The Construction of Rihanna's Star Image by 201502074

FENTYXPUMA

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Rihanna previously announced a collaboration with Puma in 2015 and released multiple successful collections which garnered large profits for the brand. In 2018 she took time away from this project to focus on her own brands however, in March 2023 puma announced that the FENTYXPUMA collaboration would be back and in September of this year they released their first new collection. This collaboration seems incohesive with Rihanna's usual luxury, designer style yet this was a way for her to be creative and, as with her other brands, have fun and be innovative.

Superbowl

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Rihanna's second pregnancy announcement was revealed during her comeback performance at the NFL Superbowl half time show. After not releasing any new albums since 2017, Rihanna performed a compilation of some of her most popular songs from her previous albums, demonstrating the timelessness of her hit songs.

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Rihanna as commodity

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'Stars are involved in making themselves in commodities' (Dyer. R, 1986). At one of the biggest, most talked about performances of the year, Rihanna took the opportunity to promote her Fenty Beauty makeup by 'touching up' her makeup during the first few seconds of her performance. She is an entrepreneur and 'businesswoman' making smart moves to promote her own brand.

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After a 6 year hiatus, releasing no new albums, Rihanna appeared in a promotional video for the NFL Superbowl, which subtly revealed that she will perform in the half time show. This show has seen huge celebrities over the years such as Prince and Madonna. Joining this cohort of some of the most famous musicians, she shows just how much of an iconic superstar she is and how much her dedication to her music and career has lead her to become one of the most recognisable, influential stars of the century.

Pregnancy

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During her three pregnancies she has embraced her bump and her body which in turn has lead to other women to feel inspired and be confident and proud to dress in a way that reveals and shows off their stomachs during pregnancy.

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Rihanna's pregnancy announcement of her first child in 2022 with boyfriend A$AP Rocky. She is a transitional figure, her audience can relate to these intimate milestones in her life.

Family

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Rihanna started dating American rapper A$AP Rocky in 2021 and now has 2 children with him. She has been very public with her relationship with him and they are constructed as a 'power couple' in the media.

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Rihanna also teased her Superbowl performance with this simple image of her tattood hand holding an american football with just a full stop as the caption. She knows how to capture her fan's attention and garner discourse about upcoming appearances showing she is in control of her image construction.

Transmedia

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In 2013, the band 'The Wanted' released a song titled 'Walks Like Rihanna'. This is a prime example of how Rihanna is perceived by others, as a perfect being to the point where even the way she walks is something to admire. The lyrics 'but who cares, she walks like Rihanna', also demonstrates this idea of Rihanna as a sex symbol, she is longed for by men in such a way that even if another girls were to walk in the way that she does, the girl is automatically attractive.

Savage x Fenty

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Her other brand of lingerie has allowed her to create fashionable lingerie that's inclusive in it's size range. The website states that 'the brand celebrates bravery, self-confidence and inclusivity' with Rihanna herself explaining that she made the brand to make her customers "feel sexy and have fun doing it."

Fenty Beauty by Rihanna

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In 2017, after collaborating with many beauty brands during her career, Rihanna launched her own makeup brand: Fenty beauty which included a foundation collection of more than 40 shades. In the beauty industry at that time, makeup brands had limited shades and were not inclusive to people of colour. After Rihanna stormed the makeup industry with her brand, what followed was a phenomena named by Carson Miller as “The Fenty Effect” (Miller, 2022). Miller describes this phenomena as the way in which Fenty Beauty 'broke the mould' of the industry by launching an extensive shade range that promoted inclusivity in its sector.

Beginning of her career

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In 2005, 16 year old Robyn Rihanna Fenty was discovered by record producer Evan Rogers in her hometown in Barbados. He helped her to sign a record deal with the label Def Jam whose CEO at the time was Jay-Z. He immediately saw Rihanna's star quality quickly helping her to release her first album 'Music of the Sun' which featured her debut single 'Pon de Replay'. This album, as well as her second album 'A girl like me' (2006) were inspired by the rhythms and music of Barbados. In the beginning of her career, her identity was strongly connected to her Bajan roots.

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She has also established herself as an actress with her first film appearance in Battleship (2012). She also did a character voiceover for the Dreamworks animation film Home (2015), appeared in 'Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets' (2017), and played one of the main roles in 'Ocean's 8' (2018) alongside Sandra Bullock and Anne Hathaway.

Ocean's 8 (2018)

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Battleship (2012)

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Home (2015)

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Not only has Rihanna acted in films, she also had a role voice acting for the Dreamworks animation 'Home' as the Tip Tucci

Sexual image

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By the time her third album Good Girl Gone Bad (2008) was released, Rihanna had garnered a 'sex symbol' status. The song featured on this album with the same name, talks of her transformation from an innocent girl to a confident woman with Rihanna herself saying in an interview that the song reflects her changed personality at the time. She had grown out of her sweet girl image and taken on an edgier, rebellious and more confident persona that she is most well-known for.

