song that made [her] want to do music."[199][200]She grew up watching videos of reggae legend Bob Marley on television because that's what they would play in the Caribbean.[201] 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".[202] 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.[203][204] 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".[205] 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."[206][207]
Rihanna was also influenced by Janet Jackson, Aaliyah, Beyoncé, and Destiny's Child.[208][209][210][211] Other musical influences and idols include Celine Dion,[212] Grace Jones,[213] Lil' Kim,[214] Alicia Keys,[215] Prince,[216] Fefe Dobson,[217][218] and Brandy.[219] 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.[176] She commented, "as I grow older, I want to know more about music. I want to discover more types of music".[187] She cited Brandy's fourth studio album, Afrodisiac (2004), as her main inspiration for her third album, Good Girl Gone Bad (2007).[187] In her early career, her music contained strong influences of Caribbean music, including reggae and dancehall.[220] The music video of the song "Rude Boy" featured images inspired by her Caribbean roots.[220]
Videos and stage
| Rihanna | |
|---|---|
| YouTube information | |
| Channel | |
| Years active | May 11, 2009 |
| Subscribers | 25,215,125 (August 2017) |
| Total views | 11,598,396,625 (August 2017) |
| Network | Vevo |
Rihanna performing at the Kollen Music Festival, June 2012
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."[232] 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.[233] 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.[234] 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."[235] In the October 2011 issue of British Vogue, Rihanna said her performance outfits and appearances are all an act; "[t]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".[236]
Public image
Nico Amarca of Highsnobiety magazine wrote "over the course of her now 10-year career, [Rihanna] has undergone one of the most significant aesthetic metamorphoses the world has ever seen".[246] Her image and fashion has changed several times with different hairstyles since the release of her third album.[247][248] She commented that as a child she "used to watch her [mother] get dressed" and that her love and admiration for fashion started with her mom.[249] 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."[250] 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".[251] 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."[252]
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.[253] 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".[236] 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."[254] [255]
Described as one of the sexiest women of her generation,[256][257] she revealed that being a sex symbol is not a priority and that "it's definitely flattering, but also uncomfortable."[258] Her appearance has landed her on the cover of magazines such as Maxim, FHM, Rolling Stone[259] and in December 2012, Rihanna became the first woman to be featured on the cover of GQ magazine's "Men of the Year" issue.[259]
Rihanna is well known for having a wide collection of small tattoos around her body.[260][261]
Legacy
Rihanna during her Loud Tour in Belfast, September 2011
Time magazine included Rihanna on its 100 Most Influential People in the World issue in 2012. 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." [265] On June 2, 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".[266] In August 2013, Rihanna is placed at number 13 on Billboard's "Greatest Of All Time Hot 100 Artists" list,[267] being its highest ranking newcomer.[268] Billboard also ranked Rihanna the top Hot 100 artist of the 2010s decade.[5] In 2014, Time magazine's pop stardom ranking metric, ranked Rihanna second in history, based on all-time chart performance and contemporary significance.[269]
Rihanna's work has directly influenced a number of contemporary artists such as Little Mix,[270] Selena Gomez,[271] Justin Bieber,[272] Ellie Goulding,[273] Tegan and Sara,[274][275] Jessie J,[276] Cover Drive,[277] Fifth Harmony,[278] Demi Lovato,[279] Alexandra Stan,[280] Grimes,[281] and Cher Lloyd.[282] Rihanna has an honorary title of Ambassador for Culture and Youth in Barbados.[283] 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.[284] In 2013, Rihanna was also named the most influential pop star in the United Kingdom by UK channel 4Music.[285]
On February 22, 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.[286][287][288][289] Additionally on November 30, 2017, Westbury New Road in St. Michael, Barbados, the road where Rihanna was raised, will be re-named "Rihanna Drive" to honor Rihanna's success in the music industry.[290]
Achievements
Rihanna has received numerous awards throughout her career such as 8 Grammy Awards, 12 Billboard Music Awards, 12 American Music Awards, 8 People's Choice Awards, among others. Rihanna received the "Icon Award" at the 2013 American Music Awards[291][292] and the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award at the 2016 MTV Video Music Awards.[293] In the United States, Rihanna has sold over 10 million albums,[294] 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.[295][296][297] On July 1, 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.[298] In the United Kingdom, she has sold over seven million albums, making her the third best selling female artist this century.[299] According to Billboard, her total album sales stand at 54 million copies sold worldwide.[300]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.[301] 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).[302] As of March 2014, Rihanna has sold over 18 million singles and six million albums in the United Kingdom.[303][304] She is the tenth best-selling[305] and the second best-selling female singles artist in the country, only behind Madonna[306] and is second only to The Beatles for the most million-selling singles in the UK of all time.[307] 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,[308] and Airplay chart,[309] as well as sixteen number-one singles on the Rhythmic chart.[310]
Other ventures
Rihanna has ventured into other businesses and industries. In October 2005, Rihanna struck an endorsement deal with Secret Body Spray.[311] In 2010, Rihanna featured in the Optus commercial, in conjunction with Optus supporting Rihanna's Last Girl on Earth Tour.[312] The same year Rihanna also featured in the Kodak commercial along with rapper Pitbull.[313] In October 2010, the singer released an eponymous book.[314] 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.[315] Rihanna also became the face of Vita Coco in 2011.[316] In 2013, the singer collaborated with MAC Cosmetics and released her own summer, fall and holiday lines of makeup called "RiRi hearts MAC".[317] 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.[318]
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