WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:02.200 Welcome to the deep dive. Today we are taking 00:00:02.200 --> 00:00:06.139 a really structured deep look at someone who 00:00:06.139 --> 00:00:09.800 is just smash through pretty much every boundary 00:00:09.800 --> 00:00:12.019 you could imagine. We aren't just talking about 00:00:12.019 --> 00:00:14.859 a pop singer today. We're really dissecting the 00:00:14.859 --> 00:00:18.000 empire of Robin Rihanna Fenty. Yeah. The music 00:00:18.000 --> 00:00:21.940 icon, the national hero of Barbados and the global 00:00:21.940 --> 00:00:24.600 business mogul who actually became the world's 00:00:24.600 --> 00:00:28.100 first female musician billionaire. It is. It's 00:00:28.100 --> 00:00:30.059 an absolutely remarkable story. And when you 00:00:30.059 --> 00:00:31.920 really dig into all the source material we have, 00:00:32.039 --> 00:00:34.500 the narrative isn't just like accidental success. 00:00:34.679 --> 00:00:37.549 Not at all. No. It's this. story of constant, 00:00:37.689 --> 00:00:40.390 deliberate, sometimes maybe even ruthless reinvention. 00:00:40.490 --> 00:00:42.750 Our sources, they confirm she's one of the best 00:00:42.750 --> 00:00:46.130 selling music artists ever, you know, over 250 00:00:46.130 --> 00:00:48.429 million records sold. Just staggering in itself. 00:00:48.710 --> 00:00:50.789 It is. But the real story, I think, is how she 00:00:50.789 --> 00:00:52.770 built the Fenty machine at the same time. So 00:00:52.770 --> 00:00:54.570 this deep dive, it's really about connecting 00:00:54.570 --> 00:00:57.429 those two kind of distinct careers, the art and 00:00:57.429 --> 00:01:00.350 the business side. OK, so our mission today. 00:01:00.759 --> 00:01:03.460 for you listening, is to really pull all these 00:01:03.460 --> 00:01:05.640 different threads together. We want to track 00:01:05.640 --> 00:01:08.700 how her artistic identity evolved, understand 00:01:08.700 --> 00:01:12.019 the, frankly, groundbreaking strategy behind 00:01:12.019 --> 00:01:15.859 her Fenty businesses, and really appreciate the 00:01:15.859 --> 00:01:19.480 global social impact and even the national impact 00:01:19.480 --> 00:01:22.840 she has. Exactly. Really comprehensive sources 00:01:22.840 --> 00:01:26.420 here covering her life right from, you know, 00:01:26.420 --> 00:01:29.060 the tough streets of Bridgetown all the way up 00:01:29.060 --> 00:01:31.500 to that Super Bowl stage and becoming a mother. 00:01:31.620 --> 00:01:33.840 And I think we absolutely have to start with 00:01:33.840 --> 00:01:36.019 maybe the ultimate proof point of her influence, 00:01:36.219 --> 00:01:38.219 the thing that really elevates her beyond just 00:01:38.219 --> 00:01:41.060 celebrity. Her full name, Robin Rihanna Fenty. 00:01:41.519 --> 00:01:43.599 It's now completely intertwined with her home 00:01:43.599 --> 00:01:46.450 country. In 2021, she was officially declared 00:01:46.450 --> 00:01:49.230 a national hero of Barbados. Wow. By the prime 00:01:49.230 --> 00:01:51.810 minister, Mia Motley. That's not just like an 00:01:51.810 --> 00:01:53.849 award. That's a permanent place in the history 00:01:53.849 --> 00:01:55.689 of her country. That really does set the stage, 00:01:55.769 --> 00:01:57.469 doesn't it? OK, let's unpack that foundation 00:01:57.469 --> 00:02:00.250 then from Bridgetown to Def Jam, because it's 00:02:00.250 --> 00:02:02.609 easy now to just picture her and, you know, hot 00:02:02.609 --> 00:02:05.450 couture on these mega stages. But the sources, 00:02:05.549 --> 00:02:08.469 they give us a pretty stark reminder of her early 00:02:08.469 --> 00:02:11.409 life in St. Michael, Barbados. And it seems like 00:02:11.409 --> 00:02:13.110 that was really foundational to her drive. Oh, 00:02:13.110 --> 00:02:16.020 absolutely. She was born in 1988. Her mother, 00:02:16.139 --> 00:02:18.699 Monica, was an accountant, Afro -Guyanese heritage. 00:02:19.120 --> 00:02:22.039 Her father, Ronald Fenty, he was a warehouse 00:02:22.039 --> 00:02:25.860 supervisor. Barbadian with quite mixed heritage, 00:02:26.159 --> 00:02:29.800 African, Irish, English, Scottish roots. Quite 00:02:29.800 --> 00:02:32.939 a mix. Yeah. And they were living in this pretty 00:02:32.939 --> 00:02:35.219 modest three -bedroom bungalow in Bridgetown. 00:02:35.340 --> 00:02:37.719 And the sources really emphasized they weren't 00:02:37.719 --> 00:02:40.509 wealthy. Right. As a young girl. Rihanna actually 00:02:40.509 --> 00:02:42.990 spent time helping your dad sell clothes at a 00:02:42.990 --> 00:02:46.030 street stall in the local market. This wasn't 00:02:46.030 --> 00:02:48.090 just pocket money. This was helping the family 00:02:48.090 --> 00:02:51.169 make ends meet. That early experience with commerce, 00:02:52.009 --> 00:02:54.969 selling things, it seems almost prophetic looking 00:02:54.969 --> 00:02:57.849 back now, doesn't it? It really does. But the 00:02:57.849 --> 00:02:59.770 sources also show there were some profound personal 00:02:59.770 --> 00:03:01.930 challenges she was dealing with during those 00:03:01.930 --> 00:03:03.789 really formative years. Yeah, that comes through 00:03:03.789 --> 00:03:06.710 quite strongly. Very strongly. The challenges 00:03:06.710 --> 00:03:11.659 were significant. Pretty emotionally damaging, 00:03:11.800 --> 00:03:14.159 it seems. Her childhood was really heavily marked 00:03:14.159 --> 00:03:17.280 by her father's serious struggles with alcoholism 00:03:17.280 --> 00:03:19.979 and crack cocaine addiction. That must have been 00:03:19.979 --> 00:03:22.259 incredibly difficult. She's actually talked about 00:03:22.259 --> 00:03:24.360 witnessing physical abuse against her mother, 00:03:24.539 --> 00:03:27.439 Monica, who, by the way, she describes as one 00:03:27.439 --> 00:03:30.430 of the strongest women I know. The psychological 00:03:30.430 --> 00:03:34.590 strain on Rihanna herself was intense. She suffered 00:03:34.590 --> 00:03:37.409 from these relentless, just debilitating headaches, 00:03:37.669 --> 00:03:40.550 apparently so severe at times that doctors even 00:03:40.550 --> 00:03:43.319 suspected. You know, maybe a tumor. Oh, my goodness. 00:03:43.680 --> 00:03:45.560 And it's really critical to note these chronic 00:03:45.560 --> 00:03:47.840 headaches only started to significantly get better 00:03:47.840 --> 00:03:50.180 after her parents finally divorced when she was 00:03:50.180 --> 00:03:52.919 about 14. That period, it was clearly this kind 00:03:52.919 --> 00:03:55.080 of crucible that forged her resilience. You have 00:03:55.080 --> 00:03:57.319 to think it did. Yeah, you can see how that deep 00:03:57.319 --> 00:04:00.080 well of early experience, you know, watching 00:04:00.080 --> 00:04:02.620 and surviving that kind of turbulence, it must 00:04:02.620 --> 00:04:04.740 have fed into her capacity later on for that 00:04:04.740 --> 00:04:07.400 raw emotional expression in her music. I think 00:04:07.400 --> 00:04:10.240 so. But okay, before the superstardom, there 00:04:10.240 --> 00:04:13.340 was the music itself. What were her early influences 00:04:13.340 --> 00:04:15.080 back in Barbados? What was she listening to? 00:04:15.280 --> 00:04:18.139 Well, she was drawn to the arts very early on. 00:04:18.399 --> 00:04:22.079 Singing, dancing, even poetry. And her musical 00:04:22.079 --> 00:04:24.579 taste, it was definitely pointing towards the 00:04:24.579 --> 00:04:27.120 Caribbean and R &B. Okay. So she was listening 00:04:27.120 --> 00:04:31.060 really intently to reggae artists. Sizzla, Damian 00:04:31.060 --> 00:04:33.120 Marley, soaking up those rhythms. But at the 00:04:33.120 --> 00:04:35.899 same time, she was idolizing those American R 00:04:35.899 --> 00:04:38.980 &B powerhouses like Whitney Houston and Mariah 00:04:38.980 --> 00:04:42.300 Carey. The greats. The greats, exactly. And here's 00:04:42.300 --> 00:04:43.759 a detail that kind of gives you a surprising 00:04:43.759 --> 00:04:45.759 look at her discipline side, maybe. Oh, yeah. 00:04:45.939 --> 00:04:48.839 At age 11, she was actually a cadet in the Barbados 00:04:48.839 --> 00:04:51.779 Cadet Corps. No kidding. Like military cadets. 