Public persona

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In an interview conducted at her launch event for a men's fragrance 'Rogue men' in 2014 Rihanna was asked what she was 'looking for in a man' to which Rihanna replied 'I'm not looking for a man, lets start there'. Here, she showed her independence and confidence in herself, she doesn't need to have a man, she has her own identity. Her image is that of a strong feminine power.

Rihanna: 'My Album A Girl Like Me Is All About Personal Experiences, TMZ (

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In this interview Rihanna explains that in her first album 'Music of the Sun' (2005) she was introducing herself as 'this girl from the Caribbean', showing how she is proud of where she is from. She then explains that her second album 'A Girl Like Me' (2006) was her opportunity to discuss a more personal side and open up about her experiences growing up. During this period she was still a teenager but as she describes herself in this interview, she was 'a fun, loving person' who is 'laid-back' yet still 'hard-working'.

The Rihanna Book

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In 2019 she released a visual autobiography of specifically curated images that allow an insight into her life. This book allowed her to carefully construct the image she wants to put out into the world and also allows fans to get an insight into her private life with images of intimate moments between friends and family and behind the scenes images.

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Textual Poaching

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This documentary put together by a fan edits together a series of images and footage to document Rihanna's career. It's made by a fan for the fans who feel a sense of communtiy and go on to create their own secondary media.

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'The way she walked into the room and her confidence'

Chris Brown

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A year before this album was released, Rihanna started dating Chris Brown and he joined on the 'Good Girl Gone Bad' tour the following year.

Chris Brown's physical assault on Rihanna

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The night before the 2009 Grammy Awards, Chris Brown was arrested for physically assaulting Rihanna. Here in his 2017 documentary he retells the night of the assault.

Expression through style

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Over the years, Rihanna has changed her style and has always been very fashionable. Clothing and the way one chooses to present themselves can express a lot about a person. Rihanna, through her stylistic choices has become a fashion icon and even designed clothes herself.

Victoria's Secret Fashion Show performance (2012)

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Her iconic performance at the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show plays into her brand as a fashion mogul.

First Grammy Award (2008)

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At only 19 years old, Rihanna won her first Grammy award for best Rap/sung collaboration for her song on this album 'Umbrella' featuring Jay-Z. With this achievement, she was celebrated for her determination and talent which she would continue to bring throughout her entire career. This award would be the first of many celebrating her undeniable prowess.

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Rihanna talks of breaking away from her old image

Early image

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During her first couple of years of fame, Rihanna was known for her clean cut, sweet image as a young talented girl.

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Projanksy explores the way in which the widely circulated image of Rihanna's injuries due to the physical assault have have been a 'refusal to engage both the audience and various narratives about her' (Projansky, 2010) following the heavily mediated assault.

Rihanna's reaction

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Rihanna didn't shy away after the incident or play into the victim narrative following the assault, rather she incorporated it into her music and her art which 'served as a highly successful commercial venture that [...] only increased her appeal and success as a mainstream pop star' (Fleetwood, N.R, 2012)

201502074 — 2023-11-09 16:50:50 UTC

In Rihanna was named by Esquire as 'The Sexiest Woman Alive' in 2011 Rihanna. Fleetwood, N.R explains how in this image Rihanna 'employs her body as a stage for the exploration of modes of violence structured into heterosexual desire and practices' (Fleetwood, N. R, 2012). After the incident with Chris Brown she embraced her sexuality even more and explores ‘relations among violence, attachment, pain and longing’ (Fleetwood, N.R. P.421)

Audience and Fandom

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In 2009 Rihanna released her album Rated R which featured the song 'G4L' which contained the lyrics 'We're an army, better yet a Navy'. Her fans then took these lyrics and labelled themselves as Rihanna's 'Navy'. This word has connotations of a strong powerful unit that work and fight together in the hardest of situations for a united cause, her fans identified themselves with Rihanna and wanted to be part of these solid community who all united in support of a common interest: Rihanna. This shows how much of a loyal fanbase she has plays an active role in constructing Rihanna's image as an individual to be admired and worshipped.

Merchandise

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Her merchandise store hosts an array of clothing with her name, album names and images of album covers and photoshoot. Fans can purchase these items and by doing so, can identify themselves as part of her fanbase, with the intention of having a sense of belonging and pride when wearing these items of clothing.

