Let’s be real, Robyn “Rihanna” Fenty is one of the greatest of our generation. She’s a successful businesswoman and entrepernuer, a fashion icon, and she still makes music.. I think. Nonetheless, a lot of us grew up singing some of her top hits like “Pon de Replay,” “Shut Up and Drive,” and “S&M.”
Now that we’re older and haven’t seen an album in years (seriously Robyn, put the album in the bag), we’ve been given different avenues to support her such as her various businesses. So let’s get into why Rihanna is a top two icon, and she isn’t number two.
- The Music
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Rihanna is most known for her bops. My queen has been a frontrunner in the industry since age 16 when she debuted her breakthrough record, “Pon De Replay” after auditioning with it for Jay-Z. Ms. Fenty has proven herself to be a determined queen. By taking a step out of fear and a step into faith, she not only secured a recording contract with Def Jam Records, she also catapulted herself into stardom. RihRih has very clearly made a place for herself in the music industry with the third most number one hits of all time, only surpassed by Mariah Carey and the Beatles. Rihanna was at one point tied with the late Michael Jackson with 13 number one hits respectively, but even the legend that was Michael Jackson couldn’t compete with the greatness that is Robyn Rihanna Fenty. Rihanna has proven time and time again that she’s a force to be reckoned with by garnering 12 AMA awards, 12 Billboard awards, a whopping 9 Grammy’s, and dozens of other awards.
- The Businesses
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In 2016, Rihanna ventured out into the world of fashion, releasing her coveted Fenty Puma collection. Her line included slides, pumps, boots, accessories, and clothes, but is most notable for its eye catching creeper sneakers. Thanks to the success of this line, Puma’s sells skyrocketed to just over one billion dollars. Not only does she have a clothing line, but Rihanna also has her own makeup line. Fenty Beauty debuted in 2017 and took the world by storm. Rihanna’s very first release featured forty foundation shades ranging from the palest of whites to the darkest of browns. At the time, this was unheard of in the beauty industry as it was, and still is, undergoing a widespread protest against colorism. The line alone garnered my queen 75 million dollars in 2017, helping to earn her the title of “The World’s Richest Female Musician” in 2018 by Forbes Magazine. As if a clothing and beauty line wasn’t enough for the girls, the queen mother released her very fruitful lingerie line, Savage x Fenty, in the summer of 2018. The line sold out instantly, and is size inclusive, ranging from sizes 00 to 3x.
- The Charity
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Rihanna’s home country of Barbados appointed her as an official ambassador in 2018. They charged her with the task of bringing in tourism, investment, and bettering the education of the country. Rihanna has always been invested in the education of kids not only in Barbados, but around the world. This is made evident through her nonprofit, the Clara Lionel Foundation. Her foundation is committed to providing all kids with a promising education, good health, and access to emergency response programs no matter where on the globe they are. Since its birth in 2012, CLF has been a pioneer for global change. Just in 2018 alone they invested 25 million dollars into an emergency response fund specifically for hurricane victims. It’s no wonder why Ms. Fenty was appointed ambassador, because as you can clearly see, she is devoted to the children of the world.