Happy Birthday, Rihanna: 5 Defining Moments of Her Career
Today, we’re raising a glass (or the whole bottle of champagne) to the woman who’s made everything from music to fashion, beauty and motherhood into successful endeavors, all while looking good. It’s “Bad Girl” Rihanna’s birthday today, and what better way to celebrate than looking back at some of the defining moments of her career that made her one of the most iconic stars of our generation.
“Umbrella” Drops (and We All Got Wet)
Who could forget the moment Rihanna dropped “Umbrella” with that unforgettable hook? “You can stand under my umbrella/Ella/Ella…” It’s stuck in our heads forever (admit it, you sang the lyrics while reading this!), and for good reason. “Umbrella” didn’t just make her a household name; it also helped her gain fans beyond pop and R&B.
Besides, “Umbrella” gave us another pop culture moment we’re still talking about to this date. Tom Holland, aka Spider-Man, lip-syncing and dancing “Umbrella” while wearing a sexy outfit on Lip Sync Battle. Zendaya, lip-syncing Bruno Mars’ “24k Magic” is already one of the best and memorable, but it was no match to Holland’s, thanks to Rihanna’s epic song.
Rihanna’s Bad Girl Era
Okay, we all remember Good Girl Gone Bad because it signaled a new chapter in Rihanna’s life when she embraced the “bad girl” edgy and more mature persona, which is a far cry from her image when she debuted. She rocked the fearless and “will-not-take-no-for-an-answer” unapologetic confidence in her music and fashion choices and fans loved it.
Fenty’s Beauty Launch
Forget about breaking the internet—Rihanna broke the beauty industry when she launched Fenty Beauty. Fans love her line (it reportedly made $100 million dollars in just over a month), specifically her unmatched range of foundation shades for every skin tone. It boasts a range of 50 foundation colors to accommodate a wide variety of skin colors.
She didn’t just start a beauty brand; she changed the industry’s take on inclusivity. She started a movement.
The Fashion Icon Emerges
Remember the year she co-hosted the 2018 Met Gala and wore a custom fully-beaded minidress with a matching cape and miter by John Galliano? She was crowned as one of the best dressed of the night instantly because of how her outfit fully embodied the night’s theme of “Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination.” Her evolution as a fashion icon through the years reached another level when she became a regular at the Met Gala.
Super Bowl LVII Halftime Show
With 121 million viewers, Rihanna’s Super Bowl LVII Halftime Show is the third most watched show after Usher and of course, Kendrick Lamar, per Billboard. It marked her first live performance in years, and proved she’s still got it. With a surprise baby bump reveal, she had us gasping and cheering—while also wondering how she managed to dance like that on stage while pregnant.
From dominating the music charts to changing the beauty industry, Rihanna has done it all. Happy birthday to the woman who made us feel like a bad gal in the best way possible. Now, who’s ready for R9?
