Robyn Rihanna Fenty
(born February 20, 1988), who performs under the mononym Rihanna
(pronounced /ri?'??n?/), is a Barbadian singer and model. Born in Saint Michael, Barbados, Rihanna moved to the United States at the age of 16 to pursue a recording career under the guidance of record producer Evan Rogers. She subsequently signed a contract with Def Jam Recordings after auditioning for then-label head Jay-Z. [1]
In 2005, Rihanna released her debut studio album, Music of the Sun
, which peaked within the top ten of the Billboard
200 and features the Billboard
Hot 100 hit single "Pon de Replay." Less than a year later, she released her second studio album, A Girl Like Me
(2006), which peaked within the top five of the Billboard
albums chart, and produced her first US number one hit single, "SOS", as well as Billboard
Hot 100 top ten entries "Unfaithful" and "Break It Off." Rihanna's third studio album, Good Girl Gone Bad
(2007), peaking at number two on the Billboard
200, featured five top ten hits including three US number one hit singles—"Umbrella", "Take a Bow" and "Disturbia;" and the worldwide hit "Don't Stop the Music." The album was nominated for nine Grammy Awards, winning Best Rap/Sung Collaboration for "Umbrella", which features Jay-Z. [2] [3]a[›]
Rihanna has sold over twelve million albums worldwide in her four-year career span [4] [5] and has received several accolades, including the 2007 World Music Awards for World's Best-Selling Pop Female Artist and Female Entertainer of the Year, as well as the 2008 American Music Awards for Favorite Soul/R&B Female Artist and Favorite Pop/Rock Female Artist. [6] [7] Rihanna has attained five Hot 100 number one singles, becoming the first of the only two female artists with the most number ones attained within the 2000s decade. She also serves as one of Barbados' honorary cultural ambassadors. [8]
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RIHANNA TICKETS
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Life and career
1988-2004: Early life and recording contract
Rihanna was born in
Saint Michael, Barbados to Ronald Fenty, a warehouse supervisor, and Monica Fenty, an accountant.
[9] Her mother, a native of
Guyana, is
Afro-Guyanese and her father is
Barbadian and
Irish.
[10] She is the oldest of three siblings; two younger brothers, Rorrey and Rajad Fenty.
[11] She began singing at around the age of seven.
Her childhood was deeply affected by her father's addiction to crack cocaine and parent's rocky marriage, which ended when she was fourteen years old.
Rihanna attended Charles F. Broome Memorial School, a primary school in Barbados, and then the
Combermere School, where she formed a musical trio with two of her classmates at the age of fifteen. In 2004 she won the Miss Combermere Beauty Pageant.
[12] She was an army cadet in a sub-military programme that trained with the military of Barbados and
Shontelle was her drill sergeant.
[13]
At the age of 15, she formed a
girl group with two of her classmates.
In 2003 friends introduced Rihanna and her two bandmates to record producer
Evan Rogers, who was vacationing in Barbados with his wife. The group auditioned for Rogers, who said that "the minute Rihanna walked into the room, it was like the other two girls didn't exist." While auditioning for Rogers, Rihanna sang
Destiny's Child's cover of "
Emotion".
Over the next year, Rihanna and her mom shuttled back and forth to Rogers home in
Stamford, Connecticut. Then, shortly after turning 16, she relocated in the United States and moved in with Rogers and his wife.
Carl Sturken helped Rihanna record a four-song demo,
[14] which included the ballad "Last Time," a cover of
Whitney Houston’s hit "For the Love of You"
and what would become her first hit, "
Pon de Replay" to send to various recording companies. It took a year to record the demos, because she was going to school and would only record during summer and Christmas school breaks.
Rihanna's demo made its way to
Def Jam, which invited her to audition for the label's then-president,
Jay-Z, who quickly signed her.
[15]
2005-2006: Music of the Sun
and A Girl Like Me
After signing with
Def Jam, she spent the next three months recording and completing her
debut album.
The album featured production from
Evan Rogers,
Carl Sturken,
Stargate and
Poke & Tone.
[16] She first collaborated with rapper
Memphis Bleek on his fourth studio album
534
before her debut. She released her debut single, "
Pon de Replay", on August 22, 2005, which peaked at number two on the
Billboard
Hot 100.
[17] It also became a global hit where it peaked within the top ten across fifteen countries. Her debut album,
Music of the Sun
, was released on August 30, 2005
[18] in the United States. The album reached number ten on the
Billboard
200, selling 69,000 copies in its first week.
[19] The album has sold over two millions copies worldwide and is certified gold by the
Recording Industry Association of America, denoting shipments to US retailers of over 500,000 units.
[20]
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Her music was marketed within the
soca and
reggae genres because of her
Caribbean descent. The album received mixed reviews by music critics.
Rolling Stone
magazine rated it 2.5 out of 5 stars and described as lacking the replay value, ingenuity and rhythm of the single with "generic vocal hiccups and frills" of US
R&B inflecting upon her "Caribbean charm".
[21] Sal Cinquemani of
Slant Magazine
described the album as a "glut of teen R&B chanteuses " and described her lead single "
Pon de Replay" as "a dancehall-pop mixture that owes plenty of its sweat and shimmy to
Beyoncé's "
Baby Boy"."
A reviewer for
Entertainment Weekly
commented that the "dancehall/R&B debut is filled with chintzy production and maudlin arrangements that block out the
Music of the Sun
."
