From Forbes' Desk, Rihanna is Officially a Billionaire and the Wealthiest Female Musician in the World

Rihanna, with her robust music career and successful businesses, Fenty Beauty and Savage x Fenty, has officially joined the billionaires club, Forbes reports today.

Lionel Messi, Taylor Swift, Rihanna and The 30 Highest-Paid Celebrities Under 30 In 2016

Taylor Alison Swift was born on Dec. 13, 1989 in Reading, Pennsylvania. Thanks to her album and tour named after the year of her birth, the 26-year-old pop superstar banked $170 million in a year, which makes her the top-earning celebrity in the world.

Swift’s 1989 tour grossed $200 million in North America, demolishing the Rolling Stones’ record, and went on to gross a quarter of a billion dollars in total for her world tour. The album of the same name sold more than 9 million copies worldwide and placed in the top 10 of the Billboard 200 for an entire year. 1989 also made Swift the first woman ever to win the Best Album of the Year Grammy twice. She also padded her paycheck with endorsement deals with Apple, Diet Coke, Keds and other brands. With all these ventures, Swift is the youngest member of FORBES list of America's Richest Female Entertainers with an estimated net worth of $250 million.

 

Design: Bailey Brautigan, FORBES staff. Images via Getty/AP.

Though Swift is one of the younger members of our international top-earning celebrities list, the Celeb 100, she is in good company. She is one of the 30 twenty-something celebrities that banked over $28.5 million from June 1, 2015 to June 1, 2016. Collectively, these top-earning celebrities under 30 raked in approximately $1.5 billion in 12 months, before taxes and fees.

The youngest member of the list is 22-year-old Justin Bieber (No. 6, $56 million), narrowly beating One Direction’s Harry Styles by one month. Tennis legend Rafael Nadal (No. 18, $37.5 million) just barely made the cut since his 30th birthday was two days after the end of our scoring period. Drake (No. 17, $38 million) and Usain Bolt (No. 27, $32.5 million) have also turned 30 since June 1.

Last year, Swift was second to British boy band One Direction, whose members range in age from 22-24. Now they have traded places, with the top-earning boy band of all time in the runner-up spot with a $110 million take. Though the band is on hiatus and sans Zayn Malik, the end of their On The Road Again tour keeps their earnings higher than any active band.

The world’s second highest-paid athlete, Lionel Messi, rounds the top three. The five-time FIFA player of the year winner made nearly $30 million off the pitch with endorsements from Adidas, Gatorade and more. Messi and his father, Jorge, were found guilty of tax fraud in July 2015, but have since appealed the verdict and the case is still pending.

The list comprises one actress, nine music acts (including two boy bands) and 10 athletes. The age factor is undoubtedly a factor in the preponderance of athletes. Though youth is a virtue across the entertainment industry, it is most applicable to professional sports. The average age of the 100 highest-paid athletes is 31. In contrast, almost half the world’s highest-paid women in music are over 45, the 15 highest-paid TV actresses are all over 30 years old and 45% of the highest-paid Hollywood actors are over 50.

Out of the 37 individuals in the under 30 crowd, which includes two bands with four and five members respectively, nearly one-third (35.1%) hail from countries other than the U.S. This reflects the broader makeup of our Celeb 100 list, which is 37% non-American.

K-pop boy band Bigbang (No. 13, $44 million), whose five members range in age from 25 to 29, account for almost half of the international twenty-somethings on this list. When told that the band took home more than any active American all-male arena pop group, Jiyong, 27, was stunned. “We made more than Maroon 5?” said front man Kwon “G-Dragon” Jiyong, 27, through a translator. “Did not know that. My mom is in charge of my earnings.” Fortunately the group’s finances are in the capable hands of their manager, former K-pop idol Yang “YG” Hyun Suk.

Unfortunately, the under 30 list’s gender gap is also on par with the Celeb 100 list. Our of the 37 individuals, only four are women. This includes three singer-songwriters as well as Jennifer Lawrence (No. 12, $46 million), who is Hollywood’s highest-paid actress. Nearly 90% of these top-earning celebrities under 30 are men, slightly higher than the Celeb 100’s depressing 85%. Though the list was dominated by athletes, the highest-paid female athlete under 30, 29-year-old Maria Sharapova, banked $21.9 million in our 12-month scoring period, which did not meet our $28.5 million threshold.

That said, the female entertainers who are open about their brand and being businesswomen are a reason for optimism. "I'm proud of my position as a boss, as person that runs my own company," Katy Perry told FORBES in 2015. Last year Perry was the top-earning musician last year with $135.5 million and this year ranks 63rd with $41 million. "I'm an entrepreneur... I don't want to shy away from it. I actually want to kind of grab it by its balls."

