Fans of Rihanna’s music have been eagerly waiting her ninth album, affectionately called “R9.” It has been a long time since she released new music: over five years since Anti dropped in 2016. The album still receives love, and was recognized as the first album by a Black woman to spend 200 weeks on the Billboard 200.

Clearly, Rihanna has a strong fan base. She’s earned a legacy in the music industry, but she’s currently building an empire elsewhere. In the beauty world Fenty has become one of the biggest names in recent years. Rihanna created the brand with an interest in creating affordable, inclusive makeup. Like many young girls, she was fascinated by cosmetics while growing up. Once she became an adult in the entertainment industry, she felt the impact of beauty standards and didn’t see herself in those molds. So, she wanted to change that.

Rihanna representing Fenty via Martin Bureau/AFP/Getty Images/ The Guardian

While you might be eager to hear the next Rihanna project, she’s been keeping herself quite busy. Not only does she have a brand centered around empowerment, it is estimated to be worth $17 billion in 2021. Rihanna is now a successful businesswoman, and it all began with personal passion and a sense of authenticity.

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The Birth of Fenty Beauty

Let’s state the obvious here: Rihanna is a successful singer and beautiful woman. She’s always been noted for her catchy music that infuses modern styles with a little edginess and personality. Often, we will hear Caribbean influences because she was born and raised in Barbados. With all of these elements, she rose to the top of the charts and built a fan base. Brands wanted to work with her, and in the early 2010s she collaborated with cosmetic brands such as MAC.

All of these factors likely contributed to Rihanna’s decision to enter the cosmetics industry. As a public figure, she would have access to a great number of beauty products, but she never forgot her upbringing. Cosmetics aren’t always affordable, and people of color often have a hard time finding products matching their skin tones. Rihanna had grown up aware of these facts because her mother sold makeup and did it professionally.

In 2014, Rihanna trademarked her last name Fenty and created some buzz. This was also during a slower time in her music career. She had released one album a year from 2005 to 2012 (with the exception of 2008 when she re-released Good Girl Gone Bad as a Reloaded edition). Then, there was a 3.5 year gap between 2012’s Unapologetic and 2016’s Anti. Shortly after her 2016 album release, her partnership with Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton (LVMH) was announced.

via Fenty & Bravo

Working with a high-fashion brand didn’t mean Rihanna was putting a high price tag on her cosmetics. When the line first launched in 2017, it was available at a wide variety of stores such as Sephora. The line immediately challenged beauty standards with over 40 shades of foundation, and the darker shades quickly sold out. Undoubtedly, other brands took notice. Fenty was off to a quick start, but its journey was only beginning.

Fenty’s Empire Growth

By the end of 2017, Fenty Beauty was recognized as one of Time’s best inventions of the year. While this may have been a sad reflection of the beauty industry, it also showed Rihanna understood the market and saw an area where she could be successful. This would continue throughout 2018 as Fenty continued to receive public recognition. The brand opened the year with a Superbowl ad and continued to bring financial success to LVMH.

Photo by Nigel Roddis/Getty Images for Fenty and Harvey Nichols via Forbes

2019 would continue to see growth for the brand. New launches would demonstrate product and financial growth, and Fenty became more recognizable to the public. Of course, this puts the brand at the center of pop culture. Rap songs would shout-out Fenty such as Tyga’s song Taste. Later in the year Rihanna would debut her Savage X Fenty line of lingerie. This would be another opportunity to showcase her eye for fashion while celebrating beauty and body positivity.

Thanks to the success of Fenty Beauty, Rihanna reached an astonishing personal milestone in 2020. She became the most valuable female music star in the world with a $600 million value. Of course, this achievement comes after she built a successful music career. There’s a reason she hit this figure in 2020 rather than 2016. She has filled a void in the cosmetics world, where she remains with a strong reputation. You don’t need to listen to Rihanna’s music to know Fenty offers something worthwhile to the beauty industry.

Currently, the brand remains a success and a staple at Sephora stores. Of the brands estimated worth of $17 billion, Rihanna owns 50%. The Savage X Fenty line holds a value of $1 billion, making all of Rihanna’s business endeavors extremely lucrative.

The Values Building Fenty

Fenty currently has over 10 million followers on Instagram. Clearly, people are connecting with the brand and want to follow its success. While Rihanna already had a huge fan base, Fenty Beauty has reached a value other celebrity brands never achieve. To do this, Rihanna needed to understand her audience and build a product to meet their needs.

Rihanna styling Fenty Mark Ganzon/Getty Images/ Teen Vogue

Know Your Audience. Value Them.

A recurring theme in all of Rihanna’s beauty products is inclusivity and self-love. Her foundation was originally available in 40 shades, which has since been expanded to 50. The darker shades have sold particularly well, but this doesn’t mean she’s excluded lighter tones. It proves she catered to a market that needed representation, and this demographic wasn’t an afterthought. When you look at her models, you’ll often see nontraditional representation. Males have been featured in makeup advertisements and plus size models wear her lingerie. These are real people, and they’re welcome to embrace Fenty’s offerings.

Build a Brand You’d Love

Rihanna built Fenty for the young girl in Barbados who watched her mother sell cosmetics. She’s no stranger to more expensive beauty products. In fact, she’s said to wear perfume that can retail for nearly $900. This isn’t obtainable for most of her fanbase, especially the ones who are younger. Fenty is available at a lower price point so you don’t need to go into debt to look nice.

Let Your Authenticity Shine

People may have criticized Rihanna’s career, but her passion for makeup is evident. She was fascinated by her mother’s relationship with cosmetics and fashion, and this has been woven into her image as an entertainer. This isn’t to say she’s trying to outshine everyone else. Rather, she is building a brand that will elevate others and allow them to share in her passion.

Never Forget Where You Came From

Through it all, Rihanna has endured struggles. Now, she has built a fortune, but she hasn’t forgotten her humble roots. She is the founder of the Clara Lionel Foundation which honors her grandparents through emergency relief and educational support. She donated millions during the COVID-19 pandemic to provide supplies to medical professionals and food banks. She also donated iPads to students in Barbados to allow them to keep learning during this crisis.

Rihanna: The Ultimate Businesswoman

There’s value in building an inclusive product. Rihanna has told us this all along, but Fenty let the dollars talk. Now her name is a staple in the fashion industry. She found a billion dollar brand, and she continues to use her name to showcase beauty in all body types. This is why so many people have come to love Fenty, and it’s a perfect brand for all generations.

Fenty isn’t about plastering a celebrity name on an old product to quadruple the price tag. Instead, it is a way to give confidence to others and make the products accessible. Rihanna always valued her mother’s work as a makeup artist and seller, and this guided her path into the beauty world. Sadly it was easy for her to find her niche in this industry. People like her had a hard time finding affordable makeup matching their skin tones, and that’s the problem she solved.

While the world may be singing praises to Fenty, music fans are eagerly waiting for Rihanna to start singing again. Even if we never get R9, Rihanna has given us a fulfilling career move. Her products have progressed our beauty standards and continue to make people feel represented. She has been very busy over the past few years, but there’s a selfish part of me that hopes she can find some time. It’s been far too long without music, and R9 is the void we still need filled.