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Rihanna is one of the most influential female musicians of her time. The 36-year-old singer has racked up awards and broken multiple records in her career. At just 17 years old, Rihanna made her debut in the music industry, with the release of the studio version of her debut single, Pon de Replay, in May 2005.
Since then, the nine-time Grammy winner has released a series of hit tracks like Umbrella, Cheers Drink To That, Man Down, and Diamond, amongst others. The successful singer is ranked as the richest female musician in the world, according to Forbes. Her billionaire status stems from her illustrious career and successful business pursuits.
Rihanna’s musical journey and highlights
2005 - 2007
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In 2005, Rihanna, or Robyn Rihanna Fenty, was discovered by the American record producer, Evan Rogers in her home country, Barbados. Rogers recorded a demo and sent it to the new CEO of Def Jam Recordings, Jay-Z, who then invited the 16-year-old Rihanna to audition for the record label.
She walked away from the audition with a record deal with the company. In May 2005, her first studio single, Pon de Replay translated as Play it Again in Bajan Creole, was released.
The dancehall song peaked at number one on the US Billboard Dance Club Songs chart and number two US Billboard Hot 100. In August of the same year, the singer’s first album, Music of the Sun, was released and featured Pon de Replay and If It’s Lovin' that You Want.
The album debuted at number ten on the US Billboard 200 and six on the US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums. Riding on the popularity of her first album, the Barbadian-raised singer released her second album, A Girl Like Me in 2006.
The pop and reggae album was influenced by her Caribbean roots and featured singles like SOS and Unfaithful. The album peaked at number five on the US Billboard 200 and the UK Albums chart. The album’s lead single, SOS, became Rihanna’s first single to reach number one on the Billboard Hot 100.
In the summer of 2006, Rihanna embarked on the Rihanna: Live in Concert Tour to promote her previously released albums. The tour was held from July to September 2006, across states like San Francisco, Atlanta, Boston, and New York, amongst others. 2007 saw the starlet release her third studio album, Good Girl Gone Bad.
The album is described by critics as the turning point in her career, as she embraced a new sound and an edgier image. The album earned the singer her first Grammy win and seven nominations, with Umbrella, the lead track, winning Best Rap/Song Collaboration.
The album debuted at number two on the Billboard 200. Umbrella was listed as number 412 on Rolling Stone’s 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. The Grammy winner proceeded on her second tour and first world tour, Good Girl Gone Bad Tour, to promote her album of the same name.
The world tour ran from September 2007 to January 2009 and reportedly earned over $10 million and spanned cities like London, Berlin, New York, and Paris, amongst others.
2009 - 2011
In 2009, Rihanna released her fourth album, Rated R, referred to as her most mature and layered album. The album debuted at number four on the Billboard 200, with singles Hard becoming her thirteenth top-ten single and Rude Boy topping the Hot 100 chart for five consecutive weeks.
She embarked on her second worldwide tour Last Girl on Earth, from April 2010 to March 2011, to promote the album. The tour reportedly earned over $24 million and spanned Europe, North America, and Australia.
In 2010, Rihanna released her fifth studio album, Loud. The album came with the superstar embracing red hair and a new look. Loud was the eighth global best-selling album of 2011 and produced hits like Only Girl In the World and What’s My Name which topped the Hot 100 chart.
The celebrated singer embarked on her third worldwide tour, the Loud Tour, to promote the album. The tour (from June 2011 to December 2011), spanned over twenty countries and grossed an estimated $90 million.
In 2011, the world-famous singer released her sixth album, Talk That Talk. The album ranked third on the Billboard 200, with its lead single, We Found Love, becoming the singer’s eleventh number-one song on the Hot 100 chart and winning the Grammy Award for Best Music Video.
2012 - 2016
In 2012, Rihanna released her first number-one album on the Billboard 200 chart, Unapologetic, which also won the Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Album. The album boasts hits like Diamond and Stay, amongst others.
She embarked on her fourth world tour, the Diamonds World Tour, to promote the Unapologetic album. The tour spanned five continents and grossed over $137 million. From 2013 to 2014, Rihanna won Grammy Awards for Best Music Video and Best Urban Contemporary Album, amongst others.
In 2016, she released her eighth and most recent album, Anti. The album peaked at number one on the Billboard 200 and produced hits like Work, Anti, and Kiss It Better. The Anti World Tour, to promote the album of the same name, began in March, in Jacksonville and ended in Abu Dhabi in November 2016, reportedly earning over $110 million.
2020 - present
In 2020, the Fenty mogul teamed up with PARTYNEXTDOOR for the hit song Believe It. In 2022, she released the track Lift Me Up, as the Original Soundtrack for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. In 2023, she performed during the Super Bowl Halftime show and sung nostalgic hits for fans around the world.
The celebrated singer has been on an album hiatus as her last release was in 2016. Naturally, fans and media alike have speculated as to when her next album release would be announced. On the release of her ninth album, Rihanna said at the Fenty Hair launch party in June 2024:
“I have been working on the album for so long that I kinda put all that stuff aside and now I’m prepared to go back in the studio. I’m gonna start—give me a second!”
Rihanna has established herself as one of the best musicians of her time. She continues to reinvent herself with new projects and has shared her multiple talents with the world.