[22] The albums second single, "
If It's Lovin' that You Want"
[23] was less successful than "Pon de Replay", having managed a peak position of number 36 in the US, and number 11 on the
UK Singles Chart.
In
Australia,
Ireland and
New Zealand the single proved to be well-received reaching the top ten in those countries. However, the third single, "Let Me" was only released in
Japan, peaking at number eight.
A month after the release of her debut album, she began working on her second studio album.
[24] The album contained production from
record producers Evan Rogers and
Carl Sturken who produced most of her debut album,
Stargate,
J. R. Rotem and label-mate
singer-songwriter "
Ne-Yo".
[25] The lead single, "
SOS", peaked at number one on the
Billboard
Hot 100, becoming her first number-one in the United States.
Rihanna then served as an opening act for
Gwen Stefani to promote the album.
A Girl Like Me
was released on April 19, 2006,
[26] less than eight months later of her debut. The album reached number five on the
Billboard
200
selling 115,000 copies in its first week and has been certified platinum by the
RIAA, having shipped over one million units.
[27] Internationally, the album peaked at number one on the
Top Canadian Albums, five on the
UK Albums Chart and number five on the
Irish Album Chart. The critical response to the album was mixed;
Rolling Stone
magazine commented "Like her filler-packed debut album, this similar but superior follow-up doesn't deliver anything else as ingenious as its lead single."
[28] Critics also described the album as a record that almost identically alternates between the sunny
dancehall/dub-pop,
hip-hop-infused club bangers and gushy, adult-oriented ballads.
[29] The second single, "
Unfaithful," became a major worldwide hit, reaching the top ten in dozen countries around the world, including the United States where it reached number six on the
Billboard
Hot 100, as well as topping the charts in Canada, France and Switzerland. The albums third single, "
We Ride"
[30] failed to reprise the success of the lead single but the fourth single "
Break It Off" featuring
Sean Paul, made the song jump from number fifty-two to number ten and then eventually peak at number nine.
[31] [32] After the release of the album, she embarked on the Rock Tha Block Tour and then toured with
Pussycat Dolls from November 2006 to February 2007 in the United Kingdom.
[33]
2007–present: Good Girl Gone Bad
and domestic violence case
right in 2008.
Rihanna went into the studio in early 2007 with
Ne-Yo,
Stargate, and
Timbaland among others to record her third album,
Good Girl Gone Bad
.
[34] She spent the week of the
Grammys writing songs for the album with Ne-Yo. The concept of the album was to head in a new direction with the help of Timbaland, will.i.am and Sean Garrett, and also to re-imagine her album compositions
[35] with fresh, uptempo dance tracks.
While recording the album, Rihanna stated that she wants to keep people dancing but still be soulful at the same time.
She then commented "You feel different every album, and [at] this stage I feel like I want to do a lot of uptempo [songs]."
She also began taking voice lessons from Ne-Yo for the third album.
Good Girl Gone Bad
was released on June 5, 2007.
[36] Unlike previous work, the album featured a more dance-pop sound instead of the dancehall, reggae and ballad styles. The album yielded eight hit singles, including the worldwide number one hit "
Umbrella," featuring Jay-Z. In addition to reaching number one in various countries, "Umbrella" was the number one single in the United Kingdom for ten consecutive weeks,
[37] making it the longest-running UK number-one single since
Wet Wet Wet's single "
Love Is All Around" spent fifteen weeks at the top in 1994.
[38] The song is listed number three on the 100 Best Songs of 2007 published by
Rolling Stone
magazine.
[39] Her other singles, "
Shut Up and Drive", "
Don't Stop The Music" and "
Hate That I Love You" were able to mirror the success of "Umbrella," with "Don't Stop the Music" reaching number three on the
Billboard
Hot 100 while peaking at number one in various countries.
[40]
With the re-issue of her third album, titled
Good Girl Gone Bad: Reloaded
, which was released on June 17, 2008.
[41] Rihanna released the first singles from the re-release "
Take a Bow"
[42] — which became a worldwide number-one hit — the duet with
Maroon 5, "
If I Never See Your Face Again,"
[43] and the other US number-one hit "
Disturbia."
[44] "Disturbia" reached to number four before reaching number one, as her previous single, "Take a Bow", was at number two, making Rihanna the seventh female singer to have two songs in the top five. Rihanna has five
Billboard
Hot 100 number ones hits both as a lead artist thus far ("
SOS," "Umbrella," "Take a Bow" and "Disturbia"), as well as
T.I.'s "
Live Your Life", on which she is featured.
[45] This makes her one of the two female solo artist with the most number ones this decade, with the other being
Beyoncé Knowles.
[46] Good Girl Gone Bad
has shipped over two million units in the United States, receiving a two-time platinum certification from RIAA; this gave Rihanna her best-selling album, to date.
She was nominated in four categories at the
2007 MTV Video Music Awards, winning Monster Single of the Year and Video of the Year.
[47] At the
2008 Grammy Awards Rihanna earned her first Grammy Award for
Best Rap/Sung Collaboration,
[48] in addition to receiving five other nominations, including
Record of the Year,
Best Dance Recording,
Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group and
Best R&B Song. In support of the album, she embarked on her first headlining tour
The Good Girl Gone Bad Tour on September 12, 2007, with several shows across the United States, Canada and Europe
[49] and then embarked on the
Glow in the Dark Tour with
Kanye West,
Lupe Fiasco, and
N.E.R.D on April 16, 2008.
