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Rihanna supported farmers’ protest in India. But who is she?

From wealth to records, here’s everything you need to know about the Barbadian singer

By Kota Saumya
Updated On - 3 February 2021, 02:48 PM
Rihanna supported farmers’ protest in India. But who is she?

Pop singer Rihanna created headlines across the world as she tweeted about the ongoing farmers protest that has wracked India’s capital Delhi and led to an internet shutdown in some districts of Haryana.

The singer has in the past been vocal about her opinions regarding bullying, body-shaming, gender norms, Black Lives Movement and now the farmers protest. She tweeted on Tuesday, “Why aren’t we talking about this? #FarmersProtest.”

Rihanna became a pop music sensation with the release of her album Good Girl Gone Bad in 2007. She got her big break when she came to the attention of rapper Jay Z, (then president of Def Jam records) who was reportedly so impressed by her vocal stylings that she was asked to stay in the building till the lawyers chalked up her contract. In 2003, she came out with her first album Music of the Sun which strongly drew on her Caribbean roots, apart from reggae, dance hall elements.

Born in Barbados in a religiously inclined family, Rihanna, whose real name is Robyn Rihanna Fenty, has described her upbringing as a religious one, where she attended church and also witnessed a few exorcisms on occasion. West Indian cricketer Kraigg Brathwaite was Rihanna’s junior in school by four years and was often bullied by his busmates due to being scrawny. The story goes that Rihanna aka Robyn beat up the kids and then took Kraigg in her lap. While in school, she received military training as part of a cadet group.

Rihanna earned her first Grammy for the single Umbrella in 2008. After the song came out, she actually had to ban fans from bringing umbrellas to her concerts as she feared people would get hurt. She would come out with best-selling albums like Rated R (2009), Loud (2010), Talk That Talk (2011), Unapologetic (2012) and Anti (2016). Rihanna never had any singing lessons and was vocally trained by singer Ne-Yo while they worked on new music.

Her most famous songs include Diamonds, We Found Love, Rude Boy, Work Today, and the 32-year-old has to her name nine Grammy Awards, 13 American Music Awards, 12 Billboard Music Awards, and six Guinness World Records. She became the first female solo artiste to sell out 10 concerts at London’s O2 Arena.

Rihanna became the wealthiest female musician, with an estimated net worth of $600 million in 2019. The income came from her fashion label FENTY which rolled out clothing and accessories. She also has a cosmetic line under the same name launched in 2017.

Trivia

  • Rihanna can’t wink.
  • Rihanna insured her legs in for $1 million after winning Gillette’s Venus Breeze competition for the best legs.
  • She has starred in movies like Battleship (2012), Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets (2017), and Ocean’s 8 (2018).
  • One of her wax figures for Madame Tussauds took a team of 20 people four months to build.
  • Rihanna win the title of ‘Miss Combermere’ at her high school’s beauty pageant, singing Hero by Mariah Carey.

Though her tweet on the ongoing farmers protest in India was widely shared on social media with many stars from Hollywood chiming in with their support. But as it goes, Twitter is now flooded with hundreds of memes and posts on the current issue. Few of them are –

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