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Sunday, October 9, 2011

HOT CELEBRITIES: Rihanna finds love with boxer? Rihanna Rated R Album Promo Photoshoot

Rihanna finds love with boxer?














Rihanna

R&B star Rihanna has sparked rumours of a love match with British boxer Dudley O'Shaughnessy after they were seen enjoying a night out together in London.

The Bajan beauty took her Loud tour to the U.K. this week and spent Thursday night partying with the sportsman and model after reportedly handpicking him to appear in the video for her new single We Found Love.

Sources claim sparks flew between the young stars on the set of the promo, which was shot on an Irish farm last month, and they reunited in the U.K. capital following Rihanna's gig at the O2 Arena.

According to British newspaper the Daily Mail, Rihanna and O'Shaughnessy shared drinks at popular nightclub Mahiki before they were snapped leaving the venue together in the early hours of Friday.

Rihanna has been largely single since splitting from Los Angeles Dodgers baseball star Matt Kemp last December.

Rihanna 'takes Tube' to London concert


Superstar singer Rihanna surprised London Underground travellers by catching the Jubilee Line to the first of 10 sold-out concerts at the O2 Arena, reports said.
The 23-year-old Barbadian chatted with fans and posed for pictures in a crowded carriage, telling one that she didn't know "how you guys do it", according to the Evening Standard.
As one of the world's biggest pop stars, Rihanna is more used to travelling in private jets and limousines but turned up unannounced to travel by public transport to Wednesday's performance.
Lisa-Marie O'Keeffe, a singer, wrote on a website: "I met Rihanna on my way home, told her she was crazy for taking the Tube she said, 'Dunno how you guys do it', the Standard added.
"(She) was taking the Tube to her own gig at the 02, how funny? She was lovely and chatty but I wasn't quick enough for a snap with her. I had to double look, her accent was more of a give away."
Adrienne Amado, from St John's Wood, told Nick Ferrari on LBC that Rihanna, who was accompanied by a posse of minders, was offered a seat from Green Park but declined.
She said: "We had quite a personal chat, she was asking me about my 13-year-old daughter Jessie and how old she was. It was just so exciting.
"She had her arm around me and even moved in when I asked her for a photograph. She was so gracious and so nice that I kept telling her how humble she was, not just because she was on the Tube but because of her manner."
Wearing a relatively modest white top for her journey to the Arena, Rihanna left the packed Tube train at North Greenwich station, the Standard said.
Flanked by security guards, she then came out of the station and jumped into a waiting car which drove her 100 yards to the backstage area of the huge venue.
A spokeswoman for the singer said: "Rihanna decided to get the Tube rather than drive to the first of her 10 sold-out 02 shows".
There was no suggestion that a carriage had been reserved or cleared of other passengers. Her journey caught Tube staff and passengers by complete surprise.
Last week, farmer Northern Ireland farmer Alan Graham ordered Rihanna off his land when he objected to the singer stripping down to a bikini while filming a new video.


Rihanna defends use of foul word




Naive Rihanna had no idea the foul four-letter 'C' word was so offensive until her make-up artist had to beg her stop using it as a term of endearment.
The Umbrella singer insists locals in her native Barbados use the slang word for female genitalia frequently - and she was stunned when she learned exactly what it meant as her career took off.
The superstar tells the new issue of Britain's Vogue magazine, "That word is so offensive to everyone in the world except for Bajans. You know African-Americans use the N-word to their brothers? Well, that's the way we use the C-word. When I first came here, I was saying it like it was nothing, like, 'Hey, c**t', until my make-up artist finally had to tell me to stop."
But, despite the fact that Rihanna now knows the word offends, she's still using it - she was photographed wearing a necklace with 'c**t' spelled out as the pendant during a visit to a sacred site in Brazil last month.







Rihanna Rated R Album Promo Photoshoot














 

Rated R (Rihanna album)


Rated R
Studio album by Rihanna
ReleasedNovember 20, 2009
RecordedMarch – November 2009
Milk Studios, Germano Studios
(Manhattan, New York)
Metropolis Studios
(London, England)
Studios Davout
(Paris, France)
Paper V.U. Studios, Westlake Recording Studios
(Los Angeles, California)
GenreR&B, pop
Length51:17
LabelDef Jam
ProducerAntonio "L.A." Reid (exec.), Rihanna (exec.), The Carter Administration (exec.), Carl Sturken and Evan Rogers (exec.), Chase & Status, The-Dream, Chuck Harmony, Brian Kennedy, Ne-Yo, StarGate, Tricky Stewart, will.i.am, The Y's
Rihanna chronology
Good Girl Gone Bad
(2007)
Rated R
(2009)
Loud
(2010)

Singles from Rated R
  1. "Russian Roulette"
    Released: October 30, 2009
  2. "Hard"
    Released: January 19, 2010
  3. "Rude Boy"
    Released: February 19, 2010
  4. "Rockstar 101"
    Released: June 2, 2010
  5. "Te Amo"
    Released: June 8, 2010
Rated R is the fourth studio album by Barbadian recording artist Rihanna, first released November 20, 2009, on Def Jam Recordings. The album is a musical distance from her previous effort Good Girl Gone Bad (2007), which contained up-tempo and ballad-oriented songs, and it heavily incorporated pop and dance-pop musical styles. Conceived after Rihanna's assault by her then-boyfriend, singer Chris Brown, Rated R features different foreboding and angry tone, in terms of musical and lyrical direction, and incorporates elements of hip hop, rock, and dubstep. The album also incorporated other musical genres, such as Dancehall in the Jamaican inspired "Rude Boy" and Latin in "Te Amo".
Recording sessions for the album took place during March to November 2009 at several recording studios throughout United States and Europe. Rihanna together with L.A. Reid, Jay-Z and Carl Sturken and Evan Rogers, executively produced the album and worked with several record producers, including Chase & Status, StarGate, The-Dream, Ne-Yo, and Brian Kennedy. The album also included several featured vocalists and instrumentalist, including Young Jeezy, Will.i.am and Slash who played the guitars in "Rockstar 101".
Upon its release Rated R received positive reviews from music critics, who praised Rihanna's mature performance, and described the album as her most layered and heartfelt effort. The album debuted at number four on the US Billboard 200 chart, selling 181,000 copies in its first week in the United States. The album reached number-one in Norway, Switzerland and on the US Billboard R&B/Hip Hop Albums. On the UK Albums Chart, the album reached a peak of nine, and was certified gold in only four days.
The album produced five singles, including the international hits "Russian Roulette", "Rude Boy" and "Te Amo", together with the US releases "Hard". "Wait Your Turn" was also released as the albums promotional single. "Russian Roulette" was released as albums lead single and managed to reach top-ten in seventeen countries and topped the charts in Norway and Switzerland. "Hard reached number nine in the United States and became her thirteenth top-ten single re-tying her with Beyoncé Knowles as the female artist with the most top-ten hit singles in the United States. "Rude Boy" was a commercial success and became the only single from the album that topped the US Billboard Hot 100 for five consecutive weeks. "Rockstar 101" was released in the United States and managed to reach number two on Billboard's Hot Dance Club Songs. "Te Amo", the last international released single, managed to reach number one on Brazilian Hot 100 Airplay and peaked within the top-ten in nine other countries.

Contents

Background


Ne-Yo, one of the producers of the album, stated that he would not write a song for Rihanna about Brown, because he felt it would be inappropriate due to their friendship
Rihanna's previous album Good Girl Gone Bad (2007) was a commercial success and received generally favorable reviews from most music critics.[1] The album featured five top ten hits—three US number one hit singles—including the international breakthrough single "Umbrella". With regards to the Rated R album, there was much speculation as to whether any of the songs on the album would be about former boyfriend Chris Brown.[2] In an interview with MTV, Ne-Yo—who has written songs for Rihanna in the past—clarified that he would not write a song for Rihanna about Brown because he doesn't think that needs to be a song and because of his friendship with Brown.[2] Producer Chuck Harmony felt that no matter what song Rihanna released as the lead single people would immediately think that the song is about Brown.[3]
During an interview with Marc Malkin at the MTV Video Music Awards, Ne-Yo stated that people should expect an edgier and angrier Rihanna on the album.[4] He later told In Touch Weekly that the album is definitely more edgy than the way we're used to seeing Rihanna while describing the album as "liberated".[5] Akon, on the other hand, stated that he was "going to lighten her up" and didn't want an angry Rihanna.[4] With the success of her last album, Rihanna wanted to make sure that she didn't fall into one sound or vibe.[6] At the "Justin Timberlake & Friends Concert in Las Vegas", Timberlake told MTV that Rated R is a whole new sound and that the new songs are not just a rehash of what fans heard on her last album.[6] "She broke onto the scene so hard with the last record — to have that many songs on the charts is impressive. I think that the smartest thing she's doing is not trying to emulate what she did but move forward", Timberlake explained.[6]
After the release of the lead single, "Russian Roulette," Harmony was aware that the reaction was mixed from fans who've heard the track.[3] He further clarified that the song is not relating to the rest of the album and that it is a reflection of Rihanna's growth as an artist.[7] Tricky Stewart spoke to Rap-Up about the song he and The-Dream contributed to and about the album as a whole describing the song as an uptempo and edgy club banger while stating that the album is different than her past works.[8] In February 2010, Rihanna said that she liked the album but her next would be much less intense: "I really like the bottom, the grime of it. But if I were to combine that with more energetic, up-tempo pop records, then I think that would be a happy marriage. And that's where we'll probably go next".[9] When asked what the most important song to her was, she stated that she doesn't have one that is most important, however, "Fire Bomb" and "Cold Case Love" are some of her favorites. She also stated she does enjoy the "fun" songs on this album as well including "Rockstar 101", "Hard", and her hit single, "Rude Boy".[10]