00:04:51.860 --> 00:04:54.860 Yeah. And this future singer, Chantel, was apparently 00:04:54.860 --> 00:04:58.019 her drill sergeant. Wow, small world. That's 00:04:58.019 --> 00:05:00.620 amazing. Isn't it? But it speaks to maybe an 00:05:00.620 --> 00:05:04.480 existing comfort with structure, with regimentation, 00:05:04.480 --> 00:05:06.120 even back then. That is surprising, especially 00:05:06.120 --> 00:05:07.879 considering the sort of rebellious image she 00:05:07.879 --> 00:05:10.839 cultivated later. Right. But she was clearly 00:05:10.839 --> 00:05:13.649 determined. So much so that she eventually dropped 00:05:13.649 --> 00:05:16.610 out of high school at 16. Just quit school to 00:05:16.610 --> 00:05:19.730 fully commit to pursuing music. 16! That's a 00:05:19.730 --> 00:05:23.209 huge decision. Huge. And that decision led directly 00:05:23.209 --> 00:05:26.670 to that now pretty famous audition. The one that 00:05:26.670 --> 00:05:29.009 sort of kicked everything off. Exactly. The audition 00:05:29.009 --> 00:05:31.069 for the American producer Evan Rogers back in 00:05:31.069 --> 00:05:34.509 2003. It's often held up as just this textbook 00:05:34.509 --> 00:05:38.050 example of raw... Undeniable star power. So how 00:05:38.050 --> 00:05:39.769 did it happen? She was in a group initially, 00:05:39.970 --> 00:05:42.170 wasn't she? That's right. She'd formed this unnamed 00:05:42.170 --> 00:05:44.829 trio with two classmates. And when they went 00:05:44.829 --> 00:05:46.649 in to audition for Rogers, he later recalled 00:05:46.649 --> 00:05:49.689 quite vividly, the minute Rihanna walked into 00:05:49.689 --> 00:05:52.129 the room, it was like the other two girls didn't 00:05:52.129 --> 00:05:54.829 exist. Wow. Just immediate presence. Immediate 00:05:54.829 --> 00:05:56.670 presence. They sang a Destiny's Child cover, 00:05:56.810 --> 00:05:59.629 Emotion. And Rogers just recognized that unique 00:05:59.629 --> 00:06:02.420 charisma instantly. He set up a second meeting 00:06:02.420 --> 00:06:04.540 just with Rihanna and her mother. And pretty 00:06:04.540 --> 00:06:06.579 soon after that, he invited them up to Connecticut 00:06:06.579 --> 00:06:08.899 to record some demo tracks. And those demos included 00:06:08.899 --> 00:06:12.259 Ponda Replay. They did. That foundational hit, 00:06:12.459 --> 00:06:16.000 Ponda Replay, was one of them. And eventually, 00:06:16.120 --> 00:06:18.959 those demos landed on the desk of Jay -Z. Okay, 00:06:19.000 --> 00:06:21.160 timing is everything here because he had just 00:06:21.160 --> 00:06:24.000 been appointed president and CEO of Def Jam Recordings. 00:06:24.120 --> 00:06:27.160 Precisely. But the sources suggest Jay -Z wasn't 00:06:27.160 --> 00:06:29.779 immediately sold on Ponda Replay. Funnily enough. 00:06:29.879 --> 00:06:32.800 Really? Why not? It seems like such an obvious 00:06:32.800 --> 00:06:35.579 hit now. Well, apparently he initially thought 00:06:35.579 --> 00:06:39.240 the track might be like too big or maybe too 00:06:39.240 --> 00:06:41.519 generic for a brand new artist. He was worried 00:06:41.519 --> 00:06:43.500 it might overshadow her potential, you know. 00:06:43.560 --> 00:06:46.439 Interesting point. But the energy was just undeniable. 00:06:46.819 --> 00:06:49.019 So he invited her for an in -person audition 00:06:49.019 --> 00:06:51.660 in New York. This is a really high stakes meeting. 00:06:51.779 --> 00:06:53.740 She sang Whitney Houston's For the Love of You, 00:06:53.839 --> 00:06:56.000 plus the demo tracks. The pressure must have 00:06:56.000 --> 00:06:58.709 been immense. I can only imagine. Singing for 00:06:58.709 --> 00:07:01.930 Jay -Z and the Def Jam execs. And the story goes, 00:07:02.269 --> 00:07:04.490 the legend really, that the record label had 00:07:04.490 --> 00:07:06.850 absolutely zero intention of letting her walk 00:07:06.850 --> 00:07:08.949 out of that building without a contract. Right, 00:07:09.009 --> 00:07:12.149 the famous L .A. Reid moment. Exactly. L .A. 00:07:12.189 --> 00:07:15.029 Reid, the industry titan, he was there. And he 00:07:15.029 --> 00:07:17.189 famously told Jay -Z, who was apparently still 00:07:17.189 --> 00:07:19.569 a bit hesitant about offering the contract right 00:07:19.569 --> 00:07:21.230 there on the spot, don't let her leave the building. 00:07:21.389 --> 00:07:24.009 Just sign her now. The urgency was palpable. 00:07:24.170 --> 00:07:27.889 She sent a six album deal that very day. canceled 00:07:27.889 --> 00:07:29.850 meetings. She had lined up with other labels 00:07:29.850 --> 00:07:32.850 instantly. And then shortly after turning 16, 00:07:32.990 --> 00:07:35.949 she moved to the U .S. and her debut album, Music 00:07:35.949 --> 00:07:38.649 of the Sun, dropped in 2005. And Music of the 00:07:38.649 --> 00:07:40.769 Sun, it was very Caribbean inspired, right? It 00:07:40.769 --> 00:07:43.709 hit number 10 on the Billboard 200. Yep. And 00:07:43.709 --> 00:07:46.370 Ponder Replay, well, it proved Jay -Z's initial 00:07:46.370 --> 00:07:48.850 hesitation wrong. It climbed all the way to number 00:07:48.850 --> 00:07:51.730 two in both the U .S. and the U .K. Huge debut 00:07:51.730 --> 00:07:53.879 single. Then her second album followed pretty 00:07:53.879 --> 00:07:57.639 quickly, A Girl Like Me, in 2006. Still in that 00:07:57.639 --> 00:08:00.100 pop and reggae vein. Yeah, similar vein, but 00:08:00.100 --> 00:08:01.939 it really solidified her commercial standing. 00:08:02.139 --> 00:08:04.060 It gave her her first ever number one single, 00:08:04.180 --> 00:08:06.439 S .O .S. Right, the soft sell sample. Exactly. 00:08:06.600 --> 00:08:09.819 And that second album became her first RIAA double 00:08:09.819 --> 00:08:11.699 platinum album. So that's over a million units 00:08:11.699 --> 00:08:14.300 sold in the U .S. Huge commercial marker. But 00:08:14.300 --> 00:08:16.339 critically, as you mentioned, she was still kind 00:08:16.339 --> 00:08:18.259 of fighting for her own identity at this point. 00:08:18.360 --> 00:08:20.660 Critics were comparing her to Beyonce quite a 00:08:20.660 --> 00:08:22.800 lot. Constantly, yeah, labeling her the next 00:08:22.800 --> 00:08:25.399 pop princess. Yeah. And she later admitted that 00:08:25.399 --> 00:08:28.360 felt really stifling. She knew she needed a drastic, 00:08:28.459 --> 00:08:30.819 really visible break from that polished image 00:08:30.819 --> 00:08:33.659 if she wanted to build a lasting career. Which 00:08:33.659 --> 00:08:35.700 leads us perfectly into the next big chapter, 00:08:36.019 --> 00:08:40.120 Section 3, artistic reinvention. We're talking 00:08:40.120 --> 00:08:43.220 about the era of good girl gone bad. Mm -hmm. 00:08:43.610 --> 00:08:46.029 And this wasn't just a minor tweak, was it? This 00:08:46.029 --> 00:08:49.230 was a deliberate, complete overhaul of her public 00:08:49.230 --> 00:08:52.509 image and her sound in 2007. Oh, completely deliberate. 00:08:52.789 --> 00:08:55.970 This album, Good Girl Gone Bad, it really marks 00:08:55.970 --> 00:08:57.850 the beginning of the Rihanna that we kind of 00:08:57.850 --> 00:09:00.230 recognize today, the one who seems totally in 00:09:00.230 --> 00:09:02.230 control of the narrative. So what was the stated 00:09:02.230 --> 00:09:04.870 goal? The stated objective was explicitly to 00:09:04.870 --> 00:09:07.750 ditch that girl -next -door image, to consciously 00:09:07.750 --> 00:09:10.190 dismiss it in favor of, and this is a quote, 00:09:10.330 --> 00:09:12.820 a more mature and rebellious persona. And the 00:09:12.820 --> 00:09:15.159 music changed dramatically, too. Dramatically. 