[50] [51] [52] Rihanna also won Favorite Pop/Rock Female Artist and Favorite Soul/R&B Female Artist at the 2008
American Music Awards.
[53]
On February 8, 2009, Rihanna's scheduled performance at the
2009 Grammy Awards was canceled.
[54] [55] Reports later surfaced regarding an alleged altercation with then-boyfriend, singer
Chris Brown, who was arrested on suspicion of making criminal threats.
[56] [57] On March 5, 2009, Brown was charged with assault and making criminal threats.
[58] [59] Due to a leaked photograph from the
Los Angeles Police Department obtained by
TMZ.com—which revealed Rihanna had sustained visible injuries—an organization known as STOParazzi has proposed a law called "Rihanna's Law", which, if enacted, would "deter employees of law enforcement agencies from releasing photos or information that exploits crime victims."
[60] [61] Gil Kaufman of
VH1 reported "[t]he 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 the controversial distribution of the leaked photograph.
[62] Rihanna was subpoenaed to testify during a preliminary hearing in L.A. on June 22, 2009.
[63] [64] "The DA told me Rihanna will be subpoenaed. I will accept on her behalf," Rihanna's attorney, Donald Etra told
Us Weekly
.
[65] "She will appear in court, and if asked to testify, she will do so".
[66] [67] On June 22, 2009, Brown pled guilty to the felony assault. In exchange for his plea Brown received five years probation and was ordered to stay one hundred yards away from Rihanna, unless at public events, which then will be reduced to ten yards.
[68]
left in 2009.
In August 2009, Rihanna collaborated with
Jay-Z and
Kanye West on "
Run This Town."
[69] The song has so far peaked at number three on
Billboard
Hot 100 and also reached the top ten in five other countries. The trio will perform, "Run This Town," on the premiere of
The Jay Leno Show
on September 13, 2009.
[70] Rihanna has also been working on her fourth studio album.
[71] She appeared on the cover of
Vogue Italia for the September 2009 Issue.
[72] The shoot was influenced by Rihanna's hair, which she had cut for the shoot into a mohawk-like style. The style of the shoot was Extreme Couture and very dark, and in one shot she appeared semi-nude.
[73]
Musical style and influences
Peter Coulter of the
Antrim Times,
commented that "[Rihanna] has an amazing voice which showed during her acoustic set, she just needs to work on her audience engagement during live shows."
[74] At the time of her debut in 2005, reviewers referred to her as a "
bubblegum queen"
and her music to "
teen pop."
In a review in 2007, Larry Meyler of
The Sun
stated that Rihanna going bad is very good and that she had shook off any 'teen pop' image as she rocked the stage.
[75] While performing at the
Ottawa Bluesfest in
Canada in 2006, Denis Armstrong of
Canadian Online Explorer
commented on her performance saying "her show was a Disney-esque choreographed fantasy of non-stop hip-swivelling, sassy attitude and personal endearments and a string of funky, sugar-free hits."
[76] After revealing a new image while headlining her first tour, she was likely to be criticize for her tight leather outfit during each show.
[77] A review in the
The Times
compared Rihanna's stage wardrobe styling to that of
Janet Jackson. He also described her outfit as "a vision of
Ann Summers couture in thigh-high boots and a few scraps of black PVC."
[78] However,
The Province
commented that "even with the whole haute couture B&D clearly firing on all points, she's still got a ways to go to become the new Janet Jackson."
[79]
Themes and musical style
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Rihanna's musical style has changed during the release of her last three albums. She was originally marketed as a
reggae singer since she burst on scene in 2005, with a styles of
pop,
R&B and
dancehall. Her music also include various styles of
musical genres, including
contemporary R&B,
dance-pop,
pop rock and the
Caribbean music styles of reggae,
soca, and dancehall.
[80] With the release of her debut album
Music of the Sun
and its lead single "
Pon de Replay", Jason Birchmeier of
Allmusic described Rihanna's musical style as "synthesize Caribbean rhythms and beats with standard-issue urban dance-pop: Caribbean-inflected urban, if you will."
[81] Rihanna is also described as utilizing "dancehall-lite beats and a reggae vocal cadence."
NME
describes the singer as a "heady mix of dancehall, reggae and contemporary R&B."
[82] During the release of her sophomore album, many critics felt that Rihanna's sound and substance was too heavily similar to that of Beyoncé's.
[83] [84] [85] The media even made negative reviews comparing her music,
[86] music videos, performances
[87] [88] and even her image to Beyoncé,
[89] which garnered Rihanna much criticism.
[90] Some media even unfairly claimed that Jay-Z fashioned her to be a replica of Beyoncé
[91]. Barry Walters of
Rolling Stone
considers Rihanna's
A Girl Like Me
to be "lightweight dancehall and R&B jams."
[92] After the release of
Good Girl Gone Bad
, Allmusic's Andy Kellman credits Rihanna to be "as pop as pop gets."
[93] Kelefa Sanneh of
The New York Times
described her hit "
Umbrella" as a lightweight pop confection with a heavy
hip-hop backbeat, a breezy love song enriched by those unexpectedly goth-sounding keyboards and by the incongruous hint of anguish in Rihanna’s girlish voice.
[94]
Her debut album featured a refreshing touch from pop veterans
Evan Rogers and
Carl Sturken of Syndicated Rhythm productions, who first discovered her. Carl Sturken and Evan Rogers have collaborated with Rihanna many times, including with her debut single "Pon de Replay", which helped launch her career with the tradition of reggae and dance pop and also collaborated on her
sophomore album. Rihanna then enlisted into the pop and contemporary R&B working with
music producer Stargate and
singer-songwriter Ne-Yo on "
Unfaithful"
[95] and sampling the key section, bass line, and drum beat from
Soft Cell's 1981 single "
Tainted Love" on "
SOS".