[edit] Recording


Rihanna performing "Russian Roulette", a song with dark and morbid elements, and lead single from the album
Rihanna began recording songs for the album in March 2009.[11] The album was recorded over a span of approximately eight months from March to November 2009.[11] The recording sessions for the album took place at Milk Studios in Manhattan, New York, Metropolis Studios in London, England, Studios Davout in Paris, France and at Westlake Recording Studios in Los Angeles, California.[12] Rihanna worked with several different song-writers and producers on the album, including Chuck Harmony, The-Dream, Christopher "Tricky" Stewart, Chase & Status, Stargate,[11][13] Demo, and Justin Timberlake.[14][15][16] Rihanna wanted the album to be less Synthpop and have more bass and grime beats which was a major shift from the lighthearted commercial pop of her previous albums.[9] In the early stages of the production, she worked with Adonis Shropshire who stated that she was just easing back into the studio with a couple of ideas here and there over the last couple of weeks.[17][18] Rihanna also worked with Stargate who added that the collaboration was "very rewarding" and "inspiring for us", commenting: "I don't think we should talk about titles just yet. We don't really know which songs are gonna make it, but it feels exciting."[11] It was later revealed that Stargate originally produced a collaboration between Rihanna and Canadian rapper Drake.[19] Eventually, however, for reasons unknown, the song did not make the final cut for the album.[20]
During the summer, Rihanna recorded songs for the album with record producer Chuck Harmony.[3] She was involved with writing most of the lyrics on the album with the help of Timberlake and Ne-Yo who would help her translate her emotions into the songs.[9] She worked with Ne-Yo on a number of songs although he didn't know what songs were kept for the album.[21][22] While working together, he felt that Rihanna wasn't the same girl as the one he worked with a few years before and stated that she had become more comfortable in her skin now.[22] In terms of musical direction, Rihanna requested somber vibe songs for the album, but not just dark for the sake of being dark; she wanted dark songs that had some kind of meaning.[23] Harmony wanted "Russian Roulette" to stand out and felt that the song should be darker, edgier and more morbid just to try it out.[3] Rihanna was comfortable with the vibe and the lyrical content of the song and eventually phoned in to Ne-Yo to tell him that it was one of her favorites.[3]
After listening to track "Saxon" performed by Nicki Minaj and production duo Chase & Status, Rihanna got in contact with them and wanted to work with them because she loved the feel of the drums and wanted a similar thing for her album.[24] Chase & Status had a pair of sessions with Rihanna and worked together for a few weeks in an undisclosed location.[24] Chase & Status worked with her on songs that had a dubstep vibe, although whenever Rihanna didn't like something she would let them know.[16] On one of the tracks, Rihanna came up with a melody and idea to give the song the kind of vibe she wanted.[16] In October 2009, she concluded recording sessions with Tricky Stewart and The-Dream.[25] Dream and Tricky flew out to Paris and played a few songs for Rihanna which included the songs "Hard" and "Rockstar 101."[26] The song "Hard" stood out from all the songs because she felt that it had such an arrogance to it.[27] In the song "Rockstar 101," guitarist Slash contributed a bass guitar on the track while "Photographs" is a duet with will.i.am.[28] In addition, Ester Dean co-wrote the song "Rude Boy."[29] "The Last Song" was one of the last tracks crafted for the album. Rihanna recorded the song within the final twelve hours of the album's conception: "When the label finally said we had 12 hours to turn in the album, I was like, Okay, I have to do it. I just drank some red wine, dimmed the lights, got in the booth and sang it."[9]

[edit] Music

Rated R features a darker and foreboding tone than Rihanna's previous albums.[30][31] Primarily an R&B and pop-oriented album,[30][32][33][34] it also incorporates musical elements of hip hop, rock, and dancehall.[35][36] The album's production is typified by a sleek sound and incorporates ominous synthesizers, intertwining guitar licks, tense beats, minor-key melodies, and polyrhythmic vocal harmonies.[30][34][37] Songs such as "Mad House", "G4L", and "Wait Your Turn" incorporate elements of dubstep, including brooding synths and grumbling basslines.[32][38][39] Rihanna discussed its musical direction in an interview for Glamour magazine, stating "The songs are really personal. It’s rock ‘n’ roll, but it’s really hip-hop: If Lil’ Wayne and Kings of Leon like my album, then I’ll feel good".[40] On Rated R's musical style, music journalist Jim DeRogatis perceived that it only incorporates elements of rock, writing "Though there's nothing inherently rock 'n' roll or 'super-fearless' about lacing slick, synthesized dance-pop grooves with a little electric guitar, some of it courtesy of Slash, a quarter of a century after 'Thriller', there is a more insistent punch and electrifying energy in the 13 grooves on 'Rated R'".[41]
The lyrical content of Rated R features generally bleak views on love and boastful lyrics concerning perseverance and overcoming adversity.[35][37][42] The album's lyrics are characterized by grim, raw and angry tones,[35][43] and songs that contain boastful and persevering themes are characterized by images of violence and brutality.[31][35][36][44] Its lyrics are also distinguished by prominent profanity.[35][41] While several music writers perceived its lyrics as allusions to Rihanna's assault by Chris Brown,[36][43][45][46] journalist Jon Pareles wrote that the album "doesn't specifically address those events, but it hardly ignores them".[42] According to music writer Ann Powers, regret is a significant theme on the album: "The songs on 'Rated R' never have their singer apologize for the man who so seriously wronged her, but they do acknowledge the other emotions that come with separation, even from a partner who's also a perpetrator. Those feelings include regret, tenderness and deep sadness".[36]

Artwork

On October 8, 2009, Rihanna was shooting pictures in Berlin in a nude body suit and white fur coat.[47][48] The photos were thought to be on the front cover or booklet of the album.[48] The final image from the photoshoot for the album was shot by fashion photographer Ellen von Unwerth who stated that "Rihanna was looking to create something a bit new for the look of the album."[49] von Unwerth, who has also shot other album covers such as, The Velvet Rope (1997) by Janet Jackson, Back to Basics (2006) by Christina Aguilera, and Blackout (2007) by Britney Spears,[50] went on to say that Rihanna was involved in every aspect of the shoot and was ready to push the boundaries.[49] The album cover was released on October 27, 2009, which features Rihanna in a moody, contemplative pose wearing a leather top with her hand covering her right eye and each finger wrapped in an intricate set of rings.[50] The black-and-white cover was compared to the outrageous 1980s album covers by singer Grace Jones.[50]
The brand and styling of Rated R was conceived by British artist and director Simon Henwood, the creative director of the campaign.[51] "We talked extensively for months before the album's release, and looked at every aspect of the campaign—from styling to stage ideas and visuals," Henwood revealed in an interview with ArjanWrites.com. "Everything comes from the music, and this is her most personal album to date—so everything draws from it in one way or another."[52] He designed the "R" logo seen on the album cover, which "is a two edge sword [...] One side symbolizes strength and the other vulnerability. I designed it as a 3D object first that changes form in rotation as an animation—It forms the logo shape at the end of the loop."[52] He took inspiration from the songs and the film The Omega Man.[52] Henwood also conceived the look and feel of the album's artwork, videos and TV spots, and will also contribute to Rihanna's forthcoming tour, including the show's stage design, costumes and background visuals.[52]