00:09:15.360 --> 00:09:17.820 She basically jettisoned the Caribbean sounds 00:09:17.820 --> 00:09:20.840 almost entirely, shifted right into contemporary 00:09:20.840 --> 00:09:24.720 dance pop and R &B, and she brought in big names 00:09:24.720 --> 00:09:27.000 to help Timbaland, Justin Timberlake were involved. 00:09:27.139 --> 00:09:30.159 Right. But crucially, she also got vocal training 00:09:30.159 --> 00:09:33.000 from Neo. He worked with her specifically on 00:09:33.000 --> 00:09:35.480 breathing techniques, on delivery, so she was 00:09:35.480 --> 00:09:38.059 actively evolving her instrument, her voice as 00:09:38.059 --> 00:09:40.600 well. And the image. The image was revolutionary 00:09:40.600 --> 00:09:43.460 for the time. The haircut alone. Oh, the haircut. 00:09:43.759 --> 00:09:46.379 She chopped off the long hair for that sharp, 00:09:46.419 --> 00:09:50.120 asymmetrical bob. And that aesthetic shift, it 00:09:50.120 --> 00:09:52.500 was directly inspired, apparently, by Charlize 00:09:52.500 --> 00:09:55.700 Theron's look in the movie Eon Flux. Which is 00:09:55.700 --> 00:09:58.539 such a specific reference. It is. But it was 00:09:58.539 --> 00:10:00.919 marketing genius, right? This visually shocking 00:10:00.919 --> 00:10:03.360 moment that tied in perfectly with the album's 00:10:03.360 --> 00:10:05.399 more aggressive, confident new sound. And did 00:10:05.399 --> 00:10:07.419 the reinvention work commercially? Oh, massively. 00:10:07.820 --> 00:10:10.059 Good Girl Gone Bad debuted at number two, but 00:10:10.059 --> 00:10:11.720 eventually became her best -selling album worldwide. 00:10:12.159 --> 00:10:14.759 The figures are staggering 9 million copies sold 00:10:14.759 --> 00:10:18.539 by 2023. Wow. And the lead single, Umbrella. 00:10:19.659 --> 00:10:21.759 Well, that was just a cultural phenomenon. An 00:10:21.759 --> 00:10:24.659 absolute monster hit. Monster hit. Dominated 00:10:24.659 --> 00:10:26.679 the charts. Seven weeks at number one in the 00:10:26.679 --> 00:10:30.110 U .S. And an incredible 10 consecutive weeks 00:10:30.110 --> 00:10:32.710 at number one in the UK. 10 weeks? That's almost 00:10:32.710 --> 00:10:35.269 unheard of. Pretty much. This wasn't just a hit 00:10:35.269 --> 00:10:38.090 song. This was career consolidation. It won her 00:10:38.090 --> 00:10:41.029 first Grammy, Best Rap Song Collaboration with 00:10:41.029 --> 00:10:43.110 Jay -Z, of course. And Entertainment Weekly, 00:10:43.309 --> 00:10:46.409 they named her Diva of the Year in 2008. That 00:10:46.409 --> 00:10:49.450 old pop princess label. Officially dead and buried. 00:10:50.059 --> 00:10:52.299 But just as she's seemingly reaching this peak 00:10:52.299 --> 00:10:55.179 of control, the narrative faced this massive, 00:10:55.220 --> 00:10:57.419 really tragic challenge with the domestic violence 00:10:57.419 --> 00:11:00.279 incident in 2009. Yeah. The assault by her then 00:11:00.279 --> 00:11:02.740 boyfriend, Chris Brown. It forced her to cancel 00:11:02.740 --> 00:11:05.519 her Grammy performance and the media storm around 00:11:05.519 --> 00:11:07.779 it, especially after TMZ leaked that photo of 00:11:07.779 --> 00:11:10.980 her injuries. It was just relentless and incredibly 00:11:10.980 --> 00:11:14.059 intrusive. That event, as horrific as it was, 00:11:14.240 --> 00:11:16.340 it fundamentally shifted how the public saw her, 00:11:16.399 --> 00:11:20.019 I think. It added this layer of profound personal 00:11:20.019 --> 00:11:22.379 vulnerability and tragedy, really, to her public 00:11:22.379 --> 00:11:24.379 identity. And it directly impacted her music 00:11:24.379 --> 00:11:27.519 next, didn't it? Directly. It heavily influenced 00:11:27.519 --> 00:11:30.480 her next album, Rated R, which came out later 00:11:30.480 --> 00:11:33.860 in 2009. And that album was another dramatic, 00:11:33.879 --> 00:11:36.960 intentional shift. Sonically, it was much darker, 00:11:37.080 --> 00:11:39.639 more rock -influenced, very introspective. So 00:11:39.639 --> 00:11:41.779 it was her way of processing it artistically. 00:11:41.860 --> 00:11:43.580 It certainly seemed that way. It felt like her 00:11:43.580 --> 00:11:46.419 artistic processing of the trauma. And despite 00:11:46.419 --> 00:11:49.120 that heavy, darker tone, it still produced commercial 00:11:49.120 --> 00:11:52.570 success. Rude Boy went to number one for six 00:11:52.570 --> 00:11:54.809 weeks. Which shows her resilience, I suppose. 00:11:54.909 --> 00:11:57.690 But the genius, maybe, of her career longevity 00:11:57.690 --> 00:12:01.190 is that she never let one era, even one as dark 00:12:01.190 --> 00:12:03.889 as that, define her for too long. She pivoted 00:12:03.889 --> 00:12:06.090 again pretty quickly, back towards more vibrant, 00:12:06.129 --> 00:12:08.950 upbeat music with Loud in 2010. That pivot felt 00:12:08.950 --> 00:12:11.230 very calculated and probably necessary for the 00:12:11.230 --> 00:12:14.000 kind of... health of her overall brand loud was 00:12:14.000 --> 00:12:16.700 a full -throated return to pure dance pop massive 00:12:16.700 --> 00:12:18.679 anthems and it was incredibly successful right 00:12:18.679 --> 00:12:20.820 like record -breaking successful yeah it was 00:12:20.820 --> 00:12:23.440 like a record -breaking sprint it generated three 00:12:23.440 --> 00:12:26.320 billboard hot 100 number one singles back to 00:12:26.320 --> 00:12:30.659 back to back almost only girl in the world what's 00:12:30.659 --> 00:12:34.659 my name and then maybe most memorably that controversial 00:12:34.659 --> 00:12:37.480 snm remix she did with britney spears oh yeah 00:12:37.480 --> 00:12:40.220 that caused a stir It really did. But this period 00:12:40.220 --> 00:12:42.940 was just so prolific. She became the youngest 00:12:42.940 --> 00:12:45.659 and the fastest solo artist in Billboard Hot 00:12:45.659 --> 00:12:48.679 100 history to rack up 10 number one singles. 00:12:48.820 --> 00:12:51.200 That's incredible. Youngest and fastest. It just 00:12:51.200 --> 00:12:53.279 demonstrated her absolute mastery of the pop 00:12:53.279 --> 00:12:55.139 hit machine at that point. And the hits just 00:12:55.139 --> 00:12:58.740 kept coming with Talk in 2011. The themes there 00:12:58.740 --> 00:13:01.240 seemed to get even more explicitly mature, more 00:13:01.240 --> 00:13:03.960 sexual. Definitely. And the sound continued to 00:13:03.960 --> 00:13:07.070 evolve. Blending that dance pop and R &B with 00:13:07.070 --> 00:13:09.049 the sort of emerging sound of dubstep, which 00:13:09.049 --> 00:13:11.169 was huge at the time. Right. This album really 00:13:11.169 --> 00:13:14.549 cemented her status as this global dance music 00:13:14.549 --> 00:13:17.590 force. It gave us We Found Love. Ah, yes. Calvin 00:13:17.590 --> 00:13:20.169 Harris produced? Produced by Calvin Harris. And 00:13:20.169 --> 00:13:22.950 it became one of the defining songs of that whole 00:13:22.950 --> 00:13:25.950 decade, really. It spent 10 non -consecutive 00:13:25.950 --> 00:13:28.070 weeks at number one in the U .S. That was her 00:13:28.070 --> 00:13:30.110 longest running chart topper up to that point. 00:13:30.379 --> 00:13:32.340 And the video for We Found Love was also quite 00:13:32.340 --> 00:13:34.879 controversial, wasn't it? Showing this chaotic 00:13:34.879 --> 00:13:37.600 sort of drug fueled relationship. Very controversial. 