The Appeal Of Rihanna - What Makes Her A Draw?

Gen Wright

The pop diva will only be 23 in 2011, but she has managed to sell more than 25 million albums and 45 million singles in the process. Rihanna's life and work have grown at an exponential rate since she first auditioned for Jay-Z. It's a little mind boggling to grasp how quickly her fame has exploded. What in the world could make one woman so enormously popular in such a short period of time? To understand the answers to that question, one need look only at the life of Rihanna.
Rihanna in Music

The Barbadian pop princess first struck it big with "Pon de Replay," a song that hit No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 2005. She later followed it up with hits like "Umbrella" and "Only Girl in the World." Through her music, Rihanna has demonstrated a dogged determination. Just one month after dropping her debut album, she was back in the studios diving into her second. Never the kind to sit around and wait for things to happen, the results for "A Girl Like Me" (the second album) were even better than "Music of the Sun." In 2007, she gave her fans and music in general another gift with the release of "Good Girl Gone Bad." She also began dating fellow superstar Chris Brown, but that relationship was one that was about to test her strength and determination in a way she had never experienced.

Rihanna and Chris Brown

In 2009, she was supposed to perform at the Grammy Awards, but her performance was cancelled after she became a victim of domestic abuse by singer and boyfriend Chris Brown. Brutalized physically, she began what for many would be a long road to recovery. For Rihanna, however, it was just another stepping stone. Her relationship to Brown subsequently ended. He was arrested and forced into jail and counseling courses. And Rihanna dropped "Rated R" later in the year while also devoting herself to the philanthropic efforts of helping battered women get their feet back under them. Rihanna's latest album "Loud," released in 2010, is more great work from a diva loved by millions. But it's not the end.

Rihanna and the Movies

In 2010, the singer turned her sights on acting. She will star in director Peter Berg's upcoming big budget adaptation of the classic board game "Battleship." It will be her first role, but if history is any guide about all this sizzling hot superstar can accomplish, it will not be her last. Through it all, her fans will be in for quite the ride, watching their favorite discover new talents and abilities.