[96] The concept of her third
studio album was to head in a new direction with the help of music producers Timbaland, will.i.am and Sean Garrett, and also to re-imagine her album compositions
[97] with fresh, uptempo dance tracks.
While recording the album, Rihanna stated that she wants to keep people dancing but still be soulful at the same time.
She then commented "You feel different every album, and [at] this stage I feel like I want to do a lot of uptempo [songs]."
She also began taking voice lessons from
Ne-Yo for the third album. With songs like "Kisses Don't Lie" and "
Shut Up and Drive", her music style became more pop rock oriented.
Unlike
Music of the Sun
or
A Girl Like Me
, her third album contained a more dance-pop sound
[98] and less of the dancehall, reggae and ballad styles of her previous albums.
[99] She has included various styles of music from uptempo pop-reggae with "Pon De Replay", to an
80's new wave fueled club banger "SOS" to the whiff of gothic horror in a love song "
Unfaithful". Most of her love subject
ballads contain a mid-tempo pop sound, with an R&B influences that uses of a gently strummed
acoustic guitar with the production of Stargate and the songs written by Ne-Yo.
Some of her up-tempo dance-pop songs include production from Carl Sturken and Evan Rogers,
Christopher "Tricky" Stewart and J. R. Rotem.
[100] She has also taken to the
music industry tradition of sampling songs from other artist like Soft Cell's "
Tainted Love" on "SOS",
New Order's "
Blue Monday" on "Shut Up and Drive" and 70's original song "
Soul Makossa" of
Manu Dibango with a part of the chorus from
Michael Jackson's "
Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'" on "Don't Stop the Music".
Influences
One of Rihanna's major influences and idol is
Mariah Carey who she covered her song "
Hero" while performing at a school talent show. She says, "I looked up to [Mariah] a lot and I still do. I admire her as an artist, and to [compete with her] was a moment I will never forget for the rest of my life."
She then stated that her song, "
Vision of Love" made an impact on her.
[101] [102] Rihanna has also named
Beyoncé Knowles a major influence,
[103] [104] citing that she was inspired to start her career after watching Knowles on
television as part of a
Destiny's Child performance .
[105] Her other musical influences include
Bob Marley,
Alicia Keys Whitney Houston, Destiny's Child,
Celine Dion,
[106] Brandy,
[107] and
Gwen Stefani.
[108] Her music also contains strong influences of
caribbean music and says that it has influenced her tremendously. Her friend and former Island Def Jam record label artist
Fefe Dobson was someone that she admired and looked up to, having a fellow artist writing, singing, and performing the music she truly loves.
[109] [110] In a interview, Rihanna stated, that while growing up in
Barbados, she grew up listening to reggae music and when she came to the United States she was exposed to many different types of music.
[111] Rihanna also considers
Madonna as one of her biggest influences. She mentioned that she respects her ability to reinvent herself and aspires to be just as successful.
[112]
Videography
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."
[113] 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."
[114] Rihanna commented that
Marilyn Monroe and
vintage clothing served for visual inspiration for the
music video "
Hate That I Love You" and "
Rehab"; in contrast, the "dark, creepy" scenes of "Disturbia" have drawn comparison to Michael Jackson's
Thriller
.
[115] The music video also ranked number five on the "Top Five Most Paranoid Music Videos" published by
MTV Buzzworthy.
[116]
Style and image
The
New York
magazine described Rihanna's early look as a cookie-cutter teen queen and that she has the ability to shift looks so dramatically and with such ease.
[117] Since the release of her third album,
Good Girl Gone Bad
, [Rihanna's] has become a sex symbol and also set herself apart from other
R&B starlets,
[118] opting for designer couture over belly-baring crop tops.
[119] Sonya Magett of Black Voices reported that Rihanna's style has become quite risqué since she burst on the scene 4 years ago.
[120] In 2008, she constantly surprised, switching from pretty and sweet in pastels on the
red carpet to dominatrix-leaning wear on stage and at awards shows.
[121] [122] Rihanna's fashion and style also landed her on the list of
People's
10 Best Dressed Stars of 2008.
[123] Glamour
also awarded Rihanna with the seventeenth most glamorous woman of 2009 out of fifty.
Glamour
also commented on Rihanna's style saying "rockstar of leading ladies" and "She almost can’t make a style mistake right now.” They also said her "little-bit-punky, very-much-girly look still entrances readers."
[124] [125] They also commented on Rihanna's fashion risks saying "If style risks could be measured in miles, Rihanna would have criss-crossed the globe a thousand times over already."
[126]
Rihanna's image has also been identified as a
sex symbol. Regal of the
Associated Content
stated that Rihanna quickly garnered a more mature and definitely sexier look. In 2007, she ranked #8 in
Maxim
's 2007 Hot 100 list;
[127] she then ranked #15 on 2008 Hot 100 list the following year.
[128] In June 2007, Rihanna was named 2007 Venus Breeze’s “Celebrity Legs Of A Goddess” by
Gillette.
[129] Margeaux Watson of
Entertainment Weekly
wrote an article entitled "Rihanna: Diva of the year" which he refers to her breakout success of 2008.