00:13:37.740 --> 00:13:40.279 But that controversy, you get the sense it was 00:13:40.279 --> 00:13:42.980 part of the plan. She actually stated quite openly 00:13:42.980 --> 00:13:45.259 that she intentionally wanted to make videos 00:13:45.259 --> 00:13:48.139 that would, quote, give us something to talk 00:13:48.139 --> 00:13:50.440 about. So she was actively using provocative 00:13:50.440 --> 00:13:53.399 content as a tool to keep people talking, to 00:13:53.399 --> 00:13:55.600 control the discourse. Exactly. It feels like 00:13:55.600 --> 00:13:58.700 a strategy. And it worked. That video won Video 00:13:58.700 --> 00:14:01.240 of the Year at the VMAs, making her the first 00:14:01.240 --> 00:14:03.419 woman ever to win that top award more than once. 00:14:03.519 --> 00:14:05.720 Which is another milestone. OK, finally, in this 00:14:05.720 --> 00:14:08.080 incredibly productive run, we get to Unapologetic 00:14:08.080 --> 00:14:12.299 in 2012, her first U .S. number one album. Yep. 00:14:12.340 --> 00:14:14.860 First time topping the Billboard 200 album chart. 00:14:15.000 --> 00:14:17.840 This one explored vulnerability a bit more through 00:14:17.840 --> 00:14:20.440 a kind of synth pop lens. And it featured another 00:14:20.440 --> 00:14:23.659 massive global hit, Diamonds. Right. Written 00:14:23.659 --> 00:14:26.919 by Sia. Written by Sia, yeah. But the promotion 00:14:26.919 --> 00:14:30.529 for this album, Unapologetic. was almost as notorious 00:14:30.529 --> 00:14:32.549 as the music itself. You're talking about the 00:14:32.549 --> 00:14:35.590 777 tour. The 777 tour. Exhausting just thinking 00:14:35.590 --> 00:14:38.009 about it. The concept was incredibly aggressive. 00:14:38.309 --> 00:14:41.590 Seven shows in seven different countries, all 00:14:41.590 --> 00:14:43.889 in just seven days. How did they even manage 00:14:43.889 --> 00:14:47.850 that? She chartered this Boeing 777 plane, filled 00:14:47.850 --> 00:14:50.610 it with journalists, fans, her whole team, flew 00:14:50.610 --> 00:14:53.309 city to city. While it generated absolutely massive 00:14:53.309 --> 00:14:55.549 buzz, and there's a documentary about it later, 00:14:55.710 --> 00:14:58.309 the sources revealed the internal drama was pretty 00:14:58.309 --> 00:15:00.490 significant. Oh, really? Yeah, reporters were 00:15:00.490 --> 00:15:02.389 apparently often deprived of sleep, didn't get 00:15:02.389 --> 00:15:05.289 much access to Rihanna herself. It became kind 00:15:05.289 --> 00:15:07.690 of infamous, but it really showed her intense 00:15:07.690 --> 00:15:10.110 commitment to promotion and the incredibly high 00:15:10.110 --> 00:15:12.470 -pressure environment she was operating in. She 00:15:12.470 --> 00:15:14.330 was willing to push the boundaries, even for 00:15:14.330 --> 00:15:17.590 an album rollout. so by 2014 she'd released seven 00:15:17.590 --> 00:15:21.210 albums in eight years multiple number ones reinvented 00:15:21.210 --> 00:15:24.029 herself completely she was undeniably this musical 00:15:24.029 --> 00:15:26.710 titan who had mastered not just singing but the 00:15:26.710 --> 00:15:29.470 art of perpetual successful public transformation 00:15:29.470 --> 00:15:32.769 absolutely which sets the stage perfectly for 00:15:32.769 --> 00:15:35.490 the next major shift okay this mastery of the 00:15:35.490 --> 00:15:37.970 artistic brand it leads us right into section 00:15:37.970 --> 00:15:42.690 four the mogul status Because shortly after Unapologetic, 00:15:42.750 --> 00:15:45.850 that relentless pace of musical output, it did 00:15:45.850 --> 00:15:48.629 slow down quite a bit. It did. And she publicly 00:15:48.629 --> 00:15:51.529 talked about wanting a break. She said she desired, 00:15:51.649 --> 00:15:54.769 quote, a year to just do whatever I want artistically, 00:15:54.789 --> 00:15:57.629 creatively. She needed space. And that desire, 00:15:57.850 --> 00:16:00.429 that space, led to a really crucial strategic 00:16:00.429 --> 00:16:04.330 pivot, didn't it? In 2014, she officially moved 00:16:04.330 --> 00:16:07.409 her management. Yes, she moved from Def Jam over 00:16:07.409 --> 00:16:10.049 to Roc Nation, which further aligned her with 00:16:10.049 --> 00:16:12.889 Jay -Z's sort of broader entrepreneurial network. 00:16:13.090 --> 00:16:14.870 And the period after that break, it was marked 00:16:14.870 --> 00:16:16.750 by a different kind of artistic freedom. You 00:16:16.750 --> 00:16:18.470 saw it in the standalone singles she released. 00:16:18.669 --> 00:16:20.570 Right, singles that weren't tied to an immediate 00:16:20.570 --> 00:16:23.269 album project, like four or five seconds. Exactly. 00:16:23.350 --> 00:16:25.529 That acoustic -leaning track with Kanye West 00:16:25.529 --> 00:16:28.049 and Paul McCartney, so unexpected. Totally unexpected. 00:16:28.070 --> 00:16:30.350 And then the really aggressive track, Bitch Better 00:16:30.350 --> 00:16:33.700 Have My Money. And American Oxygen, too. What's 00:16:33.700 --> 00:16:36.019 really remarkable, though, is that these huge 00:16:36.019 --> 00:16:39.220 standalone singles, songs that many artists would 00:16:39.220 --> 00:16:42.299 build an entire era around, they were completely 00:16:42.299 --> 00:16:44.740 left off the final track list of her next album, 00:16:44.919 --> 00:16:48.100 Anti. That is amazing. It really speaks volumes 00:16:48.100 --> 00:16:50.340 about the sheer amount of material she must have 00:16:50.340 --> 00:16:52.460 had or her creative confidence at that point. 00:16:52.559 --> 00:16:55.039 It really does. And that album, Anti, which finally 00:16:55.039 --> 00:16:58.019 came in 2016, is apparently born amidst some 00:16:58.019 --> 00:17:00.360 significant creative struggles. She famously 00:17:00.360 --> 00:17:03.620 just... like tearing up earlier recordings and 00:17:03.620 --> 00:17:05.259 basically starting over. So it wasn't an easy 00:17:05.259 --> 00:17:07.720 process. Doesn't sound like it. But the final 00:17:07.720 --> 00:17:11.640 product, Anti, it was this wonderfully eclectic 00:17:11.640 --> 00:17:15.339 masterpiece, really. It blended dance hall, psychedelic 00:17:15.339 --> 00:17:18.759 soul, trap. It felt like a deliberate, maybe 00:17:18.759 --> 00:17:21.339 even slightly chaotic, rejection of pure pop 00:17:21.339 --> 00:17:23.599 formula. And she released it in an unconventional 00:17:23.599 --> 00:17:25.740 way, too, didn't she? Initially on Tidal? Yeah, 00:17:25.839 --> 00:17:27.980 another tactical move. Released exclusively on 00:17:27.980 --> 00:17:30.380 Tidal First, Jay -Z's streaming service. Kind 00:17:30.380 --> 00:17:32.420 of disrupting that traditional distribution model 00:17:32.420 --> 00:17:35.160 again. But despite the unconventional approach, 00:17:35.480 --> 00:17:38.640 the weight, the creative struggles, Antide was 00:17:38.640 --> 00:17:41.099 still a huge success. Oh, yeah. It became her 00:17:41.099 --> 00:17:43.880 second chart -topping album in the U .S. And 00:17:43.880 --> 00:17:46.410 it gave us work, featuring Drake. which was another 00:17:46.410 --> 00:17:49.990 massive number one single. But even as this sort 00:17:49.990 --> 00:17:52.630 of new artistic era was unfolding, you could 00:17:52.630 --> 00:17:55.210 sense her focus was clearly broadening beyond 00:17:55.210 --> 00:17:57.170 just the music charts. We should probably talk 00:17:57.170 --> 00:17:58.750 about her film career developing around this 00:17:58.750 --> 00:18:01.369 time too. Yeah, that was happening concurrently. 00:18:01.430 --> 00:18:04.779 Now her initial jump into film. It wasn't exactly 00:18:04.779 --> 00:18:07.000 met with critical acclaim. Right. Battleship 00:18:07.000 --> 00:18:10.240 2012. Battleship. Yeah. The alien invasion movie. 00:18:10.680 --> 00:18:12.960 Critics basically described her performance as 00:18:12.960 --> 00:18:16.700 petty officer Cora Rakes as, you know, just fine 00:18:16.700 --> 00:18:19.019 in a pretty generic role. Not exactly glowing 00:18:19.019 --> 00:18:21.740 reviews. However, she seemed to quickly learn 00:18:21.740 --> 00:18:23.700 how to leverage film roles more strategically 00:18:23.700 --> 00:18:26.539 to kind of build her credibility beyond music. 