[edit] Release and promotion


Rihanna performing "Rockstar 101" on her Last Girl on Earth Tour
On October 15, 2009, Rihanna released a statement along with a picture on her official website saying, "The Wait is Ova. Nov 23 09" which was the release date for Rated R.[53] The following day, Rihanna shot a promotional music video for "Wait Your Turn" which premiered on her official website on November 3, 2009.[54][55] A snippet of the song with the title "The Wait is Ova" also appeared as background music for a promo video of the album as well as an uncommented countdown clock on her website. After the release of the promo video for "Wait Your Turn", producer Mikkel S. Eriksen had confirmed that the song would be released as the second single from Rated R.[56][57] However, it was later announced that "Hard" was chosen instead. On November 5, 2009, Rihanna's first televised interview since her altercation with Chris Brown aired on Good Morning America in support of the album.[58] In addition to appearing on Good Morning America, the interview continued the following day on ABC's 20/20.[59] Rihanna appeared in the December 2009 issue of Glamour magazine,[40] the January 2010 issue of GQ magazine,[60] and the February 2010 issue of W magazine.[61]
In November 2009, Island Def Jam joined forces with Nokia for a special promotional concert held on November 16, 2009, in the United Kingdom.[62] Rihanna shot a promo video for the event which took place at the Brixton Academy in London. She premiered songs from the album during the event which was her first solo concert since the incident with Brown.[62] Nokia gave away free tickets to fans for the show[63] and hosted listening parties around the globe on the same date of the event.[62] The Nokia Music Store offered an enhanced version of the album on its release date, with exclusive cover art, a remix and an unnamed exclusive track.[62] Rated R was released on November 23, 2009, in North America and the United Kingdom.[64][65] The album was also made available digitally with two bonus downloads for Nokia Comes With Music subscribers.[66]
On February 4, 2010, she performed at the Pepsi Super Bowl Fan Jam on VH1 along with performers Timbaland and Justin Bieber.[67] Rihanna performed "Hard", "Rude Boy" and "Don't Stop The Music" at the Kids Choice Awards on March 27, 2010.[68] Rated R: Remixed, a collection of ten remixes by Chew Fu of Rated R's tracks, was released May 25, 2010.[69][70][71] Both a "clean" and explicit version of the new album were released.[71][72] Rihanna began her Last Girl on Earth Tour in Belgium on April 16, 2010, in support of the album. Jamie King serves as the tour director with Simon Henwood as the creative director. There have been approximately 70 dates announced, although a handful were later cancelled. Pixie Lott served as the support act for the 30-show European leg of the tour.[73] The North American leg of the tour features Ke$ha. It began on July 4 at General Motors Place in Vancouver, and visited 26 other arenas and theatres before concluding at the Great New York State Fair in Syracuse on August 28, 2010.[74] The Oceania leg of the tour began on February 5, 2011.[74]

Singles

"Wait Your Turn" was released as a promo single on November 3, 2009. On October 16, 2009, Rihanna shot the music video for the song.[55] The song reached number 45 in the United Kingdom, number 32 in Ireland, and number 82 in Australia due to strong digital downloads following the album's release. "Russian Roulette" was released as the album's official lead single on November 3, 2009 along with the promotional single "Wait Your Turn". It had already premiered on worldwide radio on October 20, 2009.[75][76] The song debuted at number 100 in the United States and peaked at number nine, giving Rihanna her twelfth top ten single of her career.[77] The song reached the top ten in other countries such as the United Kingdom, Canada, New Zealand, Australia, France and Ireland. On January 12, 2010, the single was certified silver in the United Kingdom.[78]
"Hard" was released as the second single in the US.[79] It officially impacted US radio on November 10, 2009.[80] The song features American rapper Young Jeezy. It reached a peak position of number eight on the Billboard Hot 100, giving Rihanna her thirteenth top ten.[80][81] The song also reached number 42 in the United Kingdom.[82] The album's fourth single was revealed to be "Rude Boy" and was released as the third US and second international single from the album on February 19, 2010.[83] It peaked at number one in the United States, becoming Rihanna's sixth number-one single on the Hot 100 and fourteenth top ten hit of her career. It was also the album's third consecutive top-ten single and highest charting.[84] In the United Kingdom, the song debuted at number 52, eventually peaking at number two.[85][86][87] It also reached number-one in Australia, making it Rihanna's fourth number one single in the country.[88]
Then it was announced that "Rockstar 101" featuring Slash would serve as the album's fourth single, only to be released in the United States.[89] It officially impacted both Mainstream and Rhythmic radio on June 1, 2010.[90][91][92] The song was performed on American Idol on April 7, 2010.[93] The music video premiered on May 25, 2010 on VEVO. It debuted at number 39 on the US Hot Dance Club Songs chart for the week ending June 19, 2010, and later peaked at 2.[94] For the chart week of August 14, 2010, it entered the Hot 100 at number 99 and peaked 64 in two weeks.[95] It entered the Australian Singles Chart at number 50 for the week of August 16, 2010 and peaked at number 24.[96][97] "Te Amo", was released album's sixth overall single though it serves as the album's third international single. It was the last release from the album, hitting digital retailers on June 11, 2010. Prior to its release as a single, it had debuted on the Swedish Singles Chart in 2009, reaching number 52.[98] On April 18, 2010, the song debuted on the UK Singles Chart at number 94.[99] and number 29 on the R&B chart.[100] It reached a peak of number 14 on the singles chart and five on the R&B chart. The music video premiered on May 28, 2010.[101]

Reception

Commercial performance

In the United States, Rated R debuted at number four on the Billboard 200 chart and sold 181,000 units in its first week, beating her previous album Good Girl Gone Bad's first week sales of 168,000,[102] and making it her highest selling week ever at the time.[103][104] The album was also Rihanna's fourth top ten album in the country and her second highest album chart position.[105] It also topped Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, becoming her first album to top the chart. On January 8, 2010, Rated R was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) with an estimated 1,000,000 copies shipped to date.[106][107] The album had sold more than 1,017,000 units in the US as of December 2010.[108][109]
In the United Kingdom, the album debuted at number sixteen and was certified gold in just four days.[78] The album has so far shipped at least 600,000 copies and has been certified double platinum by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) on October 15, 2010.[78] It is Rihanna's third most successful album in the country, above her first album, Music of the Sun which sold 200,000 copies and her second album, A Girl like Me which sold at least 300,000. On the issue dated January 24, 2010, the album rose to number thirty having been at thirty-four the previous week.[110] The following week, it rose again from number thirty to twenty-seven. On February 21, 2010, the album rose from number thirty-one to number twenty-six, and then climbed even further the following week to its debut and peak of number sixteen.[110] It was also the highest climber that week.[110] On the issue dated March 7, 2010, the album broke into the top ten, landing at number nine in its fifteenth week.[110][111] The following week, the album rose to number two on the R&B chart. It is Rihanna's fastest selling album of her career in the United Kingdom, receiving a platinum certification in just over two months of its release. This beats her previous album, Good Girl Gone Bad, which went platinum in just over three months.[106] As of August 1, 2010 the album had been on the UK Albums Chart for 36 weeks.[112] As of June 26, 2011 the album has sold 656,527 copies.[113]
Despite debuting at only number fifteen in Australia, the album was certified gold its second week on the chart. In August, the album was certified Platinum after shipping 70,000 units. With the release of the album's third single, "Rude Boy", Rated R set a new high of twelve on March 7, 2010.[114] In Poland, the album peaked at number five and received a gold certification, selling 20,000 copies in just one month,[115] beating Good Girl Gone Bad's sales of 20,000 in two years.[116] In Sweden, Rated R rose dramatically to a peak position of number nineteen on the issue dated January 29, 2010, after being at thirty-four its previous week.[117] In New Zealand, the album debuted at number fourteen[118] and in Finland it debuted at number twenty-eight eventually climbing to number fifteen.[119][120] In April 2010, the album soared from number fifty-nine to its new peak of eighteen on the Dutch Albums Chart.[121] In June 2010, the album re-entered the Greek Albums Chart to reach a new peak of number six.[122] In addition to the studio release, a remix album, Rated R: Remixed, was released in May 2010. It managed to chart at number 158 on the Billboard 200.[123] In the same week it also debuted at number six on the Billboard Dance/Electronic Albums chart. It also made its debut on the Canadian Albums Chart at number 84, making it Rihanna's first remixed album to appear on the chart.[124] In June 2010, the remix album debuted at number eleven on the Greek Albums Chart.[122] The following week it climbed to number four giving Rihanna her first top ten remix album.

