RIHANNA

Robyn Rihanna Fenty (born February 20, 1988), who performs under the mononym Rihanna, is a Barbadian singer, model, and beauty queen. Born in Saint Michael, Barbados Rihanna relocated to the United States at the age of sixteen to pursue a recording career, under the guidance of record producer Evan Rogers. She subsequently signed a contract with Def Jam Recordings after auditioning for then-label head Jay-Z.
In 2005, Rihanna released her debut studio album, Music of the Sun, which peaked within the top ten of the Billboard 200 and features the Billboard Hot 100 hit single "Pon de Replay". Less than a year later, she released her second studio album, A Girl Like Me, peaking within the top five of the Billboard albums chart and produced her first number one single, "SOS". Rihanna's third studio album, Good Girl Gone Bad (2007), peaking at number two on the Billboard 200, released three number one hit singles—"Umbrella", "Take a Bow", and "Disturbia". The album was nominated for nine Grammy Awards, winning Best Rap/Sung Collaboration for "Umbrella", which features Jay-Z.
Rihanna had sold over eleven million albums worldwide and has received several allocates, including the 2007 World Music Awards for World's Best-Selling Pop Female Artist and Female Entertainer of the Year, as well as the 2008 American Music Awards for Favorite Soul/R&B Female Artist and Favorite Pop/Rock Female Artist. She also serves as the cultural ambassador for Barbados.
1988–2004: Early life and recording contractRihanna was born in Saint Michael, Barbados, to Ronald and Monica Fenty. She has two younger brothers, Rorrey and Rajad Fenty. Her mother, a native of Guyana, is Afro-Guyanese and her father is Barbadian and Irish. Rihanna's parents divorced when she was fourteen years old.
Rihanna attended Charles F. Broome Memorial School, a primary school in Barbados, and then the Combermere School, where she formed a musical trio with two of her classmates at the age of fifteen. In 2004, she won the Miss Combermere Beauty Pageant. She was an army cadet in a sub-military programme that trained with the military of Barbados and Shontelle was her drill sergeant.
At the age of fifteen she formed a girl group with two of her classmates. In 2003, friends introduced Rihanna and her two bandmates to record producer Evan Rogers, who was vacationing in Barbados with his wife. The group auditioned for Rogers, who said that "the minute Rihanna walked into the room, it was like the other two girls didn't exist." While auditioning for Rogers, Rihanna sang Destiny's Child's cover of "Emotion". Over the next year, Rihanna and her mom shuttled back and forth to Rogers home in Stamford, Connecticut. Then, shortly after turning 16, she relocated to the U.S. and moved in with Rogers and his wife. Carl Sturken, helped Rihanna record a four-song demo, which included what would become her first hit, "Pon de Replay" to send to various recording companies. Rihanna's demo made its way to Def Jam, which invited her to audition for the label's then-president, Jay-Z, who quickly signed her.

2005–2006: Music of the Sun and A Girl like MeRihanna released her debut album, Music of the Sun, on August 30, 2005 in the United States. The album reached number 10 on the Billboard 200. As of 2009, the album is certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America, denoting shipments to US retailers of over 500,000 units. The album received mixed reviews by music critics. Rolling Stone magazine rated it 2.5 out of 5 stars and described as lacking the replay value, ingenuity and rhythm of the single with "generic vocal hiccups and frills" of US R&B inflecting upon her "caribbean charm". "Pon de Replay" is Rihanna's debut single. The song peaked at number 2 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 Music of the Sun yielded two singles, the first being "Pon de Replay", which was peaked at number two on the Billboard Hot 100. It also became a global hit where it peaked within the top 10 across 15 countries. The second single, "If It's Lovin' That You Want" was less successful than "Pon de Replay", having managed a peak position of number 36 in the United States. In Australia, Ireland and New Zealand the single proved to be well-received reaching the top 10 in those countries.
Less than eight months after the release of Music of the Sun, Rihanna released her second album, A Girl Like Me, in April 2006. The album reached number five on the Billboard 200 and has been certified platinum by the RIAA, having shipped over one million units. The lead single, "SOS," peaked at number one on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming her first number-one in the United States. The second single, "Unfaithful," was a worldwide hit. In 2006, before the release, Rihanna served as an opening act for Gwen Stefani to promote the album. Rihanna then started touring with Pussycat Dolls from November to February 2007 in the United Kingdom.
When Rihanna received an endorsement deal from Clinique, she recorded a song written by Ne-Yo entitled "Just Be Happy" as part of the deal to promote their Happy fragrance. Rihanna also recorded a song called "Winning Women" with Pussycat Doll Nicole Scherzinger for P&G's female deodorant Secret. During this time Rihanna made her acting debut in a cameo role to the film Bring It On: All or Nothing, released on August 8, 2006.