[130] In 2009,
Maxim awarded Rihanna as the number 8th most sexiest woman on earth.
[131] This made Rihanna the only female of African descent in the top ten or top twenty for that matter.
Rihanna's
tattoos have drawn much media attention.
[132] One of her first tattoos was music note on her ankle and a Pisces sign behind her right ear.
[133] Her most visible and popular tattoo is her trail of stars going down her back.
[134] Rihanna has a total of twelve known tattoos,
[135] including music note tattoo on her ankle, a Pisces sign behind her right ear,
[136] a Sanskrit prayer going down her hip, a star in her left ear,
[137] the word ‘love’ on her left middle finger,
[138] an Arabic phrase on her ribcage area, meaning ‘Freedom is God,’ a trail of stars going down the back of her neck,
[139] a skull with a pink hair bow, the phrase ’shhh…’
[140] on her right index finger,
[141] the date ‘4.11.1986' on top of her left shoulder
[142] and a henna-style dragon claw,
[143] [144] complete with Hawaiian hibiscus flowers. Her most recent gun tattoo was planned to be just below her shoulders but changed it to her ribcage.
[145] [146] Although, she was likely to be criticised for her tattoo,
[147] [148] [149] BangBang, the tattoo artist, was quick to explain that the image simply “represents strength and power”.
[150] [151] [152] [153]
Relations with Barbados
Rihanna is heavily involved in the marketing of her native country of Barbados.
[154] She began by including the flag and trident in many of her videos, also shooting her album packaging for
A Girl Like Me
there.
In September 2007, she became the official face of tourism for Barbados, being included in many of their ad campaigns. She currently holds an honourary title of Ambassador for Culture and Youth in Barbados.
[155] She additionally was honored by the Prime Minister
David Thompson, who presented her several gifts at a national concert on 20 February 2008 in
Barbados, called "Rihanna Day".
[156] [157] Regardless, In February 2008, Rihanna thanked her country and honoured them during the acceptance speech for her win of "Best Rap/Sung Collaboration" at the Grammy Awards.
[158] Although Rihanna is heavily involved in the promotion of her country and works with the government in Barbados to do so, she is constantly criticized and ridiculed
[159] for everything from her music, her successes and for wearing "skimpy clothes".
[160] [161] Rihanna speaking on the incident, "I went to the beach and I had on a one-piece swimsuit with jeans, They took the picture and they made it look like a top that was really revealing. There were radio programmes about it. It was a big deal for, like, three weeks straight - talking about I'm not setting a good example."
[162]
They also mentioned that Rihanna was too young for
Def Jam to push her as a "
sex symbol", making a plea that she cover up.
[163] The media and
The Nation newspaper
constantly make personal attacks and have shown lack of support and encouragement.
[164] Rihanna spoke out against the scrutiny to
Entertainment Weekly
[165] stating, "They all hate me. I didn’t have to talk about them. I didn’t have to even mention that I’m from Barbados. But I do and people kind of take it for granted. They hate me. They talk shit about me all the time. But I’m like, ”Whatever. I’m still doing this cause I love to do it and you’re not going to stop me".
Media fought back with letters to Rihanna publicly via there national newspaper, "[what she said] sounds as if though she is doing us a favour. If God didn't give us a Rihanna, he would have given us someone else. So don't ever for a second get to thinking you are irreplaceable, Rihanna"
[166] and "Her putting Barbados on the map is nonsense. Barbados was well on the map before she came along; and will be when she is gone".
[167] Her mentor and music producer
Evan Rogers spoke out to the media stating that Rihanna subsequently "formed her impression of any Bajan dislike from the reception she received at the recent Barbados Music Awards where," according to Rogers, "It was disappointing the way some people reacted as if they were almost rooting against her".
[168]
Other ventures
Products and endorsements
In October 2005, Rihanna struck her first endorsement deal with Secret Body Spray
[169] for them to sponsor her first tour.
[170] In 2006, Rihanna participated in several endorsement deals, including
Nike sportswear for the launch of her "SOS"
[171] and
J. C. Penney. In 2007, Rihanna signed with
CoverGirl and became a celebrity spokesperson which included appearances on TV commercials
[172] [173] and in the Barbados Tourism Authority's tourism commercials. She also received an endorsement deal from
Clinique in 2006 to promote their Happy fragrance.
[174] She recorded a song written by
Ne-Yo entitled "Just Be Happy" as part of the deal to promote their Happy fragrance. Rihanna also recorded a song called "
Winning Women" with Pussycat Doll
Nicole Scherzinger for P&G's female deodorant
Secret. In December 2008, Rihanna contracted with
Gucci to appear in their ads for the Tattoo Heart Collection, a special-edition line.
[175] [176] In the Gucci handbag ad, Rihanna is seen hanging from a giant hoop, scantily clad in a barely-there white bodysuit and wearing an oversized white Gucci purse.
[177] The success of her single, "
Umbrella" also inked an endorsement deal with
Totes.
[178] [179] Her handlers pitched her hit "Umbrella" to Totes and the song became the soundtrack for commercials in which she starred.
[180] On April 8, 2009 it was announced that Rihanna inked a fragrance deal with
Jay-Z’s licensing company Iconic Fragrances.
[181] Iconic Fragrance will launch the fragrance in the summer of 2010.
[182] [183]
Film projects
In 2007, Rihanna began showing interest in making film appearances.
[184] She made her acting debut in a
cameo role to the film
Bring It On: All or Nothing
, released on August 8, 2006.