Critical response

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic4/5 stars[30]
Entertainment Weekly(B)[35]
The Guardian3/5 stars[125]
Los Angeles Times4/4 stars[36]
The New York Times(favorable)[42]
Pitchfork Media(6.1/10)[31]
Rolling Stone4/5 stars[126]
Slant Magazine4/5 stars[43]
Spin(5/10)[127]
The Village Voice(mixed)[46]
Rated R received positive reviews from most music critics.[128] At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 76, based on 20 reviews, which indicates "generally favorable reviews".[128] Leah Greenblatt of Entertainment Weekly called it "a raw, often unsettling portrait of an artist who is, she insists, no longer a Girl at all".[35] Chicago Tribune writer Greg Kot gave the album three-and-a-half out of four stars and described it as "powerful and moving art".[129] Chicago Sun-Times writer Jim DeRogatis noted a maturity from Rihanna, calling it her "best, most layered and most heartfelt effort".[41] NME's Ailbhe Malone called it "a startlingly masculine record – in sound and in attitude".[130] Ed Potton of The Times gave it four out of five stars and described it as "By turns syrupy and strident, part lament, part tooled-up revenge fantasy... the best record Rihanna has made".[38] Los Angeles Times writer Ann Powers praised her performance and called the album "a complex and fascinating portrait of a young woman's emotional process after enduring abuse".[36] Sarah Rodman of The Boston Globe called it "an interesting snapshot of several current events, including Rihanna’s evolution as a performer and the confluence of tabloid culture and pop art".[131] Rolling Stone's Jody Rosen complimented its grim themes and dubbed it "one of the best pop records of the year".[126]
However, Sean Fennessey of Spin viewed that the album does not suit Rihanna's ballad-based strengths, stating "[she] has the sort of even-keeled, toneless voice that's rarely expressive enough to convey fury".[127] Emily Tartanella of PopMatters wrote that "its attempts at 'serious', and 'thoughtful' songs just wind up falling flat".[45] Chris Richards of The Washington Post commented that the album "bristles with a formless rage" and stated "She dispatches soulful vocal runs with antiseptic precision, making it hard to discern if she's truly seething or just pantomiming ire. Is she grappling with demons? Or projecting the image of a singer grappling with demons?".[44] Michaelangelo Matos of The A.V. Club found its music "turgid" and compared its lyrics to "excerpts from a therapy session".[132] The Guardian's Alexis Petridis criticized its allusions to her assault by Chris Brown, stating "there's more to her than the public's prurient interest in her private life. That you can't tell that more often from Rated R is the album's big flaw".[125] Rob Harvilla of The Village Voice perceived the subtext relating to her assault by Chris Brown and the incident's media spotlight as having a negative effect on the album, stating "Rated R's low points are pretty bad. But its high points, thrilling as they are, might make you feel even worse".[46] Pitchfork Media's Ryan Dombal commented that "Rihanna's artistic aspirations are currently loftier than her abilities".[31]
In his consumer guide for MSN Music, critic Robert Christgau gave the album an honorable mention ((2 star Honorable Mention)(2 star Honorable Mention)) rating,[133] indicating a "likable effort consumers attuned to its overriding aesthetic or individual vision may well enjoy".[134] Christgau noted "Hard" and "Rude Boy" as highlights on the album and commended Rihanna for "concocting a persona of interest out of one dynamite musical trick and a bad patch I wouldn't wish on Lindsay Lohan".[133] Steve Jones of USA Today gave the album three out of four stars and wrote that its subtext contributed in "pushing her further into the edgier territory she staked out on" Good Girl Gone Bad, while noting "bolder and often explicit lyrics and more assured vocals reflect a growing confidence and artistic maturity".[135] Jon Pareles of The New York Times called it "both brave and skillful".[42] Allmusic writer Andy Kellman stated "Much of this daring album is absolutely over the top, bleak and sleek both lyrically and sonically, but it’s compelling, filled with as many memorably belligerent lines... as a rap album made ripe for dissection".[30] Nick Levine of Digital Spy gave the album five out of five stars and called it "the record – startling in vision, startlingly good in execution – that elevates her from popstar to pop artist".[136] Slant Magazine's Eric Henderson compared its confessional nature to that of Janet Jackson's The Velvet Rope (1997), viewing that both albums "radiate an unmistakably, nakedly autobiographical vibe".[43]
In his year-end list of best albums, Entertainment Weekly's Leah Greenblatt named it the best pop album of the year.[137] Chicago Tribune writer Greg Kot ranked it number eight on his list of the top albums of 2009.[138]

Track listing

No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Mad House"  Makeba Riddick, Will Kennard, Saul Milton, Robyn FentyChase & Status1:34
2."Wait Your Turn"  James Fauntleroy II, Mikkel S. Eriksen, Tor Erik Hermansen, Kennard, Milton, Takura Tendayi, FentyChase & Status, StarGate3:46
3."Hard" (featuring Young Jeezy)Terius Nash, Christopher Stewart, Fenty, Jay JenkinsThe-Dream, Tricky Stewart4:10
4."Stupid in Love"  Shaffer Smith, Eriksen, HermansenStarGate, Ne-Yo4:01
5."Rockstar 101" (featuring Slash)Nash, Stewart, FentyThe-Dream, Tricky Stewart3:58
6."Russian Roulette"  Smith, Chuck HarmonChuck Harmony, Ne-Yo3:48
7."Fire Bomb"  Fauntleroy II, Brian Kennedy, FentyBrian Kennedy4:17
8."Rude Boy"  Eriksen, Hermansen, Ester Dean, Riddick, Rob Swire, FentyStarGate, Rob Swire3:43
9."Photographs" (featuring will.i.am)William Adams, Jean Baptiste, Michael McHenry, Allan Pineda, Alain Whytewill.i.am4:46
10."G4L"  Kennard, Milton, Fauntleroy II, FentyChase & Status3:59
11."Te Amo"  Eriksen, Hermansen, Fauntleroy II, FentyStarGate3:28
12."Cold Case Love"  Justin Timberlake, Robin Tadross, Fauntleroy IIThe Y's6:04
13."The Last Song"  Fauntleroy II, Kennedy, Ben Harrison, FentyBrian Kennedy, Ben Harrison4:16

Personnel

Credits for Rated R adapted from Allmusic.[139]
  • W. Adams – composer
  • Mykael Alexander – assistant
  • J. Baptiste – composer
  • Davis Barnett – viola
  • Beardyman – vocals
  • Jessie Bonds – guitar
  • Jay Brown – A&R
  • Bobby Campbell – assistant
  • Chase & Status – producer, musician
  • James J. Cooper III – celli, soloist
  • Cédric Culnaërt – assistant engineer
  • Tyler Van Dalen – assistant engineer
  • Kevin "KD" Davis – mixing
  • E. Dean – composer
  • Steven Dennis – assistant engineer
  • Dylan Dresdow – mixing
  • M.S. Eriksen – composer
  • Mikkel S. Eriksen – composer, engineer, vocal producer, musician
  • James Fauntleroy II – composer
  • James Fauntleroy – vocals (bckgr)
  • Glenn Fischbach – celli
  • Paul Foley – engineer
  • J. Fountleroy Ii – composer
  • Rick Friedrich – assistant engineer
  • Future Cut – keyboards
  • Mariel Haenn – stylist
  • Alex Haldi – design
  • Kevin Hanson – assistant
  • Chuck Harmony – producer
  • Keith Harris – strings
  • Ben Harrison – guitar, additional production
  • Karl Heilbron – vocal engineer
  • Simon Henwood – art direction, design, photography, stylist
  • T.E. Hermansen – composer
  • Tor Erik Hermansen – musician
  • Jean-Marie Horvat – mixing
  • Ghazi Hourani – mixing assistant
  • Jaycen Joshua – mixing
  • J. Jenkins – composer
  • Mike Johnson – engineer
  • JP Robinson – art direction, design, photography
  • W. Kennard – composer
  • William Kennard – composer
  • B. Kennedy – composer
  • Brian Kennedy – keyboards, programming, producer
  • Padraic Kerin – engineer
  • Olga Konopelsky – violin
  • Emma Kummrow – violin
  • Giancarlo Lino – mixing assistant
  • Pater Martinez – assistant
  • Luigi Mazzocchi – violin, soloist
  • M. McHenry – composer
  • Monte Neuble – keyboards
  • Terius Nash – composer, producer
  • Luis Navarro – assistant engineer
  • Ne-Yo – producer
  • Jared Newcomb – mixing assistant
  • Peter Nocella – viola
  • Chris "Tek" O'Ryan – engineer
  • Anthony Palazzole – mixing assistant
  • Paper-Boy – additional production
  • Ciarra Pardo – art direction, design
  • Charles Parker – violin
  • Ross Parkin – assistant
  • Daniel Parry – assistant
  • Kevin Porter – assistant
  • Antonio Reid – executive producer
  • Antonio Resendiz – assistant
  • Makeba Riddick – composer, vocals (bckgr), vocal producer
  • Rihanna – composer, executive producer, art direction, design
  • Montez Roberts – assistant engineer
  • Evan Rogers – executive producer
  • Sébastien Salis – assistant engineer
  • Jason Sherwood – assistant engineer
  • Shaffer Smith – composer
  • Tyran "Ty Ty" Smith – A&R
  • Caleb Speir – bass
  • Stargate – producer
  • Status – producer
  • Xavier Stephenson – assistant
  • C. "Tricky" Stewart – producer, composer
  • Tim Stewart – guitar
  • Bernt Rune – stray guitar
  • Carl Styrken – executive producer
  • R. Swire – composer, musician
  • Igor Szwec – violin
  • R. Tadross – composer
  • Sean Tallman – engineer
  • Marcos Taylor – engineer
  • Gregory Teperman – violin
  • Brian "B-Luv" Thomas – engineer
  • Pat Thrall – engineer
  • Justin Timberlake – composer
  • Marcos Tovar – engineer
  • Neil Tucker – assistant, guitar engineer
  • Ellen Von Unwerth – photography
  • Alain Whyte – guitar (acoustic)
  • will.i.am – synthesizer, producer, engineer, drum programming
  • Andrew Wuepper – engineer
  • Ys – producer

