13 incredible facts you might not know about Rihanna
We are waiting patiently for R9!
Rihanna is one of the most impressive artists in the world - but she's so much more than that! As well as releasing a whopping eight albums - with a ninth in the works, despite her 'starting it over' - she's also a successful actress AND of course the brains behind her game-changing Fenty Beauty makeup, skincare and haircare range.
After announcing her second pregnancy in the COOLEST way possible, she welcomed her second little boy, Riot, in August 2023. On top of that, she has been working away on her next album - so we thought it the perfect time to answer the Internet's biggest questions, and dig up some pretty interesting facts about Queen RiRi... Seriously! We've got you covered...
1 - Rihanna's isn't actually her real first name
Rihanna's full name is actually Robyn Rihanna Fenty, meaning that her makeup brand Fenty Beauty, and Fenty Skin and Hair, are named for her surname!
2 - Rihanna has a documentary coming out
The release date has not yet been confirmed. but Rihanna's doc has been in the making for more than six years. In January 2023, the documentary's director, Peter Berg, gave fans an update on its progress.
Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter he explained he was waiting on Rihanna to give it the green light. "(We're) waiting for (Rihanna) to approve it," Peter said. "It’s done and sold, and Amazon’s ready. She’s a perfectionist, so we keep adding. It’s been six-and-a-half years of filming, so, yeah, it’s ready to come out. We’re just waiting on her to say, ‘Yeah, let’s do it.’ I don’t know. Maybe it’ll be a 10-year project."
The director went on to say: "When Rihanna asked me to make a doc, I thought she was joking. My work tends to be a bit more masculine, at least on the surface. But this has allowed me to dip in and out of her life while I’m doing other things."
He continued: "I’ve loved it – watching her in the studio, seeing her turn Fenty into this billion-dollar entity and, now, being a mom. It’s such an enriching experience, I don’t really care how long it takes."
3 - 'Lift Me Up' was Rihanna's first Oscar nomination
Rihanna's single 'Lift Me Up' was released in October 2022 and earned RiRi her first ever Oscars nomination for Best Original Song at the 2023 ceremony, although she lost out to 'Naatu Naatu' from RRR by M. M. Keeravani.
WATCH: Rihanna - 'Lift Me Up' (From Black Panther: Wakanda Forever)
4 - Rihanna released a behind-the-scenes clip of 'Lift Me Up'
In a video uploaded to YouTube by Marvel, Rihanna's reaction to hearing the finished version of 'Lift Me Up' can be seen. The singer, along with filmmaker Ryan Coogler, composer Ludwig Göransson and Roc Nation CEO Jay Brown, via FaceTime heard the song together.
5 - Rihanna met A$AP Rocky all the way back in 2013
In May 2021, rapper A$AP Rocky revealed that he is dating Rihanna, admitting they spent the majority of summer 2020 together travelling. He even referred to Queen RiRi as the 'love of his life'.
Rumours began to circulate about a potential romance between the two way back to 2013, when A$AP supported Rihanna on her 'Diamonds World Tour'. This was also the year that the pair teamed up on their track 'Fashion Killa'.
The pair now seem happier than ever, with them now being proud parents to two baby boys - Rza Athelston and Riot Rose Mayers.
6 - Rihanna revealed her baby to the world after being threatened by paparazzi
Rihanna later revealed her son RZA to the world in a TikTok after paparazzi threatened to share photos of him first. The super-cute video shows the tot attempting to grab Rihanna's phone, doing the world's most adorable yawn and watching the world go by out the window.
7 - Her second baby was born in August 2023
Rihanna announced her second pregnancy in the coolest way possible - just casually revealing her baby bump to the world during her performance at the Super Bowl LVII Halftime Show in February 2023!
It was widely reported that the baby was born on 3rd August, with the pair confirming in September that they had welcomed another little boy - Riot Rose! We love to see it! Congrats to RiRi and A$AP.
8 - Jay-Z first signed Rihanna
...Sort of! Rihanna was discovered by American record producer Evan Rogers when they met in her home country of Barbados. Rogers liked what he heard (let's face it, who wouldn’t), invited Rihanna to record some demos and she signed with his production company.
Rihanna’s demo got sent to Def Jam Recordings, where it caught the ear of Jay Brown who played the track to the company’s new CEO Jay-Z. Jay-Z invited Rihanna to audition, RiRi left the audition with a six-album record deal... And the rest is history.
9 - Rihanna's first song was 'Pon De Replay'
Rihanna songs first started appearing in the charts with her track ‘Pon de Replay’. The track had appeared on her original demo that landed her that record deal. ‘Pon de Replay’ means ‘play it again’ in Bajan Creole, one of the official languages of Rihanna’s home country Barbados.
The track was released on 24th May 2005 and it sold a cool 2 million copies, charting Top 10 in the UK, US and across the globe and catapulting Rihanna into the international spotlight in the process.
10 - Rihanna's social media
She boasts over a whopping 151 million followers on Instagram, at her handle badgalriri, with Fenty Beauty also having 12.9 million, Fenty Skin having 1.5 million, and her latest venture Fenty Hair already having almost 200k.
11 - Rihanna writes her own music
Rihanna’s worked with some massive producers in her career. Calvin Harris, PARTYNEXTDOOR, David Guetta, DJ Khaled and Sia have all penned hits for RiRi. But the lady herself is the genius behind a lot of her tracks, she’s co-written over 50 of her songs including ‘Rude Boy’, 'You Da One’ and ‘Needed Me’.
12 - Rihanna is a National Hero of Barbados
Rihanna was made an ambassador to Barbados in 2018, and in December 2021 she received 'the order of national hero', making her the country's 11th National Hero.
To celebrate National Heroes Day on 29th April, the singer took to social media to share a heartfelt post with photos from the ceremony. She wrote: 'My very first #NationalHeroesDay as a National Hero of my country Barbados! 🇧🇧🇧🇧🇧🇧 What an absolute honor to be amongst such great men and women who have come before me and held this title in commitment to our nation!'
She also added: 'I will forever cherish these memories and continue to represent the Bajan people and my home Barbados to the fullest!!'
13 - Does Rihanna have a waxwork?
Yes, as you'd expect Rihanna has a few waxworks, however the most recent one to be unveiled is at Madame Tussauds New York in February 2023. The waxwork has Rihanna in her 2018 Met Gala gear, when the theme was Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination.
On the night, RiRi graced the infamous stairs outside the Metropolitan Museum of Art wearing a beautiful, beaded corset minidress and matching robe by Margiela.
The waxwork appears in the Glow Gala Room, which also plays host to waxworks of Ariana Grande, Justin Bieber, Angelina Jolie, some of the Kardashians, Lady Gaga, RuPaul, and Katy Perry.
You can hear Rihanna's biggest hits on the Forth 1 playlist!
Now read:
Rihanna's biggest and best collabs to date
10 Rihanna songs we just can't get enough of 🎶