Rihanna is a worldwide star and household name.
Not only is she a singer, but she’s also an actress, a businesswoman, and a philanthropist.
Soon, Rihanna will be a mother.
While you may know a lot about the star, there are probably a few things you didn’t know.
Keep reading for five interesting facts about Rihanna.
Rihanna does a lot of philanthropic work
Rihanna has been very charitable over the past years and she’s been recognized for her efforts.
She won the 2017 Harvard Humanitarian of the Year award for her charitable service over the past decade.
Rihanna also has her own nonprofits, including the Clara Lionel Foundation, which supports and funds education, health, and emergency response programs.
Recently, her Clara Lionel Foundation donated $5 million to coronavirus relief efforts.
Rihanna has an interesting pre-show ritual
Putting on a show can be nerve-wracking. How does Rihanna keep her cool? She has an interesting pre-show ritual.
She told Esquire in 2011 that she takes a shot to calm her nerves before every show.
“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,” she said.
While she’s sipping her drink, she watches the opening act from her dressing room or from the audience.
“Sometimes I go out into the audience. I put on a really big hoodie and sneak out there,” she said.
Rihanna was an army cadet
Before she became a singer, Rihanna was an army cadet in a sub-military program in her home country of Barbados.
Her drill sergeant was singer-songwriter Shontelle.
Rihanna’s song Umbrella was originally written for someone else
We all know Umbrella as an iconic Rihanna song, but the song almost went to someone else.
According to Vice, the song was originally written for Britney Spears, but she declined the offer. It was then offered to both Mary J. Blige and Def Jam Records.
Blige was unable to finalize the deal, so Def Jam was able to purchase the song for Rihanna.
Rihanna won a high school beauty pageant
At 15, Rihanna won her high school beauty pageant. During the pageant, she performed Mariah Carey’s Hero.
“I kind of laughed at these stupid pageants,” Rihanna told the Daily Mail in 2007. “But my friends at school dared me to do it, and my military training came in handy for learning to balance books on my head for the catwalk.”