[185] During this time, she stated that singing was always the bigger picture, but she definitely wants to get into acting as well.
Rihanna also made an appearance as the central character in
Kanye West's music video "
Paranoid".
[186] According to the
Daily News
, Rihanna has been taking acting classes during her time in
New York, and will make her acting debut in
Personal Protection
, due to start filming later this year.
[187] [188]
Philanthropy
Rihanna created her Believe Foundation in 2006 to help terminally ill children.
[189] [190] Rihanna explained her reasons for starting the Foundation saying, "When I was young and I would watch television and I would see all the children suffering, I always said: when I grow up, I want to help."
[191] Rihanna has also performed a number of concerts to raise funds for both charities and the Foundation and is also a 2008
Cartier Love Charity Bracelet Ambassador. She performed at
Madonna’s
Raising Malawi fundraiser on February 6, 2008 in New York City .
[192] After becoming an honorary cultural ambassador for
Barbados, Rihanna became involed with DKMS, an international donor network based in
Tübingen,
Germany, to try to find a donor for Lisa Gershowitz Flynn.
[193] She was diagnosed in November with acute myelogenous leukemia.
[194]
In January 2008, Rihanna contributed in the fight against
AIDS when she visited the
H&M in New York to support Fashion Against AIDS by presenting her t-shirt design and signing autographs for a limited time with slogans like "Believe" and "Stop and Think."
[195] The collection features t-shirts and hoodies designed by Rihanna, Timbaland and other well-known designers, musicians and artists.
[196]
The line, called Fashion Against AIDS, was launched in February 2008 to raise awareness of the disease among teens and spread awareness about
HIV/
AIDS.
[197] In August 2008, Rihanna and other pop, rock, R&B and country singers such as
Carrie Underwood,
Ciara,
Beyoncé Knowles,
Leona Lewis,
Mary J. Blige,
Mariah Carey, and
Fergie recorded the charity single, "
Just Stand Up!", the theme song to the anti-cancer campaign
Stand Up to Cancer
and its theme song.
[198] The singers performed the song live on September 5, 2008.
[199] In 2008, Rihanna was selected as the spokesmodel for Gucci’s first
United Nations Children's Fund ad campaign.
[200] She appeared in the fashion house’s Tattoo Heart campaign, which premiered in December 2008.
[201] Rihanna was photographed in series of special edition print ads with United Nations Children's Fund items, twenty-five percent of sales will benefit the children’s charity.
[202]
On November 19, 2008, Rihanna was enlisted by
Gucci's Frida
Giannini along with
Madonna to light the United Nations Children's Fund Christmas snowflake in
New York City at the
Grand Army Plaza.
[203] In 2008, she became the global representative and the face of the 4th annual Gucci Campaign to Benefit United Nations Children's Fund. The campaign aimed to raise funds for children in Africa through the sale of its Tattoo Heart collection of bags, which launched worldwide on November 19, 2008.
[204] Rihanna has also been apart of many benefit concerts to help raise money for various illnesses, such as cancer for Hope Rocks.
[205] Rihanna performed on January 20, 2009 at the Recording Industry Association of America's Presidential Inauguration Charity Ball to raise money for the world largest anti-hunger organization.
[206] [207] [208] On April 2, 2009, Rihanna visited the
NYU Medical Center to help look for another bone marrow donor for a young girl named Jasmina Amena.
[209] [210] Rihanna first learned about Jasmina's plight in February 2009, when she saw the moving video Jasmina's best friend, Isabelle Huurman, and her mother, Karen Detrick, made appealing for donors to save Jasmina.
[211] Rihanna honored Jasmina's best friend, Isabella for her efforts for trying to save her best friend at a DKMS Gala on May 7, 2009. Jasmina eventually received her transplant on June 11, 2009, and is in recovery.
[212] [213] [214]
Discography
- Music of the Sun
(2005)
- A Girl Like Me
(2006)
- Good Girl Gone Bad
(2007)
Awards
See also
- List of Rihanna songs
- List of artists who reached number one on the Hot 100 (U.S.)
- List of number-one hits (United States)
Notes
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be entered.
References
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- The Nation Newspaper GRAMMY GIRL
- The Nation Newspaper Bajan stars welcome Grammy
- New Rihanna music video leaks
- Rihanna recording achievement plaque at the Island Def Jam Spring Collection party
- World-beaters of pop music
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- Rihanna Honoured
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- Singing in the rain
- Talking Shop: Shontelle
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- Artist Chart History — Rihanna
- Gold and Platinum
- Rihanna: Music of the Sun
- Music Review Music of the Sun
- Rihanna Insists She's Got What You Need In 'Pon De Replay' Follow-Up
- Rihanna Getting In Touch With Her Rock Side For Next LP
- Rihanna Hooking Up With Ne-Yo When She's Done Crying 'S.O.S.'
