Photo courtesy of Genius.com
By: Niyah Martin, Intern
Rihanna is known as one of the world’s most powerful figures to exist. Her unapologetic demeanor and confidence never fail to capture headlines worldwide. Rihanna is a champion of many titles: legendary entertainer, beauty mogul, fashion influencer, and recent mother. She is the true definition of a powerhouse and her legacy will go down in history as one of the most extraordinary entertainment careers of all time.
In 1988, Rihanna was born Robyn Fenty in St. Michael, Barbados. As a young girl, she became enthralled with the art of music and used it to cope with the growing pains of childhood. It was not long before music producer, Evan Rodgers discovered her talent. He offered her an opportunity to move to the United States and she hastily accepted. Stunningly, a 16-year-old Rihanna signed to Jay Z’s record label, Def Jam in 2005. From then on, she became unstoppable.
Rihanna began her career with her debut album “Music of the Sun” in September of 2005. Her first album was a hit and is known for songs such as “Pon de Replay” and “If It’s Lovin’ That You Want.” The album would land at No. 10 on the Billboard 200. With people starting to become intrigued with the young artist, she couldn’t quit there. By the next year, her second album “A Girl Like Me” debuted at No. five on the Billboard 200. In the coming years, Rihanna would drop eight studio albums and sell over 250 million records. Her music has earned her Grammys, MTV Music Awards and American Music Awards.
Even though a large part of her time is dedicated to music, her interest in fashion took her career to another level. Rihanna has developed a style that no one can compete with. She mixes unusual prints with uncommon colors, and it never fails to look fabulous. Her controversial outfits draw a lot of attention from the public. So much so, that even her casual paparazzi flicks are guaranteed to make the latest headlines. Her hairstyles, makeup and jewelry are always styled to compliment any outfit perfectly. Her striking features and bold tattoos make her hard to miss. Her style is fearless and has a huge influence on pop culture.
Not only is she a talented artist and fashion icon, but Rihanna is also a cunning entrepreneur. The star owns multiple businesses, two of her top producing companies consisting of Fenty Beauty and Savage X Fenty. Rihanna founded Fenty Beauty in late 2017. Her brand includes a diverse array of products geared towards all women. The rollout is made up of every product from lip gloss to body glitter. One of the factors that makes Fenty Beauty so popular is their advertising. The brand offers buyers products with sleek packaging, clever labels, and quality commodity. After the success of Fenty Beauty, Rihanna went on to launch Savage X Fenty in 2018. Savage X Fenty is a size inclusive lingerie, loungewear and activewear brand. Her fans were more than happy to support, selling the first drop of the collection out in only 24 hours. Both brands have been extremely fruitful. In August of 2021, Forbes named Rihanna a billionaire with an estimated net worth of 1.7 billion dollars.
What sets Rihanna apart from other artists is that she continues to transform and gets better with time. Her metamorphosis can be tracked throughout her entire career. From “Music of The Sun” to “Rated R”, Rihanna is the true definition of a multi-dimensional woman. She has accomplished number one records, sold out shows, successful business ventures, and motherhood. She is ambitious, devoted, and a one-of-a-kind star. Rihanna is the modern-day superwoman. Based on the successes she has found thus far, it appears that her evolution will be never ending, and she will continue to dominate the music, fashion, and beauty industries for years to come.
