Genres: Rap/Hip Hop,Pop,Electronica/Dance,Soul/R&BBorn Robyn Rihanna Fenty on February 20, 1988 Rihanna grew up in Saint Michael, Barbados where she spent her childhood winning talent and beauty contests. Her life changed when she met Evan Rogers, producer for hit artists like Christina Aguilera, Kelly Clarkson, and Rod Stewart.
Rihanna
Success for me isn't a destination it's a journey. Everybody's working to get to the top but where is the top? It's all about working harder and getting better and moving up and up.
Born Robyn Rihanna Fenty on February 20, 1988 Rihanna grew up in Saint Michael, Barbados where she spent her childhood winning talent and beauty contests. Her life changed when she met Evan Rogers, producer for hit artists like Christina Aguilera, Kelly Clarkson, and Rod Stewart. Along with Rogers and his partner, Carl Sturken, Rihanna recorded several demos which attracted the attention of Def Jam president Shawn “Jay-Z” Carter. After auditioning, Rihanna accepted an offer to sign with Def Jam and, in the summer of 2005, released her debut studio album Music of the Sun.
Music of the Sun featured Caribbean rhythms combined with R&B style songwriting. The leadoff single from this album, Pon de Replay, became a smash hit, climbing to number two on the Billboard Hot 100. Rihanna released a second album, A Girl Like Me, in 2006 which was also wildly successful and resulted in three notable singles – S.O.S, Unfaithful, and Break It Off. S.O.S. became Rihanna’s first U.S. number one hit single.
The third studio album Rihanna released, Good Girl Gone Bad, marked a change in direction for her music. While other albums relied on unbalanced Caribbean themes and balladry, Good Girl Gone Bad was a dance-pop album that produced five top ten hits including three that become number one hit singles in the U.S. – Umbrella, Take a Bow, and Disturbia.
The success of Rihanna’s third album made her one of the world’s biggest pop stars and she has received several awards. In 2007, she was nominated as the World’s Best-Selling Pop Female Artist in the World Music Awards and in 2008 was the Favorite Pop/Rock Female Artist and Favorite Soul/R&B Female Artist. Rihanna’s fame continued with the release of her fourth studio album, Rated R, which contains references to the physical altercation with now ex-boyfriend Chris Brown which gained nationwide media attention.
Singles from Rated R continue to sell. Russian Roulette, Hard and Rude Boy have reached the top ten of the Billboard Hot 100. Rihanna continues to record music and receive recognition for her position as one of the most popular new female artists in the industry. In 2010, Rihanna received two Grammy Awards for her participation in Jay-Z’s 2009 single Run This Town, giving her a total of three Grammy Awards won. While Rihanna’s music seems to have taken a turn toward a darker motif, she continues to remain popular in the United States and all over the world.
Did you know…
- the success of three of her singles on the Rated R album has led to Rihanna joining Beyonce as the female artist with the most top ten hits in the U.S. since 2000
- Rihanna serves as one of Barbados’ honorary cultural ambassadors
- Rihanna was an army cadet in a sub-military program which trained with the military of Barbados