No artist from the 21st century is challenging Rihanna in terms of worldwide hits/classics. No offense to Taylor Swift or any other artist y’all put up but Rih’s hitmaking is generally compared to artists like Madonna and Mariah Carey
Been a Rihanna fan for as long as I can remember and I’ve never seen her this happy. She’s really living her dream. That new album is going to come from a place of pure joy and bliss.
Pon De Replay is the song that started it all. One of Rihanna’s most nostalgic and universally loved records. I hope she remembers it exists lol because if I hear “it goes one by one even two by two” y’all might have to resuscitate me even if it’s an interlude
Wildest thing about that whole rumor about Rihanna and ASAP is how many people wanted it to be true and couldn’t wait to spread some negativity. Misery is everywhere man…
One thing I learned throughout Rihanna’s hiatus is that music needs her, she doesn’t need music. Hasn’t paid the industry any mind in nearly 7 years yet continues to stream higher than her peers. She’s actually gotten MORE popular. Her mark on music is made. Love that for her.
A testament to Rihanna’s musical legacy is how many artists seem to be playing catch-up to her. She cemented her spot in music so successfully that she can leave the industry for 7 years, still out stream her peers while having the whole world excited for her return. That’s power
To achieve billionaire status, be named a National Hero of her home country in Barbados, and now celebrating her first pregnancy. Rihanna is thriving like never before and I love that for her.
Love on the Brain was an instant classic that had massive success off the strength of Rihanna’s performances alone. Didn’t even need a video. Her live performance (y’all know the one) is the official music video imo
@AngelYaDig
Strongly disagree. Songwriting is a great talent but it’s just one component when making a hit song. Having a good ear for music, the vision to execute a song in a way others can’t, and the versatility to pull it off is just as big of a talent. Her hiatus changes nothing tbh
Respectfully, this is the difference between Rihanna and her peers. I knew what hits would be on a Katy Perry & Lady Gaga Super Bowl setlist. I know what songs would be on a hypothetical Taylor Swift setlist. Aside from maybe 3 songs, I have no idea what hits Rihanna may perform
It’s crazy how Rihanna is one of the titans of the streaming era with only one album released, and it was back when streaming was still in its infancy stage.
Her domination during the digital era was just that massive that it carried over seamlessly without her lifting a finger
Kinda funny how Rihanna is one of the most sexual and erotic artists the industry has ever seen and she ended up having one of the most family-friendly Super Bowl performances. She has everybody from little kids to grannies in nursing facilities recreating her Halftime Show.
Being mad at Rihanna for being relatable is such a new and inventive way of telling everyone you are a loser. Touching grass isn’t enough. It needs to be thrown at you.
ANTI is still selling 50k a month in the U.S. alone - 8 years later, all while Rihanna is currently inactive. It’s very likely going to end its run as a diamond certified album with 3 diamond singles, and one of the longest charting albums of all time. What a legacy.
When ANTI dropped it was initially called “a Rihanna album without the hits” and now it’s one of the longest charting albums of all time and close to pushing 3 Diamond certified singles. Always breaking the mold 👑
.
@rihanna
's 'ANTI' has now spent 350 weeks on the Billboard 200. First album by a black female artist to reach this milestone in the chart's history.
The critics didn’t get it until months and years later, but the general public knew ANTI was an instant classic. You never lose when the right people are on your side and that’s why Rihanna continues to rack up music wins even on hiatus.
The real reason some of y’all feel Rihanna gets away with stuff that others can’t is because she is a master of changing the narrative for the positive. Neither she nor her fans wallow in a loser or defeated mentality. It’s why your bullying has failed for 19 years btw
Rihanna’s run from 2005-2012 & comeback in 2016 was truly legendary and the impact can’t be overstated. A catalog full of hits and classics that were not only ahead of their time, but stood the test of time. I can’t wait to see how she tops herself with R9 if I live to see it…
She became a legend a long time ago but folks like to be gatekeepers on who can be called one. Maybe it was because she was too young, she didn’t fit a certain standard, or they just didn’t like her lol. But her longevity/impact is now making people accept the truth years later
Very excited for Rihanna to tour again. She’s another female artist whose millions of fans are all grown up and eager to spend their own money on her. It’s going to be massive.
Rihanna reaching new Spotify peaks just by performing is so crazy to me. Whether it’s at the Super Bowl or at a wedding, just reminding people that she used to make music is enough for her to compete with active artists. A legendary catalog of music for real.
It’s very telling when people say ANTI is Rihanna’s first “cohesive” album because structurally it’s not that different from many of her previous albums that follow a similar model. It’s just the perfect version of her successful formula for blending different genres like that.
Rihanna’s success story is predicated on her not being like other artists. She’s pretty much a pioneer in every industry she steps foot in (music, fashion, business). So the only comparisons that need to be made are to herself & whether she’s still breaking new ground & evolving.
Unapologetic may not get enough credit for what it did to Rihanna’s music cultural footprint. It expanded her range and cemented her as more than just a hitmaker to older audiences who loved Stay, & Black audiences who thought she was “too pop” until Pour It Up & Loveeeeeee Song
10 years ago today:
@rihanna
released "Unapologetic".
The album spawned several Multi-Platinum hits including "Stay", "Pour It Up", and her 12th Hot 100
#1
, "Diamonds".
