Meme icons: Rihanna
What are the best Rihanna memes? What can the most popular Rihanna memes tell us about Rihanna’s cultural impact? And just what exactly makes this Barbadian superstar multi-hyphenate so goddamn iconic, huh?
Rihanna is a queen, this we know. The megastar, actress, entrepreneur and philanthropist stands astride the pop world like some sort of beautiful colossus.
If you’re hunting for trending or funny Rihanna memes you’ve come to the right place – these customisable Rihanna GIFs are the best around.
And while we’re here, let’s take a good look at the life and career of this undisputed G, this goddess of pop music, and discover some fun facts about Rihanna while we’re at it. Let’s go!
RIHANNA MEMES
Rihanna’s full, given birth name is Robyn Rihanna Fenty. She was born in Saint Michael, Barbados, and raised in Bridgetown. In 2005 she went to New York to audition, and the assembled producers – including Jay-Z – were so impressed with her vocal chops they signed her on the spot. They didn’t let her leave the building. But not in a creepy Me Too way.
Nearly 20 years later, and she’s a full-on billionaire, with an army of fans all across the globe.
Also, word to the wise, Rihanna pronounces her own name ‘ree-ANN-uh’ not ‘ree-AH-nuh,’ just FYI .
RIHANNA ARMY
Hey, did you know Rihanna was in the army? Kinda.
She was a cadet in the army, well, a a sub-military program in her native Barbados. Another singer-songwriter, Shontelle, was her drill sergeant, funnily enough.
In 2009 Shontelle told the BBC all about how weird it was to boss Rihanna around.
‘That’s what drill sergeants do. We boss cadets around, we make them do push-ups…especially when they show up on the parade square late.
‘We were both in cadets together—it wasn’t compulsory or anything. But picture me and Rihanna in combat boots and fatigues crawling through mud and things like that.’
RIHANNA NO MAKE-UP
Despite making an absolute fortune off of cosmetics via her Fenty label – that’s her surname, remember from earlier!? – Rihanna was forbidden from wearing makeup as a youth.
‘My mom wasn’t flexible. I wore no makeup,’ she told InStyle in 2017. Although Rihanna’s mom worked at a beauty counter, which apparently inspired Rih to create Fenty.
Guess Rihanna had the last laugh – according to Billboard, the street Rihanna grew up on in Barbados was renamed from Westbury New Road to Rihanna Drive. Rihanna even attended the naming ceremony on Barbados Independence Day in 2017.
RIHANNA NEW BABY
Hey remember when Rihanna played the Super Bowl AND the Grammys while massively pregnant? Absolutely setting the standard. Anywho, her baby shower was a massive laugh, apparently, because she has some very firm ideas about what she wanted to go down.
‘No brunch, no blush tones. And no animal-shaped nothing,’ Rihanna told Vogue editor Chioma Nnadi, going on to add:
‘I mean it’s lit for a lot of people—I’ve even planned a couple of baby showers like that myself—it’s just not right for me. Personally, I want a party. I want everyone to be plastered and crawling out. And it’s got to be co-ed! Don’t put me on no wicker chair somewhere with gifts at my feet where everyone is staring at me.’
RIHANNA CAN’T WINK
Despite her many achievements, – the most consecutive years of UK number one singles, female artist with most US number on singles in a year, most digital number singles in the US.
Not to mention her philanthropy – Rihanna won the 2017 Harvard Humanitarian of the Year award for her dedicated work and charitable service over the past decade, and recently, her Clara Lionel Foundation donated $5 million to coronavirus relief efforts.
And her peerless run of massive hits – including Umbrella, which was first written for Britney Spears, then turned down by Mary J. Blige.
Anyway, she does have one flaw.
She can’t wink! Look…
RIHANNA VOCAL WARMUP
Ever wondered how the latter-day queen of pop warms up her pipes? She has a whole friction’ ritual for it, watch and learn lesser mortals…
‘I eat lozenges, steam my voice, do my makeup. I Skype my vocal coach, and we sit there at the makeup table and do warm-ups for about a half hour,’ she told Esquire magazine a few years back.
Then the fun begins.
‘My personal assistant-slash-bartender brings me a shot that she dilutes with a little something so it’s not so harsh, like orange juice or soda water and lime.
‘I overthink everything when it comes to my job. The drink calms my nerves. I sip it while I watch the opening act from my dressing room. Sometimes I go out into the audience. I put on a really big hoodie and sneak out there.’
Hey, IS STEALING MEMES ILLEGAL?
While we’re here, does anybody know IS IT PRONOUNCED GIF OR JIF?