Rihanna, 1988

Robyn Rihanna Fenty was born in Saint Michael, Barbados. Growing up, she witnessed her father struggles with alcohol and drug addiction and physically abusing her mother. It caused her chronic headaches, which improved at the age of 14 when her parents divorced. Singing was her way to release the tension at home, and at the age of 15, Rihanna formed a girl singing group with two of her friends. The trio landed an audition with the producer Evan Rogers, who invited her to a solo audition and then helped her record a demo tape. In the following year, 16 years old Rihanna moved to the US. She lived with Rogers and his wife and signed on a six-album record deal with Jay-Z’s record label Def Jam.

At 17, Rihanna released her debut single, Pon de Replay. The song was an immediate success and paved the way to her first album, Music of the Sun, which sold over 2 million copies and received a gold certification from the Recording Industry Association of America. Within less than a year, she released her second album, A Girl Like Me that included the number one hit SOS. The album topped the charts in more than 10 countries and gained Rihanna her first certified Platinum. In her third album, Good Girl Gone Bad, Rihanna leaned into R&B. The album was sold in over 8 million copies, and its lead single, Umbrella with Jay-Z, earned Rihanna her first Grammy Award.

In 2009, at the age of 21, Rihanna was physically assaulted by her boyfriend, Chris Brown. The incident got covered by tabloids all over the world. Her following album, Rated R, was influenced by her experiences and feelings of revenge. Two years later, she released her fifth studio album, Loud, which included the hits Only Girl (In the World) and S&M. At 23, she became the youngest artist to have 10 number one hits on the Billboard chart and the fastest to reach that milestone. By the age of 28, Rihanna recorded three more top-of-the-charts albums and dozens of number-one hits, including We, Found Love, Diamonds, and Work. She collaborated with A-list artists like Paul McCartney, Eminem, Kanye West, Britney Spears, and Shakira. By 2021, her eight studio albums sold more than 250 million copies worldwide, she became the youngest solo artist to score 14 number-one singles on the billboard hot 100 and received hundreds of awards for her music, including 9 Grammy Awards, 13 American Music Awards, and 8 Billboard Music Awards.

Between one record to another, Rihanna is running various successful businesses. In 2011, she launched her first fragrance, followed by six more for both men and women. At 27, she established Fr8me, a beauty and stylist agency that assists artists in editorial shoots, booking commercials, and red-carpet looks. Two years later, she founded Fenty Beauty, the first cosmetics company that offers 40 different shaded foundations, bronzers, and other products that fit any skin color. The brand has changed the cosmetics industry with its diversity and setting a new standard for all the other companies. Rihanna continued her method of inclusivity by opening Savage X Fenty, a lingerie brand that provides products in a wide variety of sizes and shades. In 2019, she launched a line of clothing, footwear, and accessories under the LVMH group.

Throughout the years, Rihanna used her fame and influence to help society. In 2006, she founded the Believe Foundation for terminally ill children, and in 2012 she established the Clara Lionel Foundation to fund education and early response programs. She is a loud advocate against LGBT discrimination and for women’s rights. She is often performing on benefit shows and donates millions of dollars to various causes, such as the rehabilitation after Hurricane Sandy, COVID-19 relief, and more.

This post is also available in: