Rihanna facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
The Right Excellent
Rihanna
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Rihanna in 2024
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| Born |
Robyn Rihanna Fenty
February 20, 1988 |
| Occupation |
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| Years active | 2003–present |
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Works
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| Children | 2 |
| Awards | Full list |
| Musical career | |
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| Instruments | Vocals |
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| Barbadian Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary | |
| Assumed office September 20, 2018 |
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| Prime Minister | Mia Mottley |
| Preceded by | Position established |
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Robyn Rihanna Fenty (born February 20, 1988) is a famous singer, businesswoman, and actress from Barbados. She has made a big impact with her music and fashion. Rihanna is one of the richest and best-selling musicians ever. She has sold about 250 million records. Her many awards include nine Grammy Awards, 12 Billboard Music Awards, and 13 American Music Awards. She has also been nominated for an Academy Award and a Golden Globe.
Rihanna was discovered by producer Evan Rogers and signed with Def Jam Recordings in 2005. Her first albums, Music of the Sun (2005) and A Girl Like Me (2006), were inspired by Caribbean music. Both albums reached the top ten on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart. Songs like "Pon de Replay" and "SOS" became very popular. Later, Rihanna changed her style to dance-pop and R&B with her album Good Girl Gone Bad (2007). This album had many hit songs, including "Umbrella", "Take a Bow", and "Disturbia".
After exploring different themes on Rated R (2009), Rihanna returned to upbeat sounds with Loud (2010). She then added more R&B to Talk That Talk (2011). Her album Unapologetic (2012) was her first to reach number one on the Billboard 200. These albums featured hit songs like "Rude Boy", "Only Girl (In the World)", "What's My Name?", "S&M", "We Found Love", and "Diamonds". After joining Jay-Z's label, Roc Nation, she released Anti (2016). This album also topped the charts and included the hit song "Work". Rihanna has also acted in films like Battleship (2012), Home (2015), and Ocean's 8 (2018).
Rihanna is the highest-certified female digital single artist by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). She has seven US diamond-certified singles and 14 number-one singles on the Billboard Hot 100. Beyond music, Rihanna is known for her businesses. She started the Clara Lionel Foundation, the makeup brand Fenty Beauty, and the fashion brand Fenty with LVMH. She was the first Black woman to lead a luxury brand for LVMH. In 2021, she was named an ambassador by the Government of Barbados and declared a National Hero of Barbados. Publications like Rolling Stone and Billboard have listed Rihanna among history's greatest artists.
Life and career
1988–2002: Early life
Robyn Rihanna Fenty was born in Saint Michael, Barbados, on February 20, 1988. Her mother, Monica, was an accountant, and her father, Ronald, was a warehouse supervisor. Rihanna has two younger brothers, Rorrey and Rajad, and three older half-siblings from her father's side.
She grew up in a small house in Bridgetown and would help her father sell clothes on the street. Her childhood had some difficulties that put a strain on her parents' marriage. Her parents separated when she was 14.
Rihanna attended Charles F. Broome Memorial Primary School and then Combermere School. She was a good student who enjoyed singing, dancing, and writing poetry. She loved listening to reggae music and R&B singers like Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey. At age 11, she joined a youth program called the Cadet Corps. She left school at 16 to focus on her music career.
2003–2006: Career beginnings
In 2003, Rihanna and two of her classmates formed a singing group. They auditioned for American music producer Evan Rogers, who was visiting Barbados. Rogers was very impressed with Rihanna and said, "the minute Rihanna walked into the room, it was like the other two girls didn't exist."
Rogers invited Rihanna to the United States to record some demo songs. In 2005, her demo was sent to the rapper Jay-Z, who was the president of the record label Def Jam Recordings. Jay-Z invited her to audition for him and music executive Antonio "L.A." Reid. They were so impressed that they signed her to a six-album record deal that same day. Soon after, Rihanna moved from Barbados to the U.S. to start her career.
Her first single, "Pon de Replay", was released in May 2005 and became a worldwide hit. Her debut album, Music of the Sun, came out in August 2005 and sold over two million copies. She made her acting debut with a small part in the movie Bring It On: All or Nothing (2006).