00:18:27.019 --> 00:18:29.779 She voiced the main character, Tip. and the animated 00:18:29.779 --> 00:18:32.519 film Home in 2015. Which was quite successful. 00:18:32.779 --> 00:18:35.099 Very successful. And then she took on these key 00:18:35.099 --> 00:18:36.980 supporting roles in some pretty major projects. 00:18:37.299 --> 00:18:39.880 She was in the Luc Besson sci -fi epic Valerian 00:18:39.880 --> 00:18:43.539 in 2017. Mm -hmm. And then perhaps most strategically, 00:18:43.799 --> 00:18:46.460 she was part of that all -female ensemble cast 00:18:46.460 --> 00:18:50.099 in the heist movie Ocean's 8 in 2018. Which was 00:18:50.099 --> 00:18:52.720 a huge hit. Huge hit. Grossed something like 00:18:52.720 --> 00:18:56.019 $300 million globally. These roles, they really 00:18:56.019 --> 00:18:59.460 positioned her as a legitimate multi -hyphenate 00:18:59.460 --> 00:19:02.759 entertainer. Not just, you know, a singer. trying 00:19:02.759 --> 00:19:05.140 her hand at acting. OK, so music evolving, film 00:19:05.140 --> 00:19:08.200 career developing. Now we arrive at the real 00:19:08.200 --> 00:19:11.380 engine of her immense wealth, the business empire. 00:19:11.640 --> 00:19:13.880 This is where that strategic duality you mentioned 00:19:13.880 --> 00:19:16.019 earlier becomes really intentional and frankly, 00:19:16.099 --> 00:19:18.839 financially staggering. This is absolutely the 00:19:18.839 --> 00:19:21.259 crux of her transformation into the mogul. And 00:19:21.259 --> 00:19:24.180 our sources make this crystal clear. She consciously, 00:19:24.240 --> 00:19:27.299 deliberately uses her surname, Fenty. exclusively 00:19:27.299 --> 00:19:29.200 for all her business ventures. Which is brilliant, 00:19:29.259 --> 00:19:31.240 actually. It's a masterstroke in brand management, 00:19:31.359 --> 00:19:33.559 isn't it? It intentionally separates that raw, 00:19:33.720 --> 00:19:36.160 sometimes controversial Rihanna artistic identity 00:19:36.160 --> 00:19:39.039 from the disciplined, meticulous, inclusive Fenty 00:19:39.039 --> 00:19:41.599 entrepreneurial identity. So when did the Fenty 00:19:41.599 --> 00:19:43.660 era really begin in earnest? Was it the Puma 00:19:43.660 --> 00:19:45.839 deal? Yeah, the Puma partnership was really the 00:19:45.839 --> 00:19:48.619 major launchpad. She was named creative director 00:19:48.619 --> 00:19:51.339 of Puma's women's line back in 2014. And that 00:19:51.339 --> 00:19:54.680 Puma deal, it was the first really clear signal 00:19:54.680 --> 00:19:56.730 that she wasn't just like, slapping her name 00:19:56.730 --> 00:19:58.769 on something. She was actually designing, leading 00:19:58.769 --> 00:20:01.109 the creative direction. Exactly. And that launch, 00:20:01.190 --> 00:20:03.849 particularly the footwear, it was this phenomenon 00:20:03.849 --> 00:20:07.130 of scarcity and high demand. The creepers, right? 00:20:07.250 --> 00:20:09.230 The creepers. Her very first sneaker design, 00:20:09.470 --> 00:20:12.450 they sold out online in something like three 00:20:12.450 --> 00:20:15.390 hours. Three hours? Yeah. This wasn't your typical 00:20:15.390 --> 00:20:17.430 celebrity endorsement deal. This was a strategic 00:20:17.430 --> 00:20:20.049 repositioning of the entire Puma brand within 00:20:20.049 --> 00:20:23.170 that booming athleisure market. It was led by 00:20:23.170 --> 00:20:26.910 her design vision. The sources confirm the monumental 00:20:26.910 --> 00:20:30.250 financial impact, too. Her Fenty X Puma clothing 00:20:30.250 --> 00:20:32.950 line eventually generated over a billion dollars 00:20:32.950 --> 00:20:35.289 for the company. Over a billion dollars for Puma. 00:20:35.430 --> 00:20:38.130 That must have attracted some serious attention. 00:20:38.369 --> 00:20:41.210 It absolutely did. Specifically, the attention 00:20:41.210 --> 00:20:44.930 of the ultimate luxury powerhouse, LVMH. Moet 00:20:44.930 --> 00:20:48.170 Hennessy Louis Vuitton. Which brings us to Fenty 00:20:48.170 --> 00:20:51.950 Beauty in 2017, the move that basically redefined 00:20:51.950 --> 00:20:55.069 the entire cosmetics industry. It really did. 00:20:55.210 --> 00:20:57.170 And the partnership structure here is absolutely 00:20:57.170 --> 00:20:59.809 critical to understand. She launched Fenty Beauty 00:20:59.809 --> 00:21:03.250 with LVMH, yes, but specifically with their Kendo 00:21:03.250 --> 00:21:06.789 division. What's Kendo? Kendo is basically LVMH's 00:21:06.789 --> 00:21:09.829 incubator for developing independent beauty brands. 00:21:10.509 --> 00:21:13.630 And crucially, she retained a vital 50 % ownership 00:21:13.630 --> 00:21:16.230 stake in Fenty Beauty. She wasn't just licensing 00:21:16.230 --> 00:21:19.329 her name. She was a co -owner. 50%. That's significant 00:21:19.329 --> 00:21:22.490 control. Hugely significant. And the core philosophy 00:21:22.490 --> 00:21:25.589 right from day one was inclusivity. Not as some 00:21:25.589 --> 00:21:28.109 marketing afterthought, but built into the brand's 00:21:28.109 --> 00:21:30.390 DNA. They launched with 40 Shades of Foundation. 00:21:30.710 --> 00:21:32.410 40 Shades, which at the time was revolutionary. 00:21:32.569 --> 00:21:35.049 Absolutely revolutionary. Catering to skin tones, 00:21:35.210 --> 00:21:37.029 particularly deeper skin tones, that had been 00:21:37.029 --> 00:21:39.630 largely ignored by the legacy beauty brands for... 00:21:39.799 --> 00:21:42.539 And that launch, it immediately sparked what 00:21:42.539 --> 00:21:45.059 the industry now calls the Fenty effect. Can 00:21:45.059 --> 00:21:47.059 you elaborate on what that means, the significance 00:21:47.059 --> 00:21:49.779 of that term? Yeah, the Fenty effect. It describes 00:21:49.779 --> 00:21:53.079 the immediate and immense pressure that Fenty 00:21:53.079 --> 00:21:55.599 Beauty's launch put on the entire cosmetics industry. 00:21:55.880 --> 00:21:58.680 Suddenly, every brand had to drastically expand 00:21:58.680 --> 00:22:02.019 their own foundation shade ranges or risk looking 00:22:02.019 --> 00:22:04.539 completely out of touch. So it forced their hand. 00:22:04.759 --> 00:22:06.960 It totally forced their hand. It wasn't just 00:22:06.960 --> 00:22:09.039 about selling makeup. It was about market disruption. 00:22:09.130 --> 00:22:11.829 option, driven by ethics, by representation. 00:22:12.549 --> 00:22:16.210 Finney Beauty proved, undeniably. that inclusivity 00:22:16.210 --> 00:22:19.269 was hugely profitable. It made competitors scramble, 00:22:19.369 --> 00:22:22.289 reformulate, relaunch their products. It changed 00:22:22.289 --> 00:22:24.809 the baseline expectation. That's incredible impact. 00:22:25.089 --> 00:22:27.230 No wonder Time magazine recognized it. Exactly. 00:22:27.470 --> 00:22:29.789 Fenty Beauty was named one of Time's 25 best 00:22:29.789 --> 00:22:32.569 inventions of 2017, specifically because of that 00:22:32.569 --> 00:22:34.849 massive cultural and industry impact. And she 00:22:34.849 --> 00:22:36.750 didn't stop with makeup. That same focus and 00:22:36.750 --> 00:22:39.109 representation on inclusivity, it fueled her 00:22:39.109 --> 00:22:42.069 next major business venture too, right? Savage 00:22:42.069 --> 00:22:44.769 X Fenty, yeah. Launched in 2018, her inclusive 00:22:44.769 --> 00:22:46.869 lingerie line. And again, the core principles 00:22:46.869 --> 00:22:49.829 were the same. Diversity, body positivity, and 00:22:49.829 --> 00:22:52.089 a really expansive size range XS, all the way 00:22:52.089 --> 00:22:54.509 up to 4X from the start. Which was a direct challenge 00:22:54.509 --> 00:22:56.890 to established players like Victoria's Secret. 