Our list measures earnings before subtracting management fees and taxes between June 1, 2015 and June 1, 2016. Figures are based on data from Nielsen, Pollstar, IMDB, Box Office Mojo and other sources, as well as interviews with agents, managers, lawyers, industry insiders and the stars themselves.

Rihanna as Marie Antoinetteon on the cover of CR Fashion Book

Rihanna poses as a modern-day Marie Antoinette. Marie Antoinette was queen of France and one of history's most controversial & misunderstood heroines, for CR Fashion Book.

Drake wants to marry Rihanna

The on/off pair recently rekindled their romance and after 29-year-old Drake's heartfelt admission at the MTV VMAs last week that he has been "in love" with Rihanna since he was 22, things have gotten extremely serious between them.

A source told E! News: "Drake is very committed to Rihanna. They are both mature and ready to commit now. Drake loves Rihanna so much and if it was up to him, he would marry her tomorrow.

"Things are different this time between them for the better. They want to make this work this time with each other."

Presenting the Work hitmaker with the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award at the VMAs, Drake said: "She's someone I've been in love with since I was 22 years old. She's one of my best friends in the world. All my adult life, I've looked up to her, even though she's younger than me. She's a living, breathing legend in our industry, ladies and gentleman, the recipient of the Michael Jackson Vanguard Award for 2016, Rihanna."

On Instagram a few days later, Rihanna shared a picture of them together and wrote: "VMA2016 night was one that I would never forget!! I have the most incredible people in my life! My family, friends, loved ones, my fans, my team All gifted beautiful spirits! @MTV team you were a dream to work with! Thank you to the beautiful @iamnaomicampbell @therealmaryjblige @traceeellisross for your kind words! @champagnepapi your speech was so touching and I love you for that! All in all....Best night ever!!! I'm a lucky girl To God be the Glory! #RiRiVanguard (sic)."

And Rihanna, 28, also recently got a tattoo tribute to Drake.

She had a camouflage shark etched on her ankle, and the design is said to be a permanent reminder of a date they went on last month.

Drake took Rihanna to an aquarium in Toronto and bought her a toy shark as a souvenir, so she decided to have the tattoo as a permanent reminder of the trip.

According to TMZ, the former 'Degrassi' star also got a tattoo.

The We Found Love singer's usual tattoo artist Keith 'Bang Bang' McCurdy etched the couple with their new inkings, and shared a picture of Rihanna's artwork on Instagram.

He wrote: "Camo shark for my dear friend @badgalriri. Also... I just found out you can zoom on IG- enjoy :).(sic)"

(Photos) Rihanna and Drake head home together after an intimate date night at MTV VMAs

Drake professed his love for Rihanna at the MTV VMAs the previous night.

And though they have remained mum on whether or not they are official, it certainly looked like they were getting on well on their latest outing together.

The 28-year-old singer and 29-year-old rapper were spotted hopping into the back of the same car after an intimate dinner date at Nobu in New York City on Monday night.

The romantic outing together came just a day after the Hotline Bling rapper revealed to the world that he has been in love with Rihanna since he was in his early twenties.

He was presenting her with the coveted Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award at the end of the award show on Sunday night when he raved about the stunning singer.

'She's someone I've been in love with since I was 22-years-old,' Drake admitted as he delivered a lengthy and glowing speech in honour of Rihanna immediately following her fourth performance during the MTV Video Music Awards. 

Drake's appearance triggered speculation amongst fans that he was actually going to propose to Rihanna when he presented the award to her.

'She's one of my best friends in the world,' Drake added in his speech. 'All my adult life, I've looked up to her, even though she's younger than me.'

'She's a living, breathing legend in our industry, ladies and gentleman, the recipient of the Michael Jackson Vanguard Award for 2016, Rihanna.'

As Rihanna gave him a peck on the cheek, Drake continued to lean in to kiss her on the neck.

But the kiss didn't last very long, as he pulled away after several seconds just before Rihanna said several words to him. 

Drake Declares His Love For Rihanna As He Kissed Her on Stage

Drake presented Rihanna with the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award (and declared his love) with a heartfelt speech at the 2016 MTV Video Music Awards on Sunday, August 28.

After four incredible career-spanning medleys of her hits, the Barbadian beauty took the stage at New York City’s Madison Square Garden once again to accept the coveted Moonman following a heartfelt speech from her rumored beau.

“The first time I met Robyn Fenty was 2005,” Drake began his introduction, using RiRi’s birth name. “She was shooting a music video at a restaurant called Avocado in Toronto. The song was ‘Pon de Replay’ and the director of the video was Little X.

I was introduced to her as a kid who played background music at the restaurant as people ate their dinner. It’s hard to believe that 11 years later all three of us would come together for a visual for a song called ‘Work.’ Today, the world knows Little X as Director X. They know me as Drake and not the kid singing while you order pasta. But 11 years later, we still all know Rihanna as the one and only Rihanna.”