Rihanna quickly began working on her second album, A Girl Like Me, which was released in April 2006. It was also a commercial success. The lead single, "SOS", became her first number-one song on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart.
2007–2008: Stardom with Good Girl Gone Bad
For her third album, Rihanna wanted a more mature and upbeat dance sound. She worked with famous producers like Ne-Yo and Timbaland. The album, Good Girl Gone Bad, was released in May 2007 and was a major turning point in her career. It moved away from the Caribbean style of her first two albums.
The lead single, "Umbrella", featuring Jay-Z, became one of the biggest songs of the year. It was number one in many countries, including for ten weeks in the UK and seven weeks in the U.S. Other hit singles from the album included "Shut Up and Drive" and "Don't Stop the Music".
To support the album, she went on the Good Girl Gone Bad Tour, performing 80 shows around the world. In 2008, she won a Grammy Award for "Umbrella". Later that year, she re-released the album as Good Girl Gone Bad: Reloaded with new songs. Two of these new songs, "Take a Bow" and "Disturbia", also went to number one in the U.S.
2011–2013: Talk That Talk and Unapologetic
Rihanna's sixth album, Talk That Talk, was released in November 2011. It was a pop and R&B album with a dance-oriented sound. The album's lead single, "We Found Love", was a massive global hit. It stayed at number one on the U.S. charts for ten weeks.
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In early 2012, Rihanna was featured on songs by Coldplay ("Princess of China") and Drake ("Take Care"). She won a Grammy Award for her work on Kanye West's song "All of the Lights". She also won Best International Female Solo Artist at the Brit Awards.
Her seventh album, Unapologetic, was released in November 2012. It became her first album to reach number one in the United States. The lead single, "Diamonds", became her 12th number-one song in the U.S. The song "Stay" was also a top-five hit.
In 2012, Rihanna starred in her first major film, Battleship. In 2013, she went on her fifth headlining tour, the Diamonds World Tour. She also appeared in the comedy film This Is the End (2013).
2014–2017: Anti and other projects
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After her tour for Unapologetic, Rihanna took a short break from recording music. In 2015, she voiced the main character, Tip, in the animated movie Home. She also released a soundtrack album for the film.
In late 2015, Rihanna made a deal with Samsung to promote her eighth album, Anti, and its world tour. The album was released in January 2016. Anti had a different sound from her previous work, with dancehall and soul influences. It became her second number-one album in the U.S.
The album's lead single, "Work", featuring Drake, topped the U.S. charts. The songs "Needed Me" and "Love on the Brain" were also top-ten hits. The Anti World Tour began in March 2016. During this time, she was also featured on successful songs by other artists, like Calvin Harris's "This Is What You Came For".
In 2017, Rihanna had a recurring role in the TV series Bates Motel. She also played a shapeshifting entertainer in the science fiction film Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets.
2018–present: Music hiatus, motherhood and Super Bowl
In 2018, Rihanna starred in the hit heist film Ocean's 8 with an all-female cast. In 2019, she starred alongside Donald Glover in the musical film Guava Island. During this time, she focused more on her business ventures and took a break from releasing new albums.
In May 2022, Rihanna and her partner, rapper ASAP Rocky, welcomed their first son. In October 2022, she released the song "Lift Me Up" for the movie Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. It was her first solo song in six years and earned her an Academy Award nomination.
On February 12, 2023, Rihanna performed at the Super Bowl LVII halftime show. It was her first live performance in over five years. The show became the most-watched halftime show in history. During the performance, she revealed she was pregnant with her second child, and their second son was born in 2023.
In 2025, she voiced Smurfette in the animated movie Smurfs. In May of that year, she announced she was expecting her third child.
Artistry
Music and voice
Rihanna's music has changed and evolved throughout her career. Growing up in Barbados, she listened to reggae, hip hop, and soca music. Her first two albums, Music of the Sun and A Girl Like Me, were heavily influenced by Caribbean music.
Starting with her third album, Good Girl Gone Bad, she began to experiment with different genres. She moved towards pop, dance, and R&B. She said she wanted "to make music that could be heard in parts of the world that I'd never been to."