It's certified 3x Platinum by the
@RIAA
and won Best Urban Contemporary Album at the
#GRAMMYs
A lot of the unprovoked bitterness when it comes to Rihanna comes from them finally getting their wish for her to disappear from the music industry just for her to still be charting/selling the way she is. Going on hiatus to make “Fenty” a household name too? Winning everywhere.
It was smart for Rihanna to come back from hiatus to do a ballad for Black Panther. The song will do incredibly well as all her ballads do. And the anticipation for R9’s lead is still there, possibly greater, for the folks waiting to shake their asses. See, when you can do both…
Rihanna is definitely in her Sade era. Just getting cooler and finer as she ages while taking unreasonably long hiatuses. As a fan of both, I am blessed and cursed.
Rihanna having a vision for the music videos before the music is interesting. That combined with her exploring new things and describing this upcoming era as “different” and “weird” convinces me that R9 will definitely be more experimental than ANTI.
We love artistic growth.
I remember narratives about Rihanna being a label puppet with no creative input, just a machine behind her. But evidence to the contrary was always there. She’s directly involved and interested in all her ventures and works her ass off. She’s a self-made billionaire because of it
Ne-Yo (
@NeYoCompound
) remembers working with Rihanna in
@JalenRose
's podcast: "She’s always been a workhorse. She’s the one that will get in the studio, stay in the studio until it’s done. I completely understand how she’s as successful as she is now."
As a fan, sometimes I’m in shock at how Rihanna managed to become the second best-selling woman of all time and then I look at lists like these and I’m reminded why.
Her top 11 songs alone. 113 million records sold.
And this is just in the U.S. alone. Damn.
To do this with no new material in 7+ years is crazy. She’s competing with artists who have mass released all throughout her hiatus. Rihanna has a legendary catalog.
.
@rihanna
has now surpassed 80 MILLION monthly listeners on
@Spotify
for the first time ever.
She's the 4th most popular artist in the world right now.
Rihanna has people around the world recreating her Super Bowl Halftime Show and she’s now the
#1
woman on Spotify with the most monthly listeners while still on a 7 year hiatus. The supreme.
@AngelYaDig
My original words were Rihanna is the bigger hitmaker. You didn’t prove me wrong. Also, what you think makes a hit and what others think makes a hit are clearly different. If you can’t accept that, maybe you’re more like a Trump supporter. Have a good day.
There’s always been an attempt to discredit and minimize Rihanna’s success and influence ever since she came out. It was weird back then and even weirder now that we’re nearly 20 years into her immensely successful career lol
Can’t imagine too many others having this much demand despite being gone for so long. R9 might be an even bigger comeback than people think, if we live to see it.
.
@rihanna
reaches a new career high in monthly listeners on
@Spotify
, surpassing 81 million for the first time ever.
Her previous peak was in March 2023, after her Super Bowl performance (80.9 million).
May the fans sing this song at the top of their lungs whenever she’s spotted in public from now until the end of time. It’s time to fight petty with petty.
The Hot 100 was a lot more fun when artists/labels didn’t know exactly how to manipulate the charts to their benefit on a weekly basis. Taylor Swift isn’t the only one who does this but this is the most shamelessly blatant I’ve seen so far
I’m convinced that R9 will be Rihanna’s biggest era. Her smashing the Super Bowl Halftime Show viewership record followed by these remarkable streaming numbers despite being on hiatus and not having her music on TikTok/IG. The demand is strong. People want a follow-up to ANTI.
Rihanna being one of the best-selling artists and most prolific hitmakers of all time and music is basically a pastime for her now is some legendary shit. And that’s how I know she’s gonna give us another career-defining record when she comes back in 20 years.
Rihanna has revolutionized every industry she’s stepped foot in, which is why there is a noticeable vacuum whenever she’s gone for too long. Things get interesting when she decides to come shake things up. It’s what she’s known for. It’s why people look to her for direction
Rihanna is one of those rare artists that gets bigger and better as their career goes on. We haven’t experienced her peak yet which is crazy because what she’s accomplished is insurmountable already. So when she does decide to return to music, it’s going to be a moment in history
Starting to realize it was Rihanna having the audacity to be this big without their approval that makes them act this way. Heal whatever trauma her success caused you and go outside please.
Despite not releasing an album since 2016, Rihanna has surpassed 2.1 billion streams on Spotify so far in 2024. She is the most streamed black female artist this year.
ANTI still charting 8 years later and likely gonna end its run with a diamond certification. Nearly half of her discography is charting on Billboard during her hiatus. Bad time for people who called Rihanna a singles artist. One thing about them tables…
Adele is a little playful too when she’s interacting with the audience during performances. It’s probably why their personalities are widely beloved on a real level beyond the music. It’s adorable to see lol
Rihanna really don’t take shit serious, cause why would you do this in front of all of those people at the Oscars while being introduced to sing a sorrowful ass song 😂😂😂😂
given Rihanna’s brand is all about inclusivity, I’m sure she‘d welcome healthy criticism if one of her events unintentionally offended some folks, but not if it’s coming from a hateful or disingenuous place lol
Rihanna is really the popstar of the generation. Relevant, beloved, impactful, and flourishing in all aspects of her personal and professional life. Very happy for her.