Relationship with her fans

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In the interview she did with Oprah Winfrey, Rihanna talks about how she places a lot of importance on her relationship with her fans and she can 'put her guard down' and be 'vulnerable' with them and they 'reach out' and can relate to her. This shows how she is open and willing to let her audience know about her private life, breaking the barrier of how she portrays her public self which is a sexy, strong, confident woman. She states how she wants her fans to 'feel comfortable knowing that' she 'has flaws too'. This relates to Holmes' research discussing how in one way, Rihanna plays a professional and 'traditional' role which plays into the 'hierarchal relationship between elevated star and enchanted fan' yet her self-reflexive moments such as in this interview allows her fans to stray from being 'passive' to active beings participating in the 'cultural meaning' of Rihanna (Holmes, S, 2007)

Persona post-Chris Brown

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In 2011, Rihanna shared her intermate feelings in a raw, emotional interview with Oprah Winfrey. She discusses how she has built up 'trust again' with her ex and they will always love each other. In this interview she presents herself as a human being with complex feelings and emotions after a traumatic incident rather than an indestructible celebrity who presents unattainable standards

National Hero of Barbados

201502074 — 2023-11-09 22:25:54 UTC

In 2021 Rihanna was honoured with the title of 'national hero' of her home country of Barbados after previously being an ambassador of Barbados since 2018. With this honour, Rihanna shows how valuable she is not only in the music, fashion and beauty industry but also how valuable she is from a cultural perspective. The president of Barbados declared Rihanna as a disciplined woman that pursues excellence and has an 'extraordinary commitment to the land of her birth'.

Celebrity as commodity

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The power bestowed upon stars is a justified action based on an understanding of the characteristic connection
between stars and consumer behaviour” (Albert, S. 2005)
Rihanna is a commodity and has promoted many brands throughout her career which minimises the risks associated with the economic side of marketing. She has been the face of designer brands such as Louis Vuitton and is a walking advertisement for anything she wears or uses in the public eye. With the release of her own brands she works hard to promote these by using and wearing her brands or talking about them in interviews and speeches.

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Through her focus on her business empire, Rihanna was declared by Forbes as a Billionaire. Her image is that of an overwhelming successful headstrong entrepreneur.

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In her most recent interview in February, before the halftime show, we see Rihanna reflecting on her preparation in advance of the performance. She discusses how much time and dedication she has put in to getting ready for the show, something she has always done, she tells of how she has always been bossy and takes control when she needs to as its her name that is at the forefront of everything she does regardless of how many other people she works with. The interviewer also talks about how, as a Caribbean woman herself, Rihanna has always made her feel represented, showing how her audience feel seen and have feel a sense of belonging. Rihanna goes on to explain the importance of representing her home country during the show as well as representing black women, something which she has carried through her entire career.

Lift Me Up (2022)

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Her most recent songs Lift me Up and Born Again were made for the soundtrack for the film Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. The film aligns with her brand of femininity and motherhood at the time which were important themes in the film.

2014

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2005

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2006

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2008

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2010

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2012

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2013

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2015

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2016

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2017

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2019

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2020

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2022

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2023

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Image through fashion

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Throughout her career, Rihanna's image has always been that of a fashion icon, always experimenting with new trends and wearing the latest designer clothing so much so, it has become expected that she will show up to an event in the trendiest, most fashionable clothing, experimenting with stylistic choices, hair and accessories. The audience looks to Rihanna as a marker of trends and fashion. Her fashion has been in line with her image at the time, from cool teen to rebellious young woman to fashionable businesswoman 'boss' and trendy, body-confident mother.

Loud(2010)

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Her image, which she constructs through her image (album cover) and lyrics becomes sassy, fun and energetic. This album features the song 'S & M' which is overtly sexual in nature from the lyrics to the music video. Rihanna plays to her 'sex icon' image.

Talk That Talk (2011)

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With another stylistic change and appearance, Rihanna still continued to exude this sexual image.

777 Tour

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Rihanna and her team set about to complete 7 shows in 7 countries in 7 days and released a documentary about the behind-the-scenes of this experience in 2013. A documentary allows the audience to see the celebrity unfiltered and in this case Rihanna allows her audience to have exclusive access and inside knowledge, which is coherent with her honest and humble image. This was extremely publicised by the media and an impressive publicity move, she constructs the image of undefeatable, as though she can do anything.

Intertextual

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Fans have long been editing clips of Rihanna together and creating their own forms of texts through collections of primary media, most recently this has been clips and montages of Rihanna and her partner A$AP Rocky. Her audience construct the image of Rihanna as aspirational, she is their idealised goal: to find someone in a way that Rihanna has found her partner.

Unapologetic (2012)

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Through this album, Rihanna is honest and true to herself, as she has consistently been. This image she constructs of herself makes her seem trustworthy and solid, she is still a 'sex icon' and further constructs this image, even through the album cover yet is more emotive and expressive.

Rated R (2009)

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In this album her image is quite gothic and experimental. The album is about how she is feeling at the time, further playing into the narrative of the honest, down-to-earth celebrity.

Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets (2017)

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In her acceptance speech for Style Icon of the year she states that she has always thought that someone else beat her, but they could never beat my outfit' her expression through clothing and style is her defence mechanism, it's her way of expressing her confidence.

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She shows never before seen images of her fashion and style as well as her private life

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