Charts, certifications and precession

Standard edition

Chart (2009–2010)Peak
position
Australian Albums Chart[140]12
Austrian Albums Chart[141]7
Belgian Albums Chart (Flanders)[142]16
Belgian Albums Chart (Wallonia)[142]16
Canadian Albums Chart[143]5
Croatian Albums Chart[144]10
Czech Republic Albums Chart[145]15
Danish Albums Chart[146]32
Dutch Albums Chart[147]18
European Top 100 Albums[148]5
Finnish Albums Chart[149]14
French Albums Chart[150]10
German Albums Chart[151]4
Greek Albums Chart[152]6
Hungarian Albums Chart[153]31
Irish Albums Chart[154]7
Italian Albums Chart[155]33
Japanese Albums Chart[156]10
Mexican Albums Chart[157]51
New Zealand Albums Chart[158]14
Norwegian Albums Chart[159]1
Polish Albums Chart[160]5
Russian Albums Chart[161]9
Scottish Albums Chart[162]14
Spanish Albums Chart[163]23
Swedish Albums Chart[164]19
Swiss Albums Chart[165]1
UK Albums Chart[110]9
UK R&B Albums Chart[166]2
US Billboard 200[167]4
US R&B/Hip Hop Albums[167]1

Year-end charts

Chart (2010)Position
Australian Albums Chart[168]52
Canadian Albums Chart[169]28
European Top 100 Albums[170]13
UK Albums (The Official Charts Company)[171]27
US Billboard 200[172]21

Remixed edition

Chart (2010)Peak
position
Canadian Albums Chart[124]84
Greek Albums Chart[122]4
US Billboard 200[123]158
US Dance/Electronic Albums[173]6
US R&B/Hip-Hop Albums[173]33

Certifications

CountryProviderCertification
AustraliaARIAPlatinum[174]
BelgiumIFPIGold[175]
CanadaCRIAPlatinum[176]
EuropeIFPIPlatinum[177]
FranceSNEPGold[178]
GermanyBVMIGold[179]
GreeceIFPIPlatinum[180]
IrelandIRMAPlatinum[181]
NorwayIFPIGold[182]
PolandZPAVGold[115]
RussiaNFPPGold[183]
SwitzerlandIFPIPlatinum[184]
United KingdomBPI2× Platinum[78]
United StatesRIAAPlatinum[106]

Chart precession and succession

Preceded by
S.O.S. by Diam's
French Top 50 Digital Chart number-one album
November 28, 2009
Succeeded by
The E.N.D. by The Black Eyed Peas
Preceded by
Heavy Metal Fruit by Motorpsycho
Norwegian Albums Chart number-one album
February 5, 2010
Succeeded by
Strike! by The Baseballs
Preceded by
The Fall by Norah Jones
Swiss Albums Chart number-one album
December 6, 2009
Succeeded by
I Dreamed a Dream by Susan Boyle
Preceded by
Before I Self Destruct by 50 Cent
US Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Album Chart number-one album
December 5, 2009
Succeeded by
Untitled by R. Kelly

Release history


Standard edition
RegionDateLabel(s)Format
Australia[185]November 20, 2009Universal MusicCD, Digital download
Germany[186]
Poland[187]November 21, 2009
United Kingdom[188]November 23, 2009Mercury Records
United States[189]Def Jam Recordings
DenmarkUniversal Music
Canada[190]
Brazil[191]November 24, 2009
Spain
Argentina[192]November 26, 2009
TaiwanNovember 27, 2009
Chile[193]December 31, 2009

Remixed edition
RegionDateLabel(s)Format
Germany[186]May 21, 2010Universal MusicCD, Digital download
Poland[186]
United States[194]May 25, 2010Def Jam Recordings
Brazil[195]June 1, 2010Universal Music

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External links

Rihanna


Rihanna

Rihanna performing during her Loud Tour in September 2011
Background information
Birth nameRobyn Rihanna Fenty
BornFebruary 20, 1988 (age 23)
Saint Michael, Barbados
GenresR&B, dancehall, reggae, hip hop, dance, pop
OccupationsSinger, songwriter, producer, philanthropist, author, actress
Years active2005–present
LabelsDef Jam, SRP, Roc Nation
Websiterihannanow.com
Rihanna-signature.png
Rihanna's signature
Robyn Rihanna Fenty (born February 20, 1988), better known as simply Rihanna (pronounced /riˈɑːnə/ ree-ah-nə or /riˈænə/ ree-an), is a Barbadian R&B recording artist.[1] 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.[2]
In 2005, Rihanna released her debut studio album, Music of the Sun, which peaked in the top ten of the Billboard 200 chart 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 Hot 100 number one single, "SOS". Rihanna's third studio album, Good Girl Gone Bad (2007), spawned four chart-topping singles "Umbrella", "Take a Bow", "Disturbia" and "Don't Stop the Music", and was nominated for nine Grammy Awards, winning Best Rap/Sung Collaboration for "Umbrella," which features Jay-Z. Her fourth studio album Rated R, released in November 2009, produced the top 10 singles "Russian Roulette", "Hard" and "Rude Boy", which achieved the number-one spot on the Billboard Hot 100. Loud (2010), her fifth studio album, contains the number-one hits "Only Girl (In the World)", "What's My Name?" and "S&M".[3][4] "We Found Love" was released in September 2011 as the lead single from her sixth studio album, Talk That Talk, which is set to be released in November 2011.
Rihanna has sold more than 20 million albums and 60 million singles[5] which makes her one of the best selling artists of all time. She is the youngest artist in Billboard charts history to achieve ten number-one singles on the Hot 100.[6] As of March 2010, Rihanna has sold approximately 7.3 million album units and over 33.7 million digital singles in the United States.[7][8] Billboard named Rihanna the Digital Songs Artist of the 2000s decade,[9] and ranked her as the 17th Artist of the 2000s decade.[10] She has received several accolades, including the 2007 World Music Awards for World's Best-Selling Pop Female Artist and Female Entertainer of the Year, and the 2011 Brit Award for Best International Female Solo Artist.[11] She has also amassed a total of four Grammy Awards, four American Music Awards, and eighteen Billboard Music Awards. Rihanna has also been appointed the official ambassador of youth and culture for Barbados.[12]