Her later albums included even more styles, like dubstep and EDM. Albums like Rated R had a darker, more serious tone, while Loud was more fun and energetic. Critics have praised her powerful and emotional voice, especially on songs like "Diamonds". In 2023, Rolling Stone magazine ranked her at number 68 on its list of the 200 Greatest Singers of All Time.
Influences
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Rihanna has said that Madonna is her biggest idol and influence. She admired Madonna's ability to change her style and music throughout her long career. She once said she wanted to be the "black Madonna."
Another major influence was Mariah Carey. Rihanna performed Carey's song "Hero" at a high school talent show. She has also been inspired by Bob Marley, and she built a shrine to him in her home. She said he "paved the way for every other artist out of the Caribbean."
Other artists who have influenced her include Janet Jackson, Whitney Houston, Beyoncé, and Aaliyah. She also loves rock music, which she discovered after moving to the United States.
Business ventures
Rihanna has built a successful business empire outside of music. She uses her last name, Fenty, for most of her brands.
Fenty Beauty
In 2017, Rihanna launched her makeup company, Fenty Beauty. The brand was praised for offering products for a wide range of skin tones. Its first foundation came in 40 different shades, which was uncommon at the time.
This became known as the "Fenty Effect," as many other makeup brands started to offer more shades to be more inclusive. Time magazine named Fenty Beauty one of the best inventions of 2017.
Savage X Fenty
In 2018, Rihanna launched a lingerie brand called Savage X Fenty. The brand is known for being inclusive, offering a wide variety of sizes and using models of all shapes and sizes in its advertising. The brand's fashion shows have been streamed on Amazon Prime Video and feature performances by famous musicians.
Other Fenty brands
In July 2020, Rihanna launched a skincare brand called Fenty Skin. In June 2024, she launched a hair care brand called Fenty Hair. The products are made for all hair types.
Philanthropy and advocacy
In 2006, Rihanna started the Believe Foundation to help children with serious illnesses. In 2012, she founded the Clara Lionel Foundation (CLF) in honor of her grandparents. The CLF supports education and emergency response programs around the world. The foundation hosts a Diamond Ball every year to raise money for its causes.
Rihanna has donated millions of dollars to various causes. She gave money to help victims of Hurricane Sandy in 2012. In 2020, she donated $5 million for COVID-19 relief and also gave protective equipment and ventilators to hospitals.
Rihanna often uses her platform to speak out on social and political issues. She has supported LGBT rights and has called for an end to police brutality. In 2017, she took part in the 2017 Women's March. She has also spoken out in support of climate justice and farmers' protests in India.
Achievements
Rihanna is one of the best-selling music artists of all time, with over 250 million records sold. She has won numerous awards, including 9 Grammy Awards, 13 American Music Awards, and 12 Billboard Music Awards.
- She has had 14 number-one singles on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart, the third-most for any artist.
- She is the first and only artist to have more than 100 million certified digital song sales in the U.S.
- Billboard named her the top pop artist of the 2010s decade.
- In 2021, she was officially named a National Hero of Barbados.
Discography
Studio albums
- Music of the Sun (2005)
- A Girl like Me (2006)
- Good Girl Gone Bad (2007)
- Rated R (2009)
- Loud (2010)
- Talk That Talk (2011)
- Unapologetic (2012)
- Anti (2016)
Filmography
- Bring It On: All or Nothing (2006)
- Battleship (2012)
- This Is the End (2013)
- Home (2015)
- Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets (2017)
- Ocean's 8 (2018)
- Guava Island (2019)
- Smurfs (2025)
Tours
As a headliner
- Rihanna: Live in Concert (2006)
- Good Girl Gone Bad Tour (2007–2009)
- Last Girl on Earth Tour (2010–2011)
- Loud Tour (2011)
- Diamonds World Tour (2013)
- Anti World Tour (2016)
As a co-headliner
- The Monster Tour (with Eminem) (2014)
Promotional tours
- A Girl's Night Out (2008; a series of charity concerts to benefit the "Believe Foundation")
- 777 Tour (2012; in support of her seventh studio album Unapologetic)
See also
- Culture of Barbados
- Music of Barbados
- Honorific nicknames in popular music
- List of Billboard Social 50 number-one artists
- List of Billboard Hot 100 chart achievements and milestones
- Rihanna (given name)
See also
In Spanish: Rihanna para niños
