A decade well played.
In an industry obsessed with a constant release cycle, Rihanna has done the opposite: she stopped. Ten years after ANTI, that decision does not look like a pause, but a sustained strategy. These are the reasons why it has worked.
1. An album that closed the chapter
Everything begins with ANTI, released on 28 January 2016. Not only because it remains Rihanna’s most recent album to date, but because from the outset it was understood as a record that broke with her previous trajectory and shifted the rules of the game. Media outlets such as Billboard and Rolling Stone pointed to a clear move towards a less immediate, more personal sound, far removed from the run-of-hits model that had defined her earlier work. It was not an album designed to dominate radio for months, but to draw a line under a chapter.
Time has proved that decision right. According to Billboard, ANTI has spent over 500 weeks on the Billboard 200, a rare achievement even for albums considered classics. It is not a record sustained by nostalgia or anniversary campaigns; it is still being listened to because it stands on its own. That is the key. ANTI closed an era without leaving a sense of absence. Ending well was the first thing that allowed Rihanna to step back without losing her position.
2. Ten years without explanations
After ANTI, Rihanna did not do what is usually expected in pop: announce that she was already working on what came next. She promised no dates, spoke of no “new era”, and did not keep expectations alive with teasers. She simply stopped explaining.
In interviews over the years, Rihanna has avoided committing to timelines or confirming new music projects, making it clear that she was not working under external pressure or industry calendars. There was no narrative of “the album is coming”, because that promise was never made.
3. Staying in music through cinema
Over the past decade, Rihanna has not stopped releasing music altogether, but she has done so only when the context justified it. Cinema has been one of those spaces. In 2022, she performed Lift Me Up for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, her first solo song in years, conceived as a tribute within the film rather than the start of a new musical era.
The same pattern appeared in other film-related projects. Alongside Born Again, also created for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, she had previously recorded Sledgehammer for Star Trek Beyond. In every case, the songs were tied to a specific film, with no follow-up announcements or album promises.
4. Using the Super Bowl without releasing music
In 2023, Rihanna was chosen to perform at the Super Bowl Halftime Show. The Super Bowl is the final of the American football championship and one of the most watched television events in the world. Its halftime performance is usually reserved for global stars such as Beyoncé, Madonna, Prince or Usher.
Rihanna stepped onto that stage without a new album to promote, something unusual for a show often used to launch new eras. During the performance, she also revealed her pregnancy, a detail that had not been announced beforehand and was widely reported as one of the night’s defining moments.
Appearing on the world’s biggest entertainment stage without anything to sell, and still dominating the conversation, is one of the clearest signs that she remains a pop icon.
5. Changing the beauty industry with Fenty Beauty
After music, Rihanna focused much of her energy on Fenty Beauty, the make-up brand she launched in 2017. From the outset, many outlets highlighted that it was not just another celebrity-fronted brand, but a project designed to address a gap the market had ignored for years.
Fenty Beauty drew attention for its wide range of foundation shades, created for different skin tones. Something that now seems standard, but was not at the time. Industry analysts have pointed out that this approach pushed many established brands to reassess and expand their own ranges. It was not just about lending her image: Rihanna began changing an industry beyond music.
6. Redefining body standards with Savage X Fenty
Following Fenty Beauty, Rihanna applied the same approach to lingerie with Savage X Fenty, launched in 2018. From the beginning, the brand distanced itself from the sector’s traditional model, which for years had promoted a single body type and a narrow idea of what is “desirable”.
Savage X Fenty showcased different bodies — in size, shape and age — in a visible and consistent way, rather than as an exception. Its shows, streamed online and covered by outlets such as Vogue, helped normalise broader representations of the body in a space where this had not previously been common.
A key part of this strategy were the Savage X Fenty Shows, streamed on Prime Video from 2019 onwards. Presented as full-scale spectacles, they combined fashion, music and performance, and featured guest artists such as Rosalía alongside other pop and R&B names. The different volumes allowed the brand’s message to reach an audience far wider than that of a traditional runway show.
7. Being in fashion without living off fashion
Rihanna has never been disconnected from fashion, but over the past decade her role within it has changed. She moved from being someone who wears brands or fronts campaigns to occupying decision-making positions. The first step was her appointment as creative director of Fenty x Puma in 2014.
The most ambitious move came in 2019, when she launched Fenty with LVMH, becoming the first Black woman to lead a fashion house within the group. The operation was particularly significant because it was the first brand created from scratch by LVMH in decades — a move that Business of Fashion described as highly unusual within the luxury industry. Although the line closed in 2021, the message was already clear: Rihanna did not need the project to be permanent to leave a mark. She had shown she could enter and exit fashion from a position of power.
Following the closure of Fenty, Rihanna has remained present within the fashion system. She continues to appear regularly at fashion weeks, particularly in Paris, and maintains a fluid relationship with the industry without leading a brand of her own. In that context, her ongoing association with Dior also makes sense — a house she previously represented as its first Black female face, and with which she has continued to collaborate on a selective basis.
8. Changing priorities without disappearing
Over the past decade, Rihanna has also reshaped her life outside work. She has become a mother twice, formed a family with A$AP Rocky, and spoken openly about the importance of protecting her time and mental health. In interviews with Vogue, she has reflected on the need to slow down and dedicate more time to herself.
Since the couple made their relationship public in 2021, Rihanna has integrated this new stage of her life into her public presence without turning it into a constant spectacle. The New York Times has noted how her visibility has become more selective, focused on specific moments rather than continuous exposure.
9. Turning time into an advantage
Over these ten years, Rihanna has not tried to keep pace with the current pop cycle or adapt to every new trend. Nor has she overexposed her image or forced a musical comeback to remain visible. Instead, she has used time to her advantage.
While other artists need to release constantly to avoid disappearing, she has shown that when a position is solid, stopping can also be a way of moving forward. Her music, her brands and her carefully chosen appearances have continued to speak for her.
10. A comeback this year?
The possibility of Rihanna releasing new music this year has resurfaced online. Although the artist has not officially confirmed anything, the rumour has been enough to reignite discussion among fans and the media. It would not be the first time. Over the past decade, her return has been announced, delayed or dismissed on multiple occasions. For now, there is no confirmation and the calendar remains open.
What is clear is that, ten years after ANTI, Rihanna is not on pause. She is playing the long game. And, for now, she is winning it.
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