Contents

Biography

1988–04: Early life and career beginnings

Rihanna was born Robyn Rihanna Fenty on February 20, 1988, in Saint Michael, Barbados, to Monica Braithwaite, a retired accountant, and Ronald Fenty, a warehouse supervisor for a garment factory.[13] Her mother, a native of Guyana, is Afro-Guyanese, and her father is of Barbadian and Irish descent.[14] The eldest of three siblings, she has two younger brothers from the same two parents, Rorrey and Rajad Fenty.[15] She also has two half-sisters and a half-brother from her father's side, each born by different mothers before Rihanna's father married her mother.[16][17] She grew up listening to reggae music,[18] and began singing at around the age of seven.[15] Her childhood was deeply affected by her father's addiction to crack cocaine, alcohol, and marijuana,[19] and her parents' rocky marriage ended when she was 14, although, he remained a part of her life.[13] During her parents' marriage, she suffered from excruciating headaches that doctors thought she had brain tumour and underwent several CAT scans from the age of 8 till her parents separated.[20] She grew up in a modest three-bed bungalow in Bridgetown and would sell clothes with her dad on a street stall.[21] She 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.[15] She was an army cadet in a sub-military programme that trained with the military of Barbados and Shontelle was her drill sergeant.[22] Although she initially wanted to graduate high school, she decided to leave school because she was too busy pursuing her musical career.[23]
In December 2003, Rihanna met American music producer Evan Rogers through a mutual friend, who knew Rogers' wife, when he and his Bajan-born wife were in Barbados for the holidays.[24] Rihanna and her two bandmates auditioned for Rogers in his hotel room,[25] who said that "the minute Rihanna walked into the room, it was like the other two girls didn't exist." While auditioning for Rogers, she sang Destiny's Child's cover of "Emotion".[15] Impressed, Rogers set up a second meeting, with her mom present, and invited her to do some recording and write with him and Carl Sturken at their studio in New York.[26] Shortly after turning 16, she won the Miss Combermere school beauty pageant and her high school talent show with a performance of Mariah Carey's "Hero".[27] Over the next year, Rihanna and her mom shuttled back and forth to Rogers' home in Stamford, Connecticut. With the help of Sturken, she recorded a four-song demo,[28] which included the ballad "Last Time", a cover of Whitney Houston's "For the Love of You",[15] and what would become her first hit, "Pon de Replay". It took a year to record the demos, because Rihanna was going to school and would only record during summer and Christmas school breaks.[15]
In January 2005, Rogers began shopping Rihanna's four-song demo to various recording companies.[15] A copy of the demo was sent to Def Jam Recordings, where Jay Brown, an A&R executive, overheard it and played it for the label's then-president, Jay-Z.[29] When he heard "Pon de Replay", Jay-Z was skeptical about Rihanna at first because he felt that the song was too big for her, stating that "when a song is that big, it's hard [for a new artist] to come back from. I don't sign songs, I sign artists".[29] Def Jam was the first label to respond and invited her to audition where she sang "For the Love of You" for Jay-Z and L.A. Reid of Island Def Jam Music Group.[27] She was signed the same day and canceled a set of meetings with other labels.[28] After signing with Def Jam in February 2005, she relocated in the United States and moved in with Rogers and his wife. Although she still thinks of herself as Robyn, she chose her middle name as her stage name because to her, the name Rihanna is just a stage that started in a recording studio in 2005.[30]

2005–06: Music of the Sun and A Girl Like Me


Rihanna performing at the Jingle Ball in 2005
After signing with Def Jam, she spent the next three months recording and completing her debut album.[2] The album featured production from Evan Rogers, Carl Sturken, Stargate and Poke & Tone.[31] 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 and the UK Singles Chart.[32] It became a global hit where it peaked within the top ten across fifteen countries. Her debut album, Music of the Sun, was released in August 2005[33] in the United States. The album reached number ten on the Billboard 200, selling 69,000 copies in its first week.[34] The album sold over two million copies worldwide and received a Gold certification by the Recording Industry Association of America, denoting shipments to United States retailers of over 500,000 units.[35]
Her music was marketed within the 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".[36] 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".[31] 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."[37] The albums second single, "If It's Lovin' that You Want"[38] was less successful than "Pon de Replay", having managed a peak position of number thirty-six in the United States, and number eleven in the United Kingdom.[32] The single proved to be well-received in Australia, Ireland and New Zealand reaching the top ten in those countries.
A month after the release of her debut album, she began working on her second studio album.[39] 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.[40] While recording the album, Rihanna served as an opening act for Gwen Stefani to promote her debut album.[41] The lead single, "SOS", peaked at number one on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming her first number-one in the United States.[32] A Girl Like Me was released in April 2006,[42] less than eight months after her debut. The album reached number five on the Billboard 200[34] selling 115,000 copies in its first week and has been certified platinum by the RIAA, having shipped over one million units.[35][43] 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."[44] Critics 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.[45]
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"[46] failed to reprise the success of the lead single but the fourth single, "Break It Off" featuring Sean Paul, jumped from number fifty-two to number ten eventually peaking at number nine.[47][48] After the release of the album, Rihanna embarked on her first headlining tour, the Rihanna: Live in Concert Tour. She then embarked on the Rock The Block Tour and then toured with Pussycat Dolls from November 2006 to February 2007 in the United Kingdom.[49] Rihanna also made her acting debut in a cameo role in the straight-to-DVD film Bring It On: All or Nothing, which was released on August 8, 2006.[50]

2007–08: New image and Good Girl Gone Bad


Rihanna performing at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre
With her third studio album, Good Girl Gone Bad (2007), Rihanna wanted to head in a new direction with the help of music producers Timbaland, will.i.am and Sean Garrett, and re-imagine her album compositions[51] with fresh, uptempo dance tracks.[52] She adopted a more rebellious image while recording the album, eventually dying her hair black and cutting it short. Rihanna commented, "I want to keep people dancing but still be soulful at the same time [...] You feel different every album, and [at] this stage I feel like I want to do a lot of uptempo [songs]."[52] The album topped the charts in countries like the United Kingdom, Canada, Japan, Brazil, Russia and Ireland, and it peaked at number two in the United States and Australia. Unlike previous work, the album featured a more dance-pop sound instead of the dancehall, reggae and ballad styles. The album received positive reviews by critics, becoming her most critically acclaimed album at that time compared to her previous efforts.[53]
Good Girl Gone Bad yielded four chart-topping singles – all singles reaching the top three on the Billboard Hot 100 – 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,[54] making it the longest-running number-one single since Wet Wet Wet's single "Love Is All Around" spent fifteen weeks at the top in 1994.[55] The song is listed number three on the 100 Best Songs of 2007 published by Rolling Stone magazine.[56] Her other singles, "Shut Up and Drive", "Don't Stop The Music" and "Hate That I Love You", were released from the album and 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 Australia, the Netherlands, France, Germany, and Switzerland.[57] At the 2007 American Music Awards, she won the Favorite Soul/R&B Female Artist.
The re-issue of her third album, titled Good Girl Gone Bad: Reloaded, which was released in June 2008, features three new songs. The first single from the re-release, "Take a Bow",[58] topped the charts in Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States. "If I Never See Your Face Again", a duet with Maroon 5,[59] was also included in the re-release, alongside "Disturbia", which reached number-one in the United States and New Zealand.[60] "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. She was also featured on rapper T.I.'s "Live Your Life," which peaked at number-one on the Billboard Hot 100, giving Rihanna her fifth number-one single on the Hot 100 thus far ("SOS," "Umbrella," "Take a Bow," "Disturbia," and "Live Your Life").[61] This made Rihanna one of the two female solo artists with the most number-one singles of the decade, with the other being Beyoncé Knowles. A remix of the album, Good Girl Gone Bad: The Remixes, was also released containing remixed versions of songs from the original album. The album has shipped over two million units in the United States, receiving a two-times-platinum certification from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA); this gave Rihanna her best-selling album to date.[35]
Rihanna was nominated in four categories at the 2007 MTV Video Music Awards, winning Monster Single of the Year and Video of the Year.[62] At the 2008 Grammy Awards, Rihanna earned her first Grammy Award for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration,[63] 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 kicked off her second headlining tour The Good Girl Gone Bad Tour on September 12, 2007, with several shows across the United States, Canada and Europe[64] and then embarked on the Glow in the Dark Tour with Kanye West, Lupe Fiasco, and N.E.R.D on April 16, 2008.[65][66][67] Rihanna won Favorite Pop/Rock Female Artist and Favorite Soul/R&B Female Artist at the 2008 American Music Awards.[68] In December 2008, Margeaux Watson of Entertainment Weekly wrote an article entitled "Rihanna: Diva of the year" which he referred to her breakout success of 2008.[69]

2009-10: Domestic violence case and Rated R


Rihanna on the AMA red carpet in 2009
On February 8, 2009, Rihanna's scheduled performance at the 2009 Grammy Awards was cancelled.[70] Reports later surfaced regarding an alleged altercation with then-boyfriend, singer Chris Brown, who was arrested on suspicion of making criminal threats.[71] On March 5, 2009, Brown was charged with assault and making criminal threats.[72] 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."[73] 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.[74] Rihanna was subpoenaed to testify during a preliminary hearing in L.A. on June 22, 2009.[75] "The DA told me Rihanna will be subpoenaed. I will accept on her behalf," Rihanna's attorney, Donald Etra told Us Weekly.[76] 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 fifty yards away from Rihanna, unless at public events, which then will be reduced to ten yards.[77]
Rihanna made an appearance as the central character in Kanye West's music video "Paranoid".[78] She also collaborated with Jay-Z and West on "Run This Town"[79] which peaked at number two on Billboard Hot 100 as well as reaching the top ten in ten other countries. The song won the Grammy Award for Best Rap Song and Best Rap/Sung Collaboration, bringing her total to three Grammys.[80] Her fourth studio album, Rated R, was released in November 2009.[81] Rolling Stone was favorable of the album commenting that "Rihanna has transformed her sound and made one of the best pop records of the year".[82] The album debuted at number four on the Billboard 200 and has been certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for shipment of one million copies.[35] Its first three singles: "Russian Roulette", "Hard" and "Rude Boy" peaked within the top ten on the Billboard Hot 100 with "Rude Boy" reaching number-one. The song also topped the charts in Australia, while reaching number two in the United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland, New Zealand and Switzerland.[83] Two other singles were released from Rated R, which included "Rockstar 101" and the final single from the album, "Te Amo". To further promote the album, she embarked on her worldwide tour, the Last Girl on Earth Tour.