 “Captivating from day one, the iconic being that is Rihanna was already at a place where most artists only dream of going. For them, that’s often the peak, but for her, that was a starting point and she has kept ascending to an untouchable level ever since. When it comes to music, she relentlessly takes over the charts with every release. When it comes to performance, they swarm in masses just to be in her presence, obviously. And when it comes to fashion and style, she makes it seem so effortless until you try to do it yourself, which is when it gets a little awkward.”

The “Controlla” rapper continued, “What’s most impressive isn’t the endless list of stats, awards and accomplishments. What’s most impressive is the person. Some artists need to play a character to achieve success. Some need to downplay their own natural instincts to blend in. She succeeds by doing something that no one in this music industry does, which is being herself. This woman has surpassed all competition while still being the same girl from Barbados, surrounded by the same friends, speaking with the same accent and never missing a Crop Over unless it’s to come perform at OVO Fest.”

“We love the music which could change styles from album to album. We love the videos which change their artistic vision from year to year. But most of all, we love the woman who hasn’t changed since day one. She’s someone I’ve been in love with since I was 22 years old. She’s one of my best friends in the world. All my adult life, I’ve looked up to her even though she’s younger than me. She’s a living breathing legend in our industry. Ladies and gentlemen, the recipient of the Michael Jackson Vanguard Award for 2016: Rihanna.”

After giving Drake a big hug and what appeared to be a quick kiss, Rihanna took the microphone. “MTV, this is such an amazing night,” she told the audience. “It’s such an amazing moment in my career. When I think about the Vanguard Award and receiving this tonight, all I could think of was my country. They’re gonna be so proud. This is the first Vanguard to land anywhere close to my country. My success, it started as my dream. But now, my success is not my own. It’s my family’s, it’s my fans’, it’s my country’s, the Caribbean as a whole, it’s women, it’s black women. So many people feel like their little piece is such a major part of this puzzle. I have to thank you guys for supporting me over and over. Thank you to every director who’s taken a chance on me and my crazy ideas. There’s so much growth that’s happened over the last 11 years, and I can’t believe I’m receiving a Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award at 28 years old. It’s crazy and I have so many people to thank.”

Over the course of her 11-plus-year career, Rihanna has been nominated for 23 VMAs and won four, including two Video of the Year Moonmen for “Umbrella” (2007) and “We Found Love” (2012).

 

Rihanna gorgeous in new photos

Rihanna stuns in these new photos she shared on her page.

In case you're wondering, we follow and pick her up not only because she's a celeb, but also because she's ravishing!

(Photos) Rihanna almost revealed all as she left a London nightclub

In the early of today, Rihanna left a London nightclub and almost revealed all her assets.

Of course, fans will always be thrilled to see the superstar's assets, she's irresistibly beautiful, isn't she? At least, to some people's.

The 28 year old superstar, wore a super short ripped denim skirt – but it was her jacket that stole the show.

See Photos below:

Washington Post asks “Is this the Year that African Music will Conquer the United States?”

With the amazing year that African artists have had internationally, Washington Post asks a very important question of if the year 2016 will be the year that African music will conquer the United States.

Nigeria’s Wizkid, Davido, Timaya, Seun Kuti as well as South Africa’s Culoe de Song, Ghana’s Stonebwoy, South Africa’s Black Coffee and more are mentioned in the article for the things they have achieved this year.

According to Washington Post, the success of these artists is the reason why Afrobeats continues “to the surface of any number of recent hits, such as Justin Bieber’s “What Do You Mean,” Rihanna’s “Work” and Alicia Keys’ “In Common.”

Read the post below.

