Rihanna

Rihanna was born in the Caribbean island of Barbados, but when she met producer Evan Rogers, moved to America at 16 to pursue her dream of becoming a singer. She scored an audition with Jay-Z, who ... MORE

Rihanna was born in the Caribbean island of Barbados, but when she met producer Evan Rogers, moved to America at 16 to pursue her dream of becoming a singer. She scored an audition with Jay-Z, who was so impressed that he signed her onto Def Jam Records; she described this moment as one of the most nerve-wracking moments of her life. Her first hit was "Pon de Replay," a fun club jam, but her sound and image matured with the release of her third album, Good Girl Gone Bad. It was during this period that she began experimenting with her style; her long, caramel waves were chopped into an edgy black cut, and her wardrobe became much more fashion-forward. In the past six years, she has reigned as a chart topper and and was ranked Forbe's fourth most powerful celebrity in 2012. She has cited Madonna as her biggest musical influence. HIDE