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Rihanna is one of the biggest musical artists and cultural icons to emerge from the 2000s. Bursting onto the scene with the dancehall hit “Pon de Replay” in 2005, the Barbados native quickly captured the ears and the hearts of listeners around the world with her infectious voice and impeccable charisma.
Throughout her time in the limelight, the pop star has achieved incredible milestones — from topping Billboard charts to gracing the big screen — in her 15+ year career.
Let’s take a look back at some of Rihanna's biggest moments:
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Humble beginnings, 2003
In 2003, record executive Evan Rogers was vacationing in Barbados with his wife when he was approached by an optimistic youngster by the name of Robyn Rihanna Fenty.
Rihanna, who had no training in dance or music, told Rogers that being in the music industry was “all I’ve ever wanted to do.” Despite her lack of experience, Rihanna's approach ultimately left a long-lasting impression on Rogers.
"She had such a presence!" Rogers said of a young Rihanna. "Her makeup was perfect, and she had these capri pants and matching sneakers, with her green eyes and her long supermodel neck."
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Rihanna, whose father was addicted to drugs and was physically abusive to her mother, sought refuge in music to escape the pressures of reality.
"It was more likely a much more urgent need to escape from the anxieties of a violent home life into the illusion of security and boundless love that a life onstage seemed to offer. That desire, more than any inborn talent, is what fans will connect to, and that is what record men look for in a new artist. It's the one thing they can't manufacture,” Rogers said.
That urgent need would ultimately pay off in 2005, when the singer — ultimately rechristened as Rihanna — signed her first major record label deal.
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Signing with Def Jam, 2005
At the end of 2004, Rihanna recorded her debut hit single “Pon de Replay” and shopped it around to different record labels, before ultimately striking gold with Def Jam Records.
Jay-Z (left) gets together with Rihanna on the second weekend of the 2005 Mercedes-Benz Polo Challenge at the Bridgehampton Polo Club in Bridgehampton, L.I. (John Roca/NY Daily News Archive via Getty Images)
As 2005 rolled around, Rihanna — now 16 — flew to New York City and auditioned for then-Def Jam President and CEO Jay-Z. During her audition, she performed a cover of Whitney Houston’s “For the Love of You” alongside two original compositions, including “Pon de Replay.”
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"I was like, 'Oh God, he's right there, I can't look, I can't look, I can't look!'" Rihanna told The Guardian on her audition. "I remember being extremely quiet. I was very shy. I was cold the entire time. I had butterflies. I'm sitting across from Jay-Z. Like, Jay-Z. I was star-struck.”
Luckily for Rihanna, “The audition definitely went well” and she noted that Jay-Z said, 'There's only two ways out. Out the door after you sign this deal. Or through this window.' And we were on the 29th floor. Very flattering."
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First number one single, 2006
Less than a year after the release of her debut album, Rihanna dropped her second album entitled “A Girl like Me” — which featured her first no. 1 hit single, “SOS.”
The single peaked at no. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 several months after its release. Jumping 33 positions to the No. 1 spot, the jump was fueled by Def Jam, making the track available for digital download a month after the release of Rihanna’s sophomore album.
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First Grammy, 2008
Three years into her career, Rihanna snagged her first Grammy at the 50th Annual Grammy Awards.
Rihanna poses with the best rap/sung collaboration award (for the song " Umbrella" featuring Jay-Z) in the press room during the 50th Annual Grammy Awards held at the Staples Center on February 10, 2008 in Los Angeles, California. (Vince Bucci/Getty Images)
In a full circle moment of her career, Rihanna earned the best rap/sung collaboration Grammy for “Umbrella,” which featured her longtime manager, Jay-Z.
Rihanna also was nominated for five other awards: record of the year, song of the year, best dance recording, best R&B song and best R&B performance by a duo or group with vocals.
Collaborating with Drake, 2010
In 2010, Rihanna dropped her first single with Canadian rapper Drake after months of a rumored romance between the two industry titans.
The track, entitled “What’s My Name?” was released as the second single for Rihanna’s album “Loud” and peaked at no. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Rihanna and Drake would go on to collaborate on several tracks later on, including “Take Care” and “Work.”
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Big screen debut, 2012
In 2012, Rihanna expanded her resume beyond music when she made her film debut in “Battleship.” The pop singer starred alongside Taylor Kitsch, Liam Neeson, Brooklyn Decker and Rami Malek in the film.
On his casting choice, director Peter Berg stated he chose Rihanna following her appearance on “Saturday Night Live.”
“Her videos are super-hot and I'd watched them a lot. It clicked for me though after she got assaulted and she went on Diane Sawyer's show and talked very frankly about that night and what happened. She was so intelligent and articulate,” Berg told GQ.
“I then saw her do this stupid little skit on Saturday Night Live where she was in a classroom giving a hard time to these boys. She was funny as all hell! I knew in that moment that the girl could act. No question.”
Based off the board game of the same name, the blockbuster hit grossed $303 million at the box office.
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Harvard’s Humanitarian of the Year, 2017
In 2017, Harvard University bestowed Rihanna with their coveted Humanitarian of the Year award for her philanthropic efforts with the Clara Lionel Foundation Global Scholarship Program.
Rihanna receives the Harvard University Humanitarian of the Year Award from Dr. S. Allen Counter at Harvard University's Sanders Theatre on February 28, 2017 in Cambridge, Massachusetts. (Getty)
“Rihanna has charitably built a state-of- the-art center for oncology and nuclear medicine to diagnose and treat breast cancer at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Bridgetown, Barbados,” said Harvard Foundation director S. Allen Counter in his press statement.
“In 2012, she founded the nonprofit the Clara Lionel Foundation Global Scholarship Program [named for her grandparents] for students attending college in the U.S. from Caribbean countries, and supports the Global Partnership for Education and Global Citizen Project, which provides children with access to education in over 60 developing countries, giving priority to girls, and those affected by lack of access to education in the world today.”
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