00:22:57.089 --> 00:22:59.990 A direct and very successful challenge. And she 00:22:59.990 --> 00:23:02.190 was clever about the distribution, too. She debuted 00:23:02.190 --> 00:23:04.450 the line at New York Fashion Week, sure, but 00:23:04.450 --> 00:23:06.410 then she packaged these elaborate runaway shows 00:23:06.410 --> 00:23:09.190 into these slickly produced fashion specials 00:23:09.190 --> 00:23:12.009 for Amazon Prime Video. Reaching millions instantly. 00:23:12.269 --> 00:23:14.750 Millions instantly, yeah. Bypassing traditional 00:23:14.750 --> 00:23:17.869 retail gatekeepers to some extent. Very modern. 00:23:18.069 --> 00:23:21.069 Okay, makeup, lingerie. Then came the really 00:23:21.069 --> 00:23:23.970 big power move in 2019, launching her own high 00:23:23.970 --> 00:23:27.430 fashion house, Fenty, also under the LVMH umbrella. 00:23:27.730 --> 00:23:30.390 That was truly monumental. Historically significant, 00:23:30.589 --> 00:23:32.849 actually. She became the first woman ever to 00:23:32.849 --> 00:23:34.869 create an original brand for LVMH from scratch. 00:23:35.109 --> 00:23:37.009 The first woman ever. Ever. And specifically, 00:23:37.269 --> 00:23:39.970 the first woman of color to lead one of LVMH's 00:23:39.970 --> 00:23:43.069 prestigious luxury houses. Furthermore, it was 00:23:43.069 --> 00:23:44.890 the first new fashion house the group had launched 00:23:44.890 --> 00:23:47.750 since Christian Lacroix way back in 1987. Wow, 00:23:47.869 --> 00:23:50.710 that's a 32 -year gap. That's immense trust from 00:23:50.710 --> 00:23:54.009 LVMH. Immense institutional trust and a recognition 00:23:54.009 --> 00:23:57.190 of her power. Absolutely. It elevated her from 00:23:57.190 --> 00:24:00.269 beauty mogul to... you know, legitimate high 00:24:00.269 --> 00:24:02.849 fashion designer operating at the very pinnacle 00:24:02.849 --> 00:24:05.309 of the luxury world. Now, that fashion house, 00:24:05.410 --> 00:24:07.670 Fenty, it was later suspended, wasn't it? It 00:24:07.670 --> 00:24:10.049 was, yeah. It was put on pause, suspended in 00:24:10.049 --> 00:24:12.609 2021. The reporting suggests this was largely 00:24:12.609 --> 00:24:14.569 due to the significant challenges and supply 00:24:14.569 --> 00:24:17.630 chain disruptions caused by the COVID -19 pandemic. 00:24:18.250 --> 00:24:20.529 It seems to have been more of a strategic pause 00:24:20.529 --> 00:24:23.559 rather than an outright failure. But even with 00:24:23.559 --> 00:24:26.339 that pause, the runaway success of Fenty Beauty 00:24:26.339 --> 00:24:28.940 and Savage X Fenty, that's what propelled her 00:24:28.940 --> 00:24:30.839 net worth into the stratosphere. And that's what 00:24:30.839 --> 00:24:33.099 officially solidified her status as the world's 00:24:33.099 --> 00:24:36.980 first female musician billionaire in 2021, with 00:24:36.980 --> 00:24:39.839 a net worth estimated around $1 .7 billion at 00:24:39.839 --> 00:24:42.619 the time. Exactly. The Fenty brand, the disciplined, 00:24:42.799 --> 00:24:46.079 inclusive, meticulously managed mogul side, actually 00:24:46.079 --> 00:24:49.319 became, in financial terms, more valuable than 00:24:49.319 --> 00:24:51.640 the Rihanna brand, the raw experimental artist 00:24:51.640 --> 00:24:54.490 side. separation strategy really paid off. It's 00:24:54.490 --> 00:24:56.609 genius, isn't it? It allowed the Fenty brand 00:24:56.609 --> 00:24:59.950 to be seen as this reliable, high quality, ethical 00:24:59.950 --> 00:25:02.869 luxury provider, while the Rihanna brand could 00:25:02.869 --> 00:25:06.089 remain provocative, creatively free, take risks 00:25:06.089 --> 00:25:08.809 without damaging the core business. It's this 00:25:08.809 --> 00:25:11.500 brilliant insulation strategy. And beyond just 00:25:11.500 --> 00:25:13.819 the profit motive, she has consistently used 00:25:13.819 --> 00:25:17.160 her platform, her influence for advocacy and 00:25:17.160 --> 00:25:19.640 global philanthropy as well. Yeah, that's a really 00:25:19.640 --> 00:25:22.039 important thread throughout her career. Her main 00:25:22.039 --> 00:25:24.019 philanthropic efforts are channeled through the 00:25:24.019 --> 00:25:26.579 Clara Lionel Foundation, the CLF. Named after 00:25:26.579 --> 00:25:28.299 her grandparents. Named after her grandparents, 00:25:28.539 --> 00:25:31.299 Clara and Lionel Braithwaite, yeah. She founded 00:25:31.299 --> 00:25:34.650 it in 2012. And the CLF focuses primarily on 00:25:34.650 --> 00:25:37.150 supporting global education initiatives and also 00:25:37.150 --> 00:25:39.490 emergency response efforts worldwide. And she 00:25:39.490 --> 00:25:41.950 uses her star power to raise money for it, like 00:25:41.950 --> 00:25:44.509 the Diamond Ball. Exactly. Those Diamond Ball 00:25:44.509 --> 00:25:47.230 galas became major fundraising events, leveraging 00:25:47.230 --> 00:25:50.170 her celebrity network. The second one alone reportedly 00:25:50.170 --> 00:25:53.690 raised over $3 million. But her advocacy work 00:25:53.690 --> 00:25:56.069 is equally significant, especially on issues 00:25:56.069 --> 00:25:58.420 around racial and social justice. Her public 00:25:58.420 --> 00:26:00.740 statements on those issues have often been quite 00:26:00.740 --> 00:26:03.779 forceful and clear. Very much so. She's used 00:26:03.779 --> 00:26:06.599 her huge platform to speak out strongly against 00:26:06.599 --> 00:26:09.519 police brutality. She participated in that powerful 00:26:09.519 --> 00:26:12.339 video, 23 Ways You Could Be Killed If You Were 00:26:12.339 --> 00:26:16.000 Black in America. She also openly criticized 00:26:16.000 --> 00:26:19.329 Donald Trump's immigration policies. But perhaps 00:26:19.329 --> 00:26:22.069 the most high profile, high stakes move that 00:26:22.069 --> 00:26:24.630 demonstrated her principles was when she declined 00:26:24.630 --> 00:26:27.950 the offer to perform at the 2019 Super Bowl halftime 00:26:27.950 --> 00:26:30.589 show. Right. In solidarity with Colin Kaepernick. 00:26:30.710 --> 00:26:34.069 Exactly. Choosing to prioritize that political 00:26:34.069 --> 00:26:36.630 stance. her solidarity with Kaepernick and his 00:26:36.630 --> 00:26:39.329 protest against racial injustice over what is 00:26:39.329 --> 00:26:41.529 arguably one of the biggest commercial invisibility 00:26:41.529 --> 00:26:44.269 opportunities an artist could possibly get. That 00:26:44.269 --> 00:26:46.470 sent a very strong message. It really did. And 00:26:46.470 --> 00:26:48.410 it maybe gives some context to something less 00:26:48.410 --> 00:26:51.130 publicized, the fact that she actually sued her 00:26:51.130 --> 00:26:53.009 own father. Yeah, that was quite something. She 00:26:53.009 --> 00:26:55.390 filed a lawsuit against her father, Ronald Fenty, 00:26:55.569 --> 00:26:58.009 alleging he was misusing the Fenty name for his 00:26:58.009 --> 00:27:00.309 own commercial purposes, trying to set up some 00:27:00.309 --> 00:27:02.509 kind of Fenty entertainment company without her 00:27:02.509 --> 00:27:04.980 authorization. Wow. What happened with that? 00:27:05.119 --> 00:27:07.500 Well, the lawsuit was eventually dropped just 00:27:07.500 --> 00:27:09.720 before it was due to go to trial. But taking 00:27:09.720 --> 00:27:11.420 that aggressive legal stance against her own 00:27:11.420 --> 00:27:14.240 father, it just reinforces how absolutely critical 00:27:14.240 --> 00:27:17.000 it was for her to maintain strict control over 00:27:17.000 --> 00:27:19.779 the Fenty brand identity, to ensure its value 00:27:19.779 --> 00:27:22.500 wasn't diluted or damaged by unauthorized ventures, 00:27:22.519 --> 00:27:25.299 even from family. The message was clearly sent. 00:27:25.460 --> 00:27:28.420 The Fenty brand is hers. It's sacred and it's 00:27:28.420 --> 00:27:30.539 tightly controlled. And