2010-11: Loud

In January 2010, Rihanna won two Barbados Music Awards for "Song of the Decade" with "Umbrella" and "Entertainer of the Decade". She was named "International Female Artist of the Year" at the 2010 NRJ Music Awards.[84] During the summer, she collaborated with rapper Eminem on "Love the Way You Lie", which reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100, as well as other countries including Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, Norway and Sweden.[85] "Love the Way You Lie" became her seventh number one hit single on the Hot 100 of her career, making her the female artist with the fifth-most number ones in the chart's history.[86] She also lent her vocals to the hook of "All of the Lights", the fourth single from Kanye West's fifth studio album, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, which features additional vocals from several other recording artists, including John Legend, The-Dream, Elly Jackson, Alicia Keys, Fergie, Kid Cudi, and Elton John.[87] In October 2010, she released a self-titled book,[88] and announced that she was parting ways with manager Marc Jordan and will henceforth be managed by Jay-Z's Roc Nation Management.[89] She is also starting her own company, Rihanna Entertainment, in which she will "merge all of her businesses including music, film, fragrance, fashion and book ventures".[89]

Rihanna performing on her Loud Tour
Rihanna released her fifth studio album, Loud, on November 16, 2010.[90] It debuted at number three on the Billboard 200, selling 207,000 copies in its first week, making it her biggest opening week of sales.[91] Its lead single, "Only Girl (In the World)", reached number one in more than ten countries including Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States.[92][93][94] The song also won a Grammy Award for Best Dance Recording at the 53rd Grammy Awards.[95] The album's second single, "What's My Name?", featuring Canadian rapper Drake, also reached number one in the United States and on the official UK singles chart, making Rihanna the first female solo artist to have five number one singles in the United Kingdom in consecutive years.[96][97] The song reached number one on the Hot 100 before "Only Girl (In the World)", making it the first time in Hot 100 history that an album's debut single reached number one after the second single.[98] With her third international single from Loud, she earned another milestone when "S&M", featuring Britney Spears reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming the youngest artist in the chart's 52-year history to achieve ten number-one singles.[6] "Man Down"[99] and "California King Bed"[100] were the other two subsequent singles released from the album.[101]
In June 2011, Rihanna embarked on her worldwide concert tour, Loud Tour, to promote the album.[102][103] Kevin Rudolf, Cash Money singer-songwriter and record producer, revealed in May 2011 that Rihanna has asked him to pen songs for her. He told Rap-Up "I'm writing some stuff for Rihanna right now, I hear she’s back at it."[104] [105] Rihanna released the seventh single from Loud, "Cheers (Drink to That)", which reached number seven on the Hot 100.[106]

2011-present: Talk That Talk

In July 2010, it was announced that Rihanna would appear in a big-screen adaptation of the game of the same name, Battleship, scheduled for release in 2012.[107]
On June 17, 2011, Ryan Seacrest spoke with her team and made the announcement on KIIS FM radio show. "We can confirm that Rihanna is currently working on material and will release a brand new album this fall".[108] Rihanna later clarified Seacrest's comments on her Twitter page that she was recording additional songs to add to a re-release of Loud.
Despite initially stating that Loud will have a re-release, she later announced through her official Twitter account that she has decided to release a completely new studio album instead.[109] Rihanna's sixth album is due on November 21, 2011.[110] The lead single "We Found Love" premiered on September 22, 2011, on London radio station Capital FM and was released on the same day for digital download in the US.[111] On October 4, 2011, Rihanna announced via her official Facebook page that the title of her sixth studio album would be Talk That Talk.[112] With the ascension of "We Found Love" to number nine on the US charts, Rihanna became the fastest solo artist in the chart's history to achieve twenty Hot 100 top-ten singles, breaking the previous record set by Madonna.[113]
On October 5, 2011 Rihanna won 'Best International Act' category at the 2011 MOBO Awards. The award was presented by Jade Thompson and Lucien Laviscount, however she didn't attend the gala due to prior tour commitments. She was in concert at O2 Arena in London. [114]

Artistry

Music and voice

Volume 65 of the Contemporary Black Biography book series notes that "Rihanna is the rare rhythm and blues (R&B) diva to emerge from the Caribbean world."[115] Becoming an international sensation, Rihanna is known for blending R&B with Caribbean music, such as reggae and dancehall.[116] 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."[117] At the time of her debut, reviewers referred to her as a "bubblegum queen"[118] and her music to "teen pop."[119] Larry Meyler of The Sun stated that "Rihanna going bad is very good" and that she had "[shaken] off any 'teen pop' image as she rocked the stage."[119] While performing at the Ottawa Bluesfest, 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."[118]

Rihanna performing on her Loud Tour in Sunrise, Florida
Rihanna was originally marketed as a reggae singer since she burst into the music scene in 2005, with a styles of pop, R&B and dancehall. Her music include various styles of musical genres, including contemporary R&B, dance-pop and the Caribbean music styles of reggae and dancehall.[120] With the release of 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."[121] Rihanna is described as utilizing "dancehall-lite beats and a reggae vocal cadence."[121] NME describes the singer as a "heady mix of dancehall, reggae and contemporary R&B."[122] Barry Walters of Rolling Stone considers Rihanna's A Girl Like Me to be "lightweight dancehall and R&B jams."[123] After the release of Good Girl Gone Bad, Allmusic's Andy Kellman credits Rihanna to be "as pop as pop gets."[124] 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.[125]
Her debut album featured production from pop veterans Evan Rogers and Carl Sturken who first discovered her. Sturken and 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 collaborated on her second album. Rihanna then enlisted into the pop and contemporary R&B working with music producer Stargate and singer-songwriter Ne-Yo on "Unfaithful"[52] and sampling the key section, bass line, and drum beat from Soft Cell's 1981 single "Tainted Love" on "SOS".[126] With songs like "Kisses Don't Lie" and "Shut Up and Drive", her music style became more rock-oriented.[39] Unlike Music of the Sun or A Girl Like Me, her third album contained a more dance-pop sound[127] and less of the dancehall, reggae and ballad styles of her previous albums.[128] She has included various styles of music from uptempo pop-reggae with "Pon De Replay", to an 80s 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.[40] Some of her up-tempo dance-pop songs include production from Carl Sturken and Evan Rogers, Christopher "Tricky" Stewart and J. R. Rotem.[129] She has also sampled songs from other artist like Soft Cell's "Tainted Love" on "SOS",[126] New Order's "Blue Monday" on "Shut Up and Drive" and '70s 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

Rihanna has named Madonna as her idol and biggest influence, and said she wants to be the "black Madonna".[130][131] She said: "I think that Madonna was a great inspiration for me, especially on my earlier work. If I had to examine her evolution through time, I think she reinvented her clothing style and music with success every single time. And at the same time remained a real force in entertainment in the whole world."[130] Rihanna also cited Mariah Carey as her influence and idol. She said "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.[50][132][133] Of Janet Jackson, Rihanna has commented that "[s]he was one of the first female pop icons that I could relate to ... She was so vibrant, she had so much energy. She still has power. I’ve seen her on stage, and she can stand there for 20 minutes and have the whole arena scream at her. You have to love Janet."[134] Beyoncé has been named as a major influence,[135][136] citing that she was inspired to start her career after watching Knowles on television as part of a Destiny's Child performance.[137] Her other musical influences include Bob Marley, (for whom she built a shrine in her Los Angeles home)[138] Alicia Keys[139] Whitney Houston, Destiny's Child, Celine Dion,[140] Brandy[141] and Gwen Stefani.[142] 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.[143][144]
Rihanna's music contains strong influences of Caribbean music which include reggae and dancehall. The video for "Rude Boy" was inspired by her Caribbean roots.[145] In an interview, she 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.[146] During The Good Girl Gone Bad Tour, she did a cover to "Is This Love" which paid tribute to Marley; she would later do a cover song to Bob Marley & The Wailers' "Redemption Song".[147] 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.[148][149] The music video ranked number five on the "Top Five Most Paranoid Music Videos" published by MTV Buzzworthy.[150] 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."[148] 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."[151]