Whether it’s through hip-hop, R&B, Top 40 radio or Internet memes, Drake is a ubiquitous presence on our cultural landscape. Yet for all of his inescapable hits in the past few years (“Hotline Bling,” “Started From the Bottom,” guesting on Rihanna’s “Work,” to name a few), it was only in May that Drake finally topped the Billboard charts, with the bubbling, shuffling beat of “One Dance.” And while Drake is known to assist rising stars such as Migos and iloveMakonnen, on “One Dance,” he was the one who got a boost, from singer Ayodeji Ibrahim Balogun, better known as Wizkid.
All but unknown in the United States, Wizkid is a star in his native Nigeria and a major force behind Afrobeats, a fidgety musical hybrid mashing Afro-pop, Caribbean soca and American hip-hop (not to be confused with Afrobeat, the genre pioneered by Fela Kuti that has a heavier, more driving beat). Nigeria has a long musical heritage, including Fela, King Sunny Ade and William Onyeabor. But in singing a verse on “One Dance,” Wizkid became the first Nigerian artist to land on the U.S. charts, as well as the first to top them. And don’t think it’s an anomaly. Along with fellow Nigerian rapper and singer Davido, South Africa’s Black Coffee (who became the first South African to win a BET Award this year), Ghana’s Sarkodie or Ayo Jay, African artists of all stripes might soon become permanent fixtures on both the U.S. pop charts and in the dance music underground.
“Most music that comes out these days has our elements already in it, so why wouldn’t the people love African music?” said David Adedeji Adeleke, a.k.a. Davido. He’s a superstar in Africa who recently co-headlined alongside Wizkid at the One Africa Festival, a huge coming-out concert at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center. The showcase included Ghana dance hall singer Stonebwoy and Fela’s son Seun Kuti. There was also a strong Afro-Caribbean connection, as Nigerian singer Timaya was joined onstage by the Trinidadian “King of Soca,” Machel Montano. And even though some of the songs might not have registered to the everyday U.S. music fan, elements of that African sound definitely felt familiar.
Label it Afrobeats, tropical house or dance hall lite, but turn on the radio now and the shuffling, shimmering, deliciously weightless syncopated beat that underpins modern African pop bobs to the surface of any number of recent hits, such as Justin Bieber’s “What Do You Mean,” Rihanna’s “Work” and Alicia Keys’ “In Common.” When Keys performed her hit at the Democratic National Convention last month, it meant that Afrobeats had sneaked onto the national stage.
If you follow Keys on Instagram, you’ve already seen her shimmying poolside to Wizkid, so it seemed inevitable that she would absorb that sundress-light sound into her music. A 15-time Grammy Award winner, Keys also tapped South African producer Black Coffee to give “In Common” a Mbaqanga twist, and she’s now working with him on new music.
Her husband, hip-hop producer Swizz Beatz, is also a fan, and at One Africa he joined Wizkid onstage. Together, they ran through Wizkid’s playlist of Nigerian hits, as well as some of Beatz’s biggest tracks, including Jay-Z’s “Onto the Next One” and DMX’s “Party Up (Up in Here).” And even though Afrobeats is decidedly more nimble with its beats and breezy with its melodies than hip-hop’s heavy-hitting meter, the two mixed effortlessly. And the ritzy braggadocio of the latter carried across the ocean intact, with Wizkid’s lines boasting about Prada, Dolce & Gabbana and that “my girl wear designer.”

In another part of the article, Washington Post writer Andy Beta states that:

That affinity flows both ways, and it’s not restricted to music, as platforms such as Instagram and Snapchat allow for exchanges between cultures. Before Timaya took the stage, the One Africa Festival MC said that you might recognize him from appearing on Rihanna’s Instagram. Meanwhile, Rihanna, a fan of Timaya’s, absorbs some of that African flavor in her own music.

As U.S. mainstream success beckons these African artists, more tantalizing are the collaborations with artists in this country that introduce both sides to millions of new fans. For Davido, that means co-signs from Meek Mill and Major Lazer, or Wizkid recently announcing that he was in the studio with Sean Paul. In putting the finishing touches on his first album since signing to Sony Music, Davido recently worked with Young Thug, Trey Songz, Wale and DJ Snake.

As African artists make inroads in the U.S. market, American artists with whom they record songs will get more play in Africa. “Of course it’s going to be an advantage for them, too, to get their music out there,” Davido said. “If you ask me, it goes both ways.”

Rihanna almost didn't record 'Work'

 

Rihanna

Rihanna topped Billboard’s Hot 100 for nine consecutive weeks this spring with her Drake-featuring single “Work” — but in a new interview, one of the song’s co-writers says the Barbadian pop star nearly passed on the chart-topper. Singer and producer PartyNextDoor told the New York Times that Rihanna’s “label didn’t care for Caribbean music at the time.”

PartyNextDoor added that he thought about keeping the song for himself and frequent collaborator Drake, or passing it along to Alicia Keys. But when the tune “was all that [Rihanna] could sing around the house … she fought for it” and her label reassessed the situation.

Beats don’t always end up being recorded by the artists for which songwriters intended. In 2015, Diplo said he suggested “Lean On” to Rihanna and Nicki Minaj, before settling on Mø. And nearly a decade ago, Rihanna was on the other end of the scenario: Britney Spears and Mary J. Blige both passed on “Umbrella.”

The record producer also detailed his role in the session’s for Rihanna’s eighth studio album, Anti, which dropped in January. “The first feeling I got was, ‘Why am I here?’” he told the Times. “All these guys have made hits already.” Now he’s joined the elite group of songwriters — like Sia and Calvin Harris — who have helped to propel Rihanna to the top of the Hot 100.

Earlier this month, PartyNextDoor — best known for his contributions to Drake albums as a member of the rapper’s OVO Sound label — released his second studio album, PartyNextDoor 3.