- Billboard.com – Discography – Rihanna – A Girl Like Me
- Rihanna Takes RIAA Platinum for ''Girl Like Me,'' Her Second Album, Featuring Hits "Unfaithful" and "SOS"
- A Girl Like Me : Rihanna : Review : Rolling Stone
- Rihanna: A Girl Like Me : Music Review : Slant Magazine
- Rihanna Lets Fans Be Her Guide, Selects Summer Jam 'We Ride' As Next Single
- Katie Hasty, "Mims Puts The 'Hot' In The Hot 100 At No. 1", Billboard.com, March 1, 2007
- Rihanna and Sean Paul - Break It Off
- Scots Date For Dolls
- Good Girl Gone Bad Rihanna
- Rihanna Loses Good Girl Image, Thanks To Jay-Z, Justin, Timbaland, Ne-Yo
- Billboard.com – Discography – Rihanna – Good Girl Gone Bad
- Rihanna's 'Umbrella' Nearing U.K. Chart History
- Rihanna Makes It 10 Weeks Atop U.K. Singles Chart
- The 100 Best Songs of 2007
- Rihanna - Don't Stop The Music
- Rihanna "Take A Bow"
- Rihanna Chooses 'Take A Bow,' Penned By Ne-Yo, To Kick Off Good Girl Gone Bad Re-Release
- Rihanna, Maroon 5 Team Up For 'Magic' Collaboration, Complete With Ultra-Glam Video
- Rihanna Fends Off Archuleta Atop Hot 100
- T.I. and Rihanna - Live Your Life
- Rihanna Mp3 Hits
- Britney Spears Kicks Off Show, But VMA Night Belongs To Rihanna And Justin Timberlake
- The 2008 Grammy Winners Are...
- Rihanna's Good Girl Gone Bad Tour
- Kanye West's Glow In The Dark Tour Will Feature Rihanna, Lupe Fiasco, N.E.R.D.
- Rihanna to Join Kanye West on Tour
- Kanye West Recruits N.E.R.D., Lupe Fiasco, Rihanna For New Tour
- See the Complete List of AMA Winners
- Grammys 2009: Rihanna cancels appearance after boyfriend Chris Brown arrested
- Grammy Awards 2009: Rihanna pulls out after Chris Brown arrest
- Chaos in Chris Brown-Rihanna Mess
- Chris Brown Arrested After Alleged Rihanna Assault
- Chris Brown Charged with Two Felonies in Rihanna Beating
- Singer Brown charged with assault
- Gossip Site Defends Posting Of Rihanna Photo
- LAPD Launches Investigation Into Release of Alleged Rihanna Abuse Photo
- 'Rihanna's Law,' Spurred By Photo Leak, Aims To Prevent Victim Exploitation
- Rihanna may testify in Chris Brown hearing June 22
- Rihanna to Be Ordered to Testify at Chris Brown Hearing
- Attorney: Rihanna to Appear at Chris Brown's Next Hearing
- Rihanna will appear in court in June, may be called to testify against Chris Brown, says her lawyer
- Rihanna to Testify at Chris Brown Hearing
- Chris Brown Cops Plea - No Jail Time
- Rihanna Returns and Kanye West Shines on Jay-Z’s “Run This Town”
- Jay-Z, Kanye, Rihanna to “Run This Town” On “Leno Show” Premiere
- Rihanna Returns to the Recording Studio
- Rihanna's racy photoshoot for Vogue Italia: Mamma mia!
- RIHANNA - RIHANNA BARES HER BREASTS IN SIZZLING ITALIAN VOGUE SHOOT
- Concert review: Rihanna
- Rihanna going bad is very good
- CANOE - JAM! Music - Artists - ConcertReviews - Concert Review
- Rihanna's outfits are a bad idea gone worse
- Rihanna Live Reviews
- Concert review: Kanye West/Rihanna
- The Times/Universal new talent: Rihanna
- Rihanna: Music of the Sun > Overview
- Rihanna: Biography
- Rihanna, Music of the Sun
- Quick Spin
- SECRET'S WORTH KEEPING
- CD Reviews
- Daddy Yankee, Kanye, Mary J. Keep Hits Coming At Wango Tango
- MMVAs: Seeing Stars
- Move over, Beyoncé
- Rihanna - SOS review
- Same old song, same old singer
- Rihanna: A Girl Like Me: Music reviews: Rolling Stone
- Rihanna: Good Girl Gone Bad > Overview
- Seasonal Signature: Pop Goes the Summer
- Rihanna Gets Voice Lessons From Ne-Yo For 'Fresh, Uptempo' New Tracks
- Rihanna is Having a Moment
- Rihanna Loses Good Girl Image, Thanks To Jay-Z, Justin, Timbaland, Ne-Yo
- Album Review: Rihanna - Good Girl Gone Bad
- Rihanna, Good Girl Gone Bad
- Rihanna - Shut Up and Drive
- Rihanna - "Q&A: What's the first record that made a big impact on you?"
- Jay-Z's Latest Def Jam Artist 'Rihanna' Ready To Take Over!
- Rihanna Upstaged By Beyonce
- Rihanna Brings Riddims
- Rihanna advises Idols to work like they have a hit
- ARTISTdirect's Exclusive Interview With Rihanna!
- Caribbean Queen
- "Coming from Barbados, I really hadn't heard that much rock music," Rihanna confesses. "Touring with Gwen changed my perspective."
- Rihanna Interview
- Rihanna: A Dream Come True
- "Q&A: What's the first record that made a big impact on you?"
- 'Black Madonna' Rihanna
- Hush Hush Rihanaa; The decade's hottest pop diva is all a-twitter about Monday's Jingle Ball. But don't ask about costar and boyfriend Chris Brown -- her lips are sealed.
- Rihanna, Revealed
- Making mix discs for your creeptastic party? Pick from our Halloween 50
- Top Five Most Paranoid Music Videos
- Rihanna: Beauty Chameleon
- Rihanna's Week of Fierce Fashion
- Get Inside Rihanna's Fashion Evolution From Jean Skirts To Jean-Paul Gaultier
- Rihanna Dropping Sexy Image For Malaysia
- Grammy Quick Changes: What's Her Best Look?
