The Many Different Hairstyles Of Rihanna

On current form, only Beyonce Knowles could challenge Rihanna for the role of Queen of Pop and with a busy summer way for Rihanna, even that challenge is likely to be seen off with the minimum of fuss and effort. The underlying reason for the high level of success that Rihanna has achieved is all down to her songs but she has worked hard in many ways to make sure that she has made a hugely positive impact in many different ways. 

One area where Rihanna has always managed to grab attention, focus and headlines is through her many different hairstyles. It is not as if a popstar unveiling a new hairstyle is a modern tactic, it has been one used over the years with great success. However, it is the almost continual reinvention work that Rihanna has carried out on herself that has grabbed most attention and her hairdresser deserves as much credit for her success as many other folk in her entourage. Ever since Rihanna first leapt on to the pop scene back in 2005 she has been grabbing attention with a number of stylish and sometimes controversial hairstyles!

As you would expect, Rihanna was far more modest and conservative with her initial hairstyles, using colours and cuts that were no different from any other girl of her age. However, it was the rate of change, going from a full fringe one day to a bubblegum perm the next day showed that this girl already knew how to use her hair to her best advantage.

Rihanna changed her hairstyle to signify a different sound

It only took eight months for Rihanna to follow up her debut album with the follow-up, A Girl Like Me, and with a slightly more mature sound, she was keen to showcase a slightly more mature look. The high-ponytail and serious quiff look from the MTV Awards press conference was definitely one that marked Rihanna out as a girl that would take risks with her hairstyles and this look was one that was praised by many of the fashion magazines and style gurus.

Rihanna was also creating attention for the fact that she was dating Chris Brown and the couple made a huge impact at the 50^th birthday party of LA Reid, a top music producer. Rihanna was sporting a far more relaxed long and waving hairstyle having had hair extensions put in, which was as far removed from her early urban styles as you could imagine.

2007 was the year where Rihanna went for her first major hairstyle reinvention, shocking and pleasing fans at the same time. In came a very short and crop style cut along with a far darker colour through her hair. This was a notable marker to the end of the younger and poppier style Rihanna and the first introduction to the sexier and streetwise version of the singer.

Bolder changes were becoming all the more common

In 2009 and 2010, the quiff was a huge part of the Rihanna look, cropping up in a number of different styles and events. This was the first time when Rihanna started dabbling with shaved hair at the sides, a look which could spark reactions throughout her career. At this point, Rihanna was spending a lot of social time in the company of Katy Perry, with both girls directly and indirectly influencing the look and style of the other. This could be seen in the bold addition of colour for certain looks with the bright red style that Rihanna unveiled for a massive concert at Wembley Stadium again being the sort of look that the singer would return to time and time again in the next few years.

By this point, Rihanna was jumping from style to style, sporting a short pixie crop on one tour to having a full-on bright red afro on the next. By now, the biggest shock or controversy over Rihanna’s hair is when she doesn’t change it significantly but as she showed in 2013 with the shaved on both sides look, Rihanna still has the ability to make the pop world sit up and take notice when she changes her hair style.