Rihanna Embraced Boldness And Eased Into Her Next Act On Unapologetic

Welcome to New Retro Week, a celebration of the hugest artists, hits, and cultural moments that made 2012 a seminal year in pop. MTV News is looking back to be able to see what lies ahead: These essays showcase how today’s blueprint was laid a decade ago. Step into our time machine.


By Jaelani Turner-Williams


With six albums plus a multitude of artsy transformations under her belt, in 2012, Rihanna was the most daring mainstream act in pop music. An experimental vanguard of the genre, Rihanna was worlds away from the Bajan, honey-tressed sweetheart introduced to fans on her 2005 Caribbean-tinged debut album, Music of the Sun. At each of her musical eras, Rihanna defied expectations of what crowds presumed a Black female singer to be, eschewing “urban” marketing for crossover fanfare. Meeting her Unapologetic phase, Rihanna had one set vision: to reclaim her happiness.


Just five days ago to the album’s release, on November 14, the singer embarked on her now-infamous 777 Tour. With an assemblage of 150 journalists, select fans, and crew all aboard a Boeing airplane, the roadshow required trekking to seven countries in seven dates in celebration of Unapologetic, even as those plans invited impending chaos. On the tour’s inaugural day, headed to Mexico City, Rihanna poured glasses of Ace of Spades and D’Ussé for those onboard the jet, while journalists expected her to dole out interviews connected with her new songs.


As days turned into a full week, the media onboard grew tired of there being no Rihanna in sight, yet it was likely that she wanted to prepare intrigue. For the singer and her team, it was all in good fun, because the flight stunt personified the in-your-face candor of Unapologetic. It was a deeper look into Rihanna’s raw, unfiltered self, which largely made way for a new trap-influenced sound that foreshadowed her long-awaited 2016 follow-up, Anti. On Unapologetic, she embraced boldness in a new way.


At the starting of her career, Rihanna’s identity was arguably manufactured to follow the same route as bubblegum pop acts of the early 2000s although with an island twist. She was destined for a rebellious breakthrough. By 2007, the singer met the moment on her third album, Good Girl Gone Bad, with mystifying appeal, a sleek jet-black bob haircut and edgy reintroduction on the iconic single “Umbrella.”


Rihanna’s defiance as a world pop phenom made her a force of nature, closing in on an iconic bad gal status while still being nascent in her career. In November 2009, Rihanna entered a grim side on fourth album Rated R, which presented the singer through a gothic, desolate lens. The album metaphorically retraced Rihanna’s breakup with R&B singer Chris Brown, with controversy surrounding their turbulent relationship (Brown was convicted of felony assault for beating Rihanna in 2009.) The album was a unexpected turn in Rihanna’s sound, although it redefined who she was as a young woman, making her an international powerhouse and giving way to a self-assured rebirth.


On her following two albums, 2010’s Loud and 2011’s Talk that Talk, Rihanna evolved past the “good girl gone bad” motif — she embodied it. Her sound was fueled with sex positivity, entertaining salaciousness, and women’s empowerment that arguably made her the femme fatale of pop. As well as high-grossing tours worldwide, modeling, and philanthropy work, the singer was also poised to prepare her full-length acting debut in the 2012 action film Battleship. Rihanna’s impact was accelerating: At a steady pace of releasing albums yearly, by 2012, Rihanna’s transition into Unapologetic territory was her most unexpected act yet.


Album opener “Phresh Out the Runway” recalled tantalizing Talk That Talk single “Birthday Cake,” yet as an alternative opposed to alluding to sexual desires, Rihanna flaunted her designer drip from Givenchy to Bulgari. Co-produced by French DJ David Guetta, “Phresh Out the Runway” was a reunion between Rihanna and songwriter-producer The-Dream, who penned her 2007 reintroduction “Umbrella.” A week prior to the release of Unapologetic, “Phresh Out the Runway” made its primetime debut while in the 2012 Victoria’s Secret Style Show as Rihanna strutted down the catwalk, fearlessly asserting her pop domination.


Although Unapologetic was overrun with hip-hop and EDM soundscapes, there were moments where Rihanna’s vulnerability shined through. First Unapologetic single “Diamonds” was an orchestral, synth-heavy ballad that pulsated with euphoric devotion. Rihanna’s twelfth No. 1 song on the Billboard Hot 100, “Diamonds” was later certified sextuple platinum, becoming an instant signature classic and one of the best-selling singles of all time.


Piano-driven ballad “Stay” featured Nashville singer-songwriter Mikky Ekko, who laced the track with his melancholic narrative of harrowing love as Rihanna intimately matched Ekko’s somberness with stripped-down poignancy. In the visuals, Rihanna’s appearance is just as emotive as her vocals, with tears delicately streaking her face as she sinks into jade-hued bathwater. Obtaining similar global reception as “Diamonds” and selling more than 10 million copies worldwide, “Stay” identically set the tone for Unapologetic, where Rihanna enlisted male features including Future (“Loveeeeeee Song”), Eminem (“Numb”), and even Chris Brown (reuniting on controversial track “Nobody’s Business”).


Rihanna seductively teased listeners while in Unapologetic, whether getting blitzed on strip-club anthem “Pour It Up” or interpolating 1996 Ginuwine hit “Pony” on “Jump.” The tough-as-nails resilience of Unapologetic subtly recalled Rated R — even with Rihanna donning fringed locks on the album cover — although the singer ushered in a powerhouse disposition with her eyes on an entrepreneurial future.


Unapologetic shot to the best of the Billboard Hot 200, becoming Rihanna’s first No. 1 album and selling 4 million copies worldwide. Later nabbing a win for Best Urban Contemporary Album at the 2014 Grammys, Unapologetic solidified Rihanna’s defiant aptitude that made her an international pop dynamo. As well as dominating the charts, Rihanna’s influence on women’s streetwear made her a famous fixation on Instagram and Tumblr as she eased into her next act: becoming a mogul of epic proportions.


Honored as a “national hero” of Barbados soon following the nation officially became a republic in November 2021, Rihanna boasts a legacy that’s not just a testament to reaching stardom in back of music, yet becoming a multi-hyphenate businesswoman. Aptly named right after her 2012 song, Rihanna’s annual Diamond Ball has become a lavish event supporting her philanthropic Clara Lionel Foundation. 2017 marked the inaugural year for Fenty Aesthetics, Rihanna’s opulent cosmetics line that boasts a wide length of makeup, from lipwear to foundation, for various skin tones. In 2018, Rihanna made a splash in the style industry by founding lingerie brand Savage X Fenty, promoting self-confidence and body inclusivity for all genders with celebrity ambassadors including Normani, Kehlani, and Tinashe. Inspired by the success of Fenty Aesthetics, in 2020 Rihanna launched Fenty Skin, a tidy and cruelty-free skincare brand with wellness in mind.


While Unapologetic arrived years ago to Rihanna’s entrepreneurial calling — and her 2016 magnum opus Anti — the singer still led the changing tides of pop music that has since grown more inclusive of Black girls. At the heart of Unapologetic, Rihanna sought to remain true to herself, an effort that has poured over into her eponymous, multifaceted Fenty brand. A genre-bending pioneer, Rihanna and her enticing adaptability are ubiquitous with the legacy of Unapologetic, all in the name of good fun.