Public image


Rihanna performing "Hard" on her Last Girl on Earth Tour
New York magazine described Rihanna's early look as that of a cookie-cutter teen queen while stating that she has the ability to shift looks dramatically and with great ease.[152] This was underscored when in March 2011 American Chronicle writer Arturo Tora termed her “Rihannaissance Woman.” Around the time of the release of her second album, many critics felt that Rihanna's sound and musical material were too similar to those of Beyoncé.[153][154][155] Negative reviews appeared, in which her music,[156] music videos, performances[157][158] and her image were compared to those of Beyoncé,[159] which garnered Rihanna much criticism.[160] Some media even claimed that Jay-Z fashioned her to be a replica of Beyoncé.[158][161] During the release of her third album, Good Girl Gone Bad, she adopted a more sexual image. Sonya Magett of Black Voices reported that Rihanna's style has become quite risqué since she burst onto the scene four years ago.[162] After revealing a new image while headlining her first tour, she was likely to be criticized for her tight leather outfit during each show.[163] A review in The Times compared Rihanna's stage wardrobe styling to that of Janet Jackson. He described her outfit as "a vision of Ann Summers couture in thigh-high boots and a few scraps of black PVC."[164] Stuart Derdeyn of 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."[165]
Rihanna has appeared on Maxim's Hot 100 list five consecutive years, listed in positions eight in 2007,[166] fifteen in 2008,[167] eight in 2009,[168] six in 2010, and twenty-two in 2011.[169] She was also listed on People's 10 Best Dressed Stars of 2008,[170] and ranked seventeenth on Glamour magazine's list of the 50 Most Glamorous Women in 2009.[171] Tracey Lomrantz of Glamour commented, "If style risks could be measured in miles, Rihanna would have criss-crossed the globe a thousand times over already."[172] In June 2007, Gillette named her the Venus Breeze's Celebrity Legs of a Goddess.[173] Rihanna has three wax figures of herself at Madame Tussauds Wax Museums in Washington D.C., Vienna and Berlin.[174][175]
Rihanna's tattoos have drawn much media attention.[176][177] Her tattoos include a music note tattoo on her ankle, a Pisces sign behind her right ear,[178][179] a Sanskrit prayer going down her hip, a star in her left ear,[180] the word love on her left middle finger,[181] an Arabic phrase meaning "Freedom in Christ" on her ribcage area,[182] a trail of stars going down the back of her neck,[183][184] a skull with a pink hair bow, the phrase "shhh..." on her right index finger,[185] the date 11.4.86 in Roman numerals on top of her left shoulder,[186] a henna-style dragon claw including hibiscus flowers,[187] a handgun under her right armpit, a six-word phrase on her chest, and the phrase "rebelle fleur" on her neck, which means "rebel/rebellious flower" in French.[188] Her gun tattoo was planned to be just below her shoulders but was ultimately located on her ribcage.[189] In answer to criticism for her violence-themed tattoo, Keith "Bang Bang" McCurdy, her tattoo artist, was quick to explain his opinion that the image simply "represents strength and power".[190] Her thirteenth tattoo which she had was on her chest and reads, "Never a failure, always a lesson". She had it tattoed backwards, McCurdy says, because she wanted to be able to read it in the mirror. When he asked why she wanted it, she said that it was her "motto in life for everything".[191]

Other ventures

In October 2005, Rihanna struck her first endorsement deal with Secret Body Spray[192] for them to sponsor her first tour, Rihanna's Secret Body Spray Tour[193] In 2006, Rihanna participated in several endorsement deals, including Nike sportswear for the launch of her "SOS"[39] and J. C. Penney. That same year, she received an endorsement deal from Clinique to promote their Happy fragrance.[194] 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 Procter & Gamble's female deodorant Secret. In 2007, Rihanna signed with CoverGirl and became a celebrity spokesperson which included appearances on TV commercials[195][196] and in the Barbados Tourism Authority's tourism commercials.
In December 2008, Rihanna contracted with Gucci to appear in their ads for the Tattoo Heart Collection, a special-edition line.[197][198] 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.[199] The success of her single, "Umbrella" earned her an endorsement deal with Totes.[200][201] Her handlers pitched her hit "Umbrella" to Totes and the song became the soundtrack for commercials in which she starred.[202] On April 8, 2009, it was announced that Rihanna inked a fragrance deal with Jay-Z’s licensing company Iconic Fragrances.[203] The fragrance is named Reb'l Fleur and was released in 2011.[204] Rihanna was working with her artistic director for Rated R, Simon Henwood, on the book Rihanna. It was released on September 14, 2010.[205][206] In August 2010 Rihanna began appearing in an Australian television advert for Optus, a position previously held by Pink.[207] In May 2011, Rihanna became a spokeswoman for the German skincare brand Nivea.[208] Rihanna's song "California King Bed" was featured as a part of Nivea's "100 Years of Skincare" commercial campaign.[209]

Philanthropy


Rihanna performing on her Loud Tour in June 2011
Rihanna created her Believe Foundation in 2006 to help terminally ill children.[210][211] 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."[212] Rihanna is also heavily involved in the marketing of her native country of Barbados.[213] She began by including the flag and broken trident in many of her videos, shooting her album packaging for A Girl Like Me there.[213] In September 2007, she became the official face of tourism for Barbados, being included in many of their ad campaigns. She holds the honorary title of Ambassador for Culture and Youth in Barbados.[214] She additionally was honored by the Prime Minister David Thompson, who presented her with several gifts at a national concert on February 20, 2008, in Barbados, called "Rihanna Day".[215][216] In February 2008, Rihanna thanked and honoured her country during the acceptance speech for her win of "Best Rap/Sung Collaboration" at the Grammy Awards.[217] Although Rihanna is heavily involved in the promotion of her country and works with the government in Barbados to do so, she is often criticized by other Barbadians[218] for everything from her music to her successes and for wearing "skimpy clothes".[219][220] Rihanna, speaking on one incident, said, "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."[221] Rihanna states she was bullied at school. "Having lighter skin wasn’t a problem in my household, but it was when I went to school – which really confused me at first. The harassment continued to my very last day of elementary school."[222]
Rihanna has performed a number of concerts to raise funds for both charities and the Foundation and is a 2008 Cartier Love Charity Bracelet Ambassador. She performed at Madonna’s Raising Malawi fundraiser on February 6, 2008, in New York City.[223] After becoming an honorary cultural ambassador for Barbados, Rihanna became involved with DKMS, an international donor network based in Tübingen, Germany, to try to find a donor for Lisa Gershowitz Flynn.[224] The Manhattan attorney had been diagnosed in November with acute myelogenous leukemia.[225] 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."[226] The collection features t-shirts and hoodies designed by Rihanna, Timbaland and other well-known designers, musicians and artists.[227] 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.[228] 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.[229] The singers performed the song live on September 5, 2008.[230] Rihanna was also selected as the spokesmodel for Gucci’s first United Nations Children's Fund ad campaign.[231] She appeared in the fashion house’s Tattoo Heart campaign, which premiered in December 2008.[232] 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.[233]
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.[234] 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.[235] Rihanna has been a part of many benefit concerts to help raise money for various illnesses, such as cancer for Hope Rocks.[236] 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.[237][238][239] On April 2, 2009, Rihanna visited the NYU Medical Center to help look for another bone marrow donor for a young girl named Jasmina Anema.[240][241] Rihanna first learned about Anema's plight in February 2009, when she saw the moving video Anema's best friend, Isabelle Huurman, and her mother, Karen Detrick, made appealing for donors to save Anema.[242] Rihanna honored Anema's best friend, Isabella, for her efforts for trying to save her best friend at a DKMS Gala on May 7, 2009. Jasmina Anema eventually received her transplant on June 11, 2009,[243][244][245] but died on January 27, 2010.[246] In September 2009, Rihanna performed at Jay-Z's "Answer the Call" concert, which paid tribute to the police officers and firefighters who died on the September 11 attacks.[247] In February 2011, Rihanna was scheduled to perform at a charity concert for the Women's Cancer Research Fund, but was forced to pull out at the last minute, due to bronchitis.[248]

Discography

See also

References

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