A Look Back at Rihanna's Rise to Become a Global Icon (Exclusive)

etonline.com:

Rihanna is a pop icon, a fashion mogul and the youngest self-made female billionaire in history, with an estimated net worth of over $1.4 billion.She's one of the most celebrated and streamed artists, her first pregnancy was headline news for weeks, only upstaged by the announcement of her second pregnancy — which came during her commanding performance at this year's Super Bowl halftime show.All along the way, ET has been there as the talented songstress took the world by storm with her music and her fashion.ET first met an 18-year-old Rihanna in 2006, when her first No.

1 US hit, «SOS,» dominated the charts. At the time, she was still finishing high school. She spoke with ET at Wango Tango that year and explained that it was like being a rising music star and still being in school.«It's a little disappointing sometimes because I'm used to having the summer off,» she explained at the time. «Especially when it's at the end of my day and I just want to chill!

But it's OK.»In 2007, Rihanna's next No.1 hit, the JAY-Z collab «Umbrella,» catapulted her into global superstardom, and she told ET at the Billboard Music Awards that year that her life «couldn't be better.»That single earned Rihanna the first of her nine GRAMMY Awards — as well as 33 additional nominations.Now — 16 years after «Umbrella» was first released — Rihanna has become the second-best-selling female music artist of all time, with sales of over 250 million records worldwide.

And, she managed to do it all while remaining unapologetically true to herself.«I think a lot of it is honesty, and I think not being afraid of the truth.