- Get Winter's Coolest Coats!
- PEOPLE'S 10 Best Dressed Stars of 2008
- PEOPLE'S 10 Best Dressed Stars of 2008
- Rihanna's Week of Fierce Fashion
- Rihanna's White Suit And Leopard Top Combo: A Do Or A Don't?
- Maxim’s 100 hot list!! Top hot 100 women in the world according to Maxim!
- 2008 Hot 100
- Rihanna wins Celebrity Legs of a Goddess Award
- Rihanna: Diva of the year
- Maxim's Hot 100 list for 2009
- Tattoo-Loving Stars
- Rihanna Gets Her First Tattoo
- Rihanna and Chris Brown Get Tattooed Together
- How many tattoos does Rihanna have? — Twelve!
- Rihanna’s Pisces Tattoo
- Rihanna Reveals Her Tiny Tattoo
- Love is on Rihanna’s Finger
- Star Fashion
- Celebrity (Tattoo) Twins
- Lily Allen gets a 'shhh' finger tattoo like Rihanna
- Rihanna’s Tattoos Show Our Birthday Girl Is A Painted Lady
- Rihanna's New Tattoo Explained!
- Check Out Rihanna's Sexy New Tattoo
- Rihanna gets ‘gun’ tattooed on her ribs
- Rihanna New Gun Tattoo
- Artist: Why Rihanna Got a Gun Tattoo
- Rihanna's Tattoo Artist Reveals Bangin' New Ink
- Rihanna Shows Off New Gun Tattoo
- Rihanna's Tattoo Artist Explains Her New Ink
- Rihanna Gets a Gun Tattoo
- Secret weapon: Rihanna unveils controversial new gun tattoo
- Rihanna's tattoo a symbol of power
- A piece of Barbados on album
- All hail Rihanna
- Barbados has Rihanna day
- Barbados has Rihanna day
- Grammy Girl
- Rihanna blasts the Bajan haters…..
- Rihanna: No skimpy clothes
- Constructive criticism of Rihanna's dress
- If It's Nuddy That You Want
- Why portray Rihanna as a sex symbol?
- Rihanna deserves more support
- Caribbean Queen
- A little humility goes a long way, Rihanna
- Give Rihanna stories a rest
- That's life, Rihanna!
- Record biz's new threat: advertising; Brands use spots to promote artists, cut out middleman; licensing fees drop.(News)
- How to Sell Body Sprays to Teenagers? Hint: It's Not Just Cleanliness
- Rihanna Getting In Touch With Her Rock Side For Next LP
- Behind the Scenes at Rihanna’s CoverGirl Shoot
- Nothing Sells Like Celebrity
- Rihanna for the Clinique Happy fragrance
- Rihanna Becomes the New Face of Gucci
- Gucci Lands a Hot Celebrity Endorsement
- FIRST LOOK: Rihanna’s Gucci Ad Campaign for UNICEF
- Rihanna, Totes Team For 'Umbrella'
- Rihanna Has "Totes" Sold Her Soul For Success
- Stand under Rihanna's umbrella
- Rihanna, Kanye West, Jay-Z Ink Celeb Fragrance Deal
- Kanye West, Rihanna Releasing Fragrances Via Jay-Z Deal
- Jay-Z, Kanye West & Rihanna To Get Fragrances
- Rihanna taking acting lessons for debut
- Rihanna Brings On Acting Career With New 'Bring It On' Flick
- Rihanna Vamps It Up In New Video
- Rihanna and Chris Brown both set for upcoming film projects
- Rihanna to act in 'Personal Protection'
- Rihanna Touring for Kids in Need
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- Rihanna Tries to Find Bone Marrow Donor for Mom With Leukemia
- Rihanna Helps N.Y.C Mom Find Bone Marrow Donor
- Rihanna, Good Charlotte & Timbaland Team Up With H&M To Fight AIDS
- H&M x Rihanna “Fight Against AIDS"
- Rihanna Hooks Up With H&M For New Line
- Mariah Carey, Beyonce, Rihanna, Fergie, Miley Cyrus, More Collaborate On Cancer Benefit Single
- "Just Stand Up” Star-Studded Charitable Single Sets Pace For Stand Up to Cancer Fundraising Campaign ''Stand Up to Cancer'' Retrieved on 2009-06-06.
- Under The Gucci Umbrella
- Rihanna’s White Tatoo Heart Campaign For Gucci And Unicef
- Rihanna’s Gucci Ad Campaign for UNICEF
- Let There Be Light
- Gucci Benefits UNICEF - 21/11/2008
- Jesse McCartney Seeks Help From 'Insanely Brilliant' Neptunes
- Rihanna signs up for Recording Industry Association of America's Presidential Inauguration ball
- Rihanna to Perform at Charity Inaugural Ball
- Rihanna Lets The Sunshine In At The Presidential Inauguration
- Rihanna - Rihanna Fights To Save Cancer-Stricken Mum
- Rihanna Pays Special Visit to Sick Fan
- Rihanna Helps 5-Year-Old Fan Look for Bone Marrow Donor
- Rihanna on Jasmina Anema's bone marrow transplant: 'Miracles do happen'
- Rihanna Attends Charity Event For 6-Year-Old Cancer Patient
- Rihanna on Jasmina's Transplant: 'Miracles Do Happen'
- The Nation Newspaper Jimmy was first
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