she's been recognized 00:27:30.539 --> 00:27:32.859 for this combination of success and social commitment, 00:27:33.059 --> 00:27:35.799 hasn't she? Like with the NAACP award. Yes, she 00:27:35.799 --> 00:27:38.039 received the prestigious President's Award at 00:27:38.039 --> 00:27:41.380 the NAACP Image Awards. And that award specifically 00:27:41.380 --> 00:27:43.440 highlighted both her groundbreaking business 00:27:43.440 --> 00:27:46.460 achievements and her extensive record as a public 00:27:46.460 --> 00:27:49.640 advocate and philanthropist. It recognized that 00:27:49.640 --> 00:27:52.019 duality. OK, so we've covered the artist, the 00:27:52.019 --> 00:27:53.980 mogul, the advocate. Let's move into Section 00:27:53.980 --> 00:27:58.140 5, icon status, motherhood and milestones. If 00:27:58.140 --> 00:28:00.220 the business success cemented her as a mogul, 00:28:00.240 --> 00:28:03.559 her return to the stage in 2023. That really 00:28:03.559 --> 00:28:06.119 felt like it cemented her status as a true generational 00:28:06.119 --> 00:28:13.400 icon. That was absolutely momentous. It wasn't 00:28:13.400 --> 00:28:15.799 just another performance. It felt like this carefully 00:28:15.799 --> 00:28:18.799 curated cultural statement. And it marked her 00:28:18.799 --> 00:28:21.160 big return to live performance after quite a 00:28:21.160 --> 00:28:23.599 long break. A five -year hiatus from live performing, 00:28:23.779 --> 00:28:26.200 yeah. And significantly, it also effectively 00:28:26.200 --> 00:28:29.180 signaled the end of her previously self -imposed 00:28:29.180 --> 00:28:31.539 boycott of the event, the one she undertook in 00:28:31.539 --> 00:28:34.660 support of Kaepernick. So performing was a statement 00:28:34.660 --> 00:28:37.279 in itself. And the audience numbers just confirmed 00:28:37.279 --> 00:28:40.079 her status as this massive universal draw, didn't 00:28:40.079 --> 00:28:42.720 they? The viewing figures were absolutely astronomical. 00:28:43.119 --> 00:28:46.660 The show pulled in 121 .017 million viewers. 00:28:46.960 --> 00:28:49.920 That officially surpassed Katy Perry's 2015 show, 00:28:50.079 --> 00:28:52.299 making it the most watched Super Bowl halftime 00:28:52.299 --> 00:28:55.160 show in history. Most watched ever. Ever. But 00:28:55.160 --> 00:28:56.779 the ultimate reveal during that performance, 00:28:56.960 --> 00:28:58.619 the thing that truly broke the Internet. Is the 00:28:58.619 --> 00:29:01.259 pregnancy reveal. Exactly. She became the first 00:29:01.259 --> 00:29:03.519 person ever to headline the Super Bowl halftime 00:29:03.519 --> 00:29:06.160 show while pregnant. And she literally revealed 00:29:06.160 --> 00:29:09.480 her condition, her second pregnancy live on stage 00:29:09.480 --> 00:29:12.529 to the entire world. Just this incredibly powerful 00:29:12.529 --> 00:29:14.650 display of controlling her personal narrative 00:29:14.650 --> 00:29:17.769 alongside her professional one. And she and Asa 00:29:17.769 --> 00:29:20.289 Pairaki went on to welcome their second son later 00:29:20.289 --> 00:29:22.869 that year. Our sources also indicate they welcomed 00:29:22.869 --> 00:29:26.970 a third child, a daughter, in 2025. It's quite 00:29:26.970 --> 00:29:29.170 amazing how she manages to prioritize her growing 00:29:29.170 --> 00:29:31.450 family while still operating at the absolute 00:29:31.450 --> 00:29:33.670 peak of global fame and professional visibility. 00:29:34.109 --> 00:29:36.049 It really is. And her connection to music, although 00:29:36.049 --> 00:29:38.609 maybe less frequent now, it remains incredibly 00:29:38.609 --> 00:29:41.190 potent when she chooses to engage. age. Just 00:29:41.190 --> 00:29:43.730 before that Super Bowl performance, she released 00:29:43.730 --> 00:29:47.150 Lift Me Up in 2022. Right, for the Black Panther, 00:29:47.250 --> 00:29:49.450 Wakanda Forever soundtrack. Exactly. That was 00:29:49.450 --> 00:29:51.730 her first solo release since the Anti album back 00:29:51.730 --> 00:29:54.769 in 2016. And what happened? It immediately earned 00:29:54.769 --> 00:29:57.230 her Oscar and Golden Globe nominations for Best 00:29:57.230 --> 00:29:59.329 Original Song. Just proving that her musical 00:29:59.329 --> 00:30:02.009 currency, her impact, remains incredibly high, 00:30:02.150 --> 00:30:04.910 even with longer gaps between releases. Absolutely. 00:30:04.990 --> 00:30:07.369 When she speaks musically, people still listen 00:30:07.369 --> 00:30:09.480 very closely. Let's talk a bit more about the 00:30:09.480 --> 00:30:12.079 raw numbers, the stats that really define her 00:30:12.079 --> 00:30:14.559 musical legacy, because the accolades are just 00:30:14.559 --> 00:30:16.420 staggering when you lay them out. They really 00:30:16.420 --> 00:30:18.880 put her in the absolute highest tier of musical 00:30:18.880 --> 00:30:22.420 achievement. In the U .S., she holds 14 Billboard 00:30:22.420 --> 00:30:27.099 Hot 100 number one singles. 14 number ones. Where 00:30:27.099 --> 00:30:29.740 does that rank all time? That puts her third 00:30:29.740 --> 00:30:33.160 most all time for solo artists. behind only Mariah 00:30:33.160 --> 00:30:35.819 Carey and the Beatles overall. Just incredible 00:30:35.819 --> 00:30:38.819 company. And her digital sales. Even more dominant 00:30:38.819 --> 00:30:40.759 there, perhaps. She is the highest certified 00:30:40.759 --> 00:30:45.200 female digital single artist by the RIAA. That 00:30:45.200 --> 00:30:47.960 means she surpassed over 100 million gold and 00:30:47.960 --> 00:30:50.180 platinum certifications for her digital tracks 00:30:50.180 --> 00:30:53.039 in the U .S. alone. Just unmatched for a female 00:30:53.039 --> 00:30:54.680 artist. Wow. And what about internationally? 00:30:54.740 --> 00:30:56.960 In the U .K., for instance? Her dominance is 00:30:56.960 --> 00:30:59.119 just as clear across the Atlantic. In the U .K. 00:30:59.160 --> 00:31:01.720 singles market, she ranks second only. Only to 00:31:01.720 --> 00:31:03.799 the Beatles for the most million -selling single. 00:31:03.920 --> 00:31:06.019 Second only to the Beatles. Think about that. 00:31:06.420 --> 00:31:09.779 That's the benchmark of true generational staying 00:31:09.779 --> 00:31:12.559 power, outselling almost everyone in one of the 00:31:12.559 --> 00:31:15.319 world's biggest music markets. We touched briefly 00:31:15.319 --> 00:31:17.799 on her vocal development earlier, getting training 00:31:17.799 --> 00:31:20.819 from Neo. But what do critics generally say about 00:31:20.819 --> 00:31:23.660 her actual artistry, her vocal technique over 00:31:23.660 --> 00:31:25.819 the years? Well, technically, she's classified 00:31:25.819 --> 00:31:28.640 as a mezzo -soprano. Her documented vocal range 00:31:28.640 --> 00:31:31.500 spans from B2 up to C sharp 6, which is quite 00:31:31.500 --> 00:31:34.420 broad. While, yes, she got that early training 00:31:34.420 --> 00:31:37.430 from Neo focusing on basics like breathing. Critics 00:31:37.430 --> 00:31:39.670 generally praise her evolution. She went from 00:31:39.670 --> 00:31:41.650 what was sometimes described as a more vulnerable, 00:31:41.789 --> 00:31:44.630 maybe thinner delivery on the early albums, to 00:31:44.630 --> 00:31:46.329 developing a voice that's highly controlled, 00:31:46.609 --> 00:31:49.029 incredibly versatile, and capable of conveying 00:31:49.029 --> 00:31:52.009 a huge range of emotions, often with this signature, 00:31:52.210 --> 00:31:54.730 almost cool detachment. Right. Rolling Stone 00:31:54.730 --> 00:31:56.910 ranked her pretty highly on their recent list. 00:31:57.049 --> 00:31:59.890 They did. She came in at number 68 on their 200 00:31:59.890 --> 00:32:04.259 Greatest Singers of All Time list in 2023. And 00:32:04.259 --> 00:32:07.259 one critic memorably described her voice as having 00:32:07.259 --> 00:32:10.440 transformed into, quote, a weapon of emotional 00:32:10.440 --> 00:32:13.619 chill and strategic indifference. which I think 00:32:13.619 --> 00:32:15.799 really captures that sense of control she mastered, 00:32:15.980 --> 00:32:18.519 possibly reflecting those turbulent early years. 