Rihanna is one of the world’s most successful women, whether it’s due to her charity work, her distinct sense of design, or her stack of best-selling singles – but how much do you know about her? Put your knowledge to the test with these 13 very facts you don’t know about her.
1. Rihanna won a beauty pageant in high school
She said she entered the pageant on a dare. In 2004, a year before her first hit single “Pon de Replay” was released, Rihanna won her high-school beauty pageant. She was crowned Miss Combermere, in part, because of her performance of Mariah Carey’s “Hero” in the talent portion. She told The Daily Mail in 2007 that she’d joined the pageant on a dare.
2. You may pronounce her name wrong
Rihanna pronounces her name “ree-ANN-uh.” According to multiple videos of the singer, Rihanna actually pronounces her name “ree-ANN-uh” not “ree-AH-nuh.” Her full name is also Robyn Rihanna Fenty.
3. At the age of 16, Rihanna signed her first record deal, and Jay-Z was a factor in the offer.
After an audition for record producer Evan Rogers in 2003, Rihanna produced a demo in 2004 and was later flown to New York to meet with Jay-Z, the then-president of the Def Jam record label. He wanted to sign Rihanna so badly that the label’s meeting with her reportedly went until 3 a.m. while the lawyers ironed out all the details. At the age of 16, Rihanna signed a contract with the label.
4. “Umbrella” wasn’t originally written for Rihanna
Rihanna’s hit song almost wasn’t hers. According to Vice, the song was originally written for Britney Spears, who rejected the offer. It was then offered to both Mary J. Blige and Def Jam Records. Blige wasn’t able to finalize the deal, so the record label was able to purchase the song for Rihanna.
5. Don’t try to bring an umbrella to her shows
After “Umbrella” became a hit in 2008, Rihanna had to ban umbrellas from her shows due to heightened security risks.
6. She receives many different Guinness World Records
Rihanna broke multiple Guinness World Records, including “most consecutive years of UK no.1 singles “female artist with most US no. 1 singles in a year,” and “most digital no.1 singles in the US.”
7. Rihanna says she has a drink before shows to calm her nerves
Rihanna says she has a drink before shows to calm her nerves. Christopher Polk/Getty Images. Rihanna’s preshow rituals include a diluted shot and sometimes sneaking into the audience to watch the opening act. She told Esquire in 2011 that she takes the shot to calm her nerves before every show.
“My personal assistant slash bartender brings me a shot that she dilutes with a little something so it’s not so harsh, like orange juice or soda water and lime,” she said.
While she’s sipping her drink, she watches the opening act from her dressing room or from the audience if she has the proper attire.
“Sometimes I go out into the audience. I put on a really big hoodie and sneak out there,” she told Esquire.
8. She is known for her charity work
Rihanna won the 2017 Harvard Humanitarian of the Year award for her dedicated work and charitable service over the past decade.
In addition to being involved in several of her own nonprofits, including the Clara Lionel Foundation, Rihanna hosts a highly successful charity ball every year called the Diamond Ball. Most recently, her Clara Lionel Foundation donated $5 million to coronavirus relief efforts.
9. She said she’s witnessed a few exorcisms
In a 2011 interview, Rihanna told a Los Angeles radio station that she’s witnessed several exorcisms. In the video, Rihanna recounts one of her experiences that happened at a church where a girl “went out of control” and everyone heard a “different voice.”
10. Rihanna wasn’t allowed to wear makeup growing up
Although she’s now a beauty mogul, Rihanna wasn’t allowed to wear makeup growing up. “My mom wasn’t flexible. I wore no makeup,” she told InStyle in 2017. Rihanna also said her love of all things beauty-related came from watching her mother work at a beauty counter when she was growing up.
11. Rihanna has gotten vocal lessons from fellow musician Ne-Yo
Ne-Yo gave her voice lessons. Although she never received formal vocal training, Rihanna did take informal lessons from fellow R&B singer Ne-Yo
in 2007. “When I’m in the studio, he’ll tell me how to breathe and stuff,” she told MTV that year. The pair were reportedly working on new music together when the lessons occurred.
12. She has a street named after her in Barbados
Rihanna’s childhood neighborhood is named after her. The street Rihanna grew up on in Barbados has been renamed Rihanna Drive, according to Billboard. In 2017, the superstar attended the naming ceremony on Barbados Independence Day.
13. Fans think that she can’t really wink.
Internet users have attempted to demonstrate Rihanna’s inability to wink. In 2016, BuzzFeed celebrity writer @NotAgainBen posted a series of videos that appeared to prove Rihanna can’t wink. Many fans believe she just closes both eyes and then reopens one to appear to be winking.
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