00:32:18.680 --> 00:32:21.119 That's a great description. And finally, let's 00:32:21.119 --> 00:32:23.519 talk about her image again. Because that constant 00:32:23.519 --> 00:32:25.940 aesthetic metamorphosis we discussed, it feels 00:32:25.940 --> 00:32:28.359 absolutely central to her identity and her icon 00:32:28.359 --> 00:32:30.859 status. She's really been regarded as a major 00:32:30.859 --> 00:32:33.400 fashion icon since that good girl gone bad transformation, 00:32:33.740 --> 00:32:36.099 hasn't she? Oh, absolutely. Her influence on 00:32:36.099 --> 00:32:38.799 fashion simply cannot be overstated. The Guardian 00:32:38.799 --> 00:32:41.119 newspaper once noted that her wardrobe is arguably 00:32:41.119 --> 00:32:43.900 the most talked about, influential and dissected 00:32:43.900 --> 00:32:46.519 in pop. Her choices immediately ripple out and 00:32:46.519 --> 00:32:49.119 influence mainstream fashion trends. And she 00:32:49.119 --> 00:32:51.019 sees fashion as more than just clothes, right? 00:32:51.299 --> 00:32:53.759 Definitely. She's described it herself as a form 00:32:53.759 --> 00:32:55.920 of statement and often, interestingly, as a kind 00:32:55.920 --> 00:32:58.500 of defense mechanism. The power of her image, 00:32:58.619 --> 00:33:00.759 her ability to command attention through fashion, 00:33:00.859 --> 00:33:03.720 was demonstrated perfectly at the 2015 Met Gala. 00:33:04.720 --> 00:33:07.500 The famous yellow gown. The incredible, enormous 00:33:07.500 --> 00:33:11.299 yellow gopay gown with the massive train. That 00:33:11.299 --> 00:33:14.660 single outfit, that one red carpet moment reportedly 00:33:14.660 --> 00:33:17.160 generated over a billion impressions online. 00:33:17.460 --> 00:33:20.380 A billion impressions from one dress. It just 00:33:20.380 --> 00:33:23.640 underscored her unique activity to turn fashion 00:33:23.640 --> 00:33:27.079 into a measurable, global, cultural conversation. 00:33:27.579 --> 00:33:30.279 She understands the power of the visual better 00:33:30.279 --> 00:33:32.480 than almost anyone. And then to bring it all 00:33:32.480 --> 00:33:34.980 full circle, tying it back to the very beginning, 00:33:35.140 --> 00:33:38.099 the highest honors, the deepest recognition still 00:33:38.099 --> 00:33:41.420 comes from her home, from Barbados. Her global 00:33:41.420 --> 00:33:44.019 success translates directly into this national 00:33:44.019 --> 00:33:46.799 veneration. Absolutely. And the honors she's 00:33:46.799 --> 00:33:49.059 received from Barbados are quite unique in the 00:33:49.059 --> 00:33:51.250 realm of modern celebrity. As we mentioned, in 00:33:51.250 --> 00:33:53.970 2021, she was officially declared the Right Excellent 00:33:53.970 --> 00:33:56.450 National Hero of Barbados. That's the highest 00:33:56.450 --> 00:33:58.690 honor the country bestows. And she was made an 00:33:58.690 --> 00:34:01.529 ambassador before that. Yes. Back in 2018, she 00:34:01.529 --> 00:34:04.410 was designated Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary 00:34:04.410 --> 00:34:07.289 for Barbados, with a specific mandate to promote 00:34:07.289 --> 00:34:10.090 education, tourism, and investment for the island. 00:34:10.250 --> 00:34:13.269 Furthermore, the nation actually celebrates Rihanna 00:34:13.269 --> 00:34:16.190 Day every year on February 22nd, her birthday. 00:34:16.519 --> 00:34:18.800 So her journey, it's not just seen as a celebrity 00:34:18.800 --> 00:34:21.980 success story there. It's viewed as a vital national 00:34:21.980 --> 00:34:25.539 export. She's culminated in becoming this permanent 00:34:25.539 --> 00:34:29.090 celebrated fixture. and the nation's actual identity 00:34:29.090 --> 00:34:33.190 in history. This has been a tremendously detailed, 00:34:33.309 --> 00:34:36.429 deep dive. Just looking at the sheer scope of 00:34:36.429 --> 00:34:39.550 the multifaceted empire of Robin Rihanna Fenty 00:34:39.550 --> 00:34:42.409 is, well, it's quite something. It really is. 00:34:42.590 --> 00:34:44.510 So just to quickly summarize this whole journey 00:34:44.510 --> 00:34:47.269 for you, the listener, we basically tracked her 00:34:47.269 --> 00:34:50.329 trajectory right from being a struggling child 00:34:50.329 --> 00:34:53.030 helping her dad sell clothes in Bridgetown all 00:34:53.030 --> 00:34:55.329 the way through mastering that raw, experimental, 00:34:55.590 --> 00:34:57.880 constantly evolving Rihanna. artistic identity 00:34:57.880 --> 00:35:01.659 across five really distinct musical eras we identified. 00:35:01.980 --> 00:35:04.480 And at the same time, concurrently. we've mapped 00:35:04.480 --> 00:35:06.900 out the deliberate creation of the Fenty business 00:35:06.900 --> 00:35:10.760 empire, this disciplined, meticulous, and crucially 00:35:10.760 --> 00:35:13.260 highly inclusive conglomerate. And that strategy 00:35:13.260 --> 00:35:16.659 of separation seems key. Absolutely key. Separating 00:35:16.659 --> 00:35:18.940 the often provocative artistic brand from the 00:35:18.940 --> 00:35:21.340 quality -driven, reliable business brand. It's 00:35:21.340 --> 00:35:23.639 a crucial distinction, as you said. One drives 00:35:23.639 --> 00:35:26.159 the cultural conversation, generates buzz, takes 00:35:26.159 --> 00:35:28.199 risks. The other drives the financial valuation, 00:35:28.559 --> 00:35:30.960 built on principles like the Fenty effect that 00:35:30.960 --> 00:35:34.019 literally redefined industry standards. So she 00:35:34.019 --> 00:35:36.260 shattered music records left and right, becoming 00:35:36.260 --> 00:35:39.340 the highest certified female digital artist ever. 00:35:39.440 --> 00:35:42.039 And simultaneously, she shattered luxury and 00:35:42.039 --> 00:35:44.639 beauty industry ceilings, making history as the 00:35:44.639 --> 00:35:46.599 first female musician to achieve billionaire 00:35:46.599 --> 00:35:48.940 status. And this brings us right back to that 00:35:48.940 --> 00:35:51.920 blueprint for her success, this constant deliberate 00:35:51.920 --> 00:35:55.460 management of duality. We saw how so many of 00:35:55.460 --> 00:35:57.780 the artistic choices, the controversial videos, 00:35:57.980 --> 00:36:00.300 the darker albums, the outspoken political stances, 00:36:00.360 --> 00:36:03.420 they seem designed to be loud, public, maybe 00:36:03.420 --> 00:36:05.619 even rebellious. Yeah. But then her business 00:36:05.619 --> 00:36:08.139 ventures, Fenty Beauty, Savage X Fenty, they 00:36:08.139 --> 00:36:10.940 thrive on these principles of quiet, meticulous 00:36:10.940 --> 00:36:14.079 inclusivity, structure, and broad appeal. It's 00:36:14.079 --> 00:36:16.309 almost the opposite approach. Which raises, I 00:36:16.309 --> 00:36:18.409 think, a really important final question for 00:36:18.409 --> 00:36:20.409 you, the listener, especially as you look at 00:36:20.409 --> 00:36:22.590 success and entrepreneurship in the modern world. 00:36:22.690 --> 00:36:25.469 How does this specific, very intentional maintenance 00:36:25.469 --> 00:36:28.449 of two separate yet equally powerful identities, 00:36:28.809 --> 00:36:32.110 the raw experimental artist versus the disciplined, 00:36:32.190 --> 00:36:34.650 inclusive mogul, how does that serve as maybe 00:36:34.650 --> 00:36:36.530 the necessary blueprint for achieving not just 00:36:36.530 --> 00:36:38.690 longevity, but that kind of unparalleled financial 00:36:38.690 --> 00:36:40.630 and cultural success in the modern age?