Rihanna once again shocked the world with a new look when she debuted her new waist-length blonde hair. She’s one of those rare people who can make literally any style work. From the moment she came on the scene, she’s been keeping us on our toes with her looks, so we’re taking a trip down memory lane with some of our favorites.
Red Carpet Revolutionary: Rihanna’s Best Hair Looks
From the Grammys, to music videos, to the Met Gala, the “Umbrella” star always brings new hairstyles to the fashion world.
2005: “Pon de Replay”
Her first hit introduced to the sweet “girl next door” singer. She had the 2000s pop star look with a crop top, jeans and long hair with a few curls and waves. Nothing adventurous in her first outing, but enough to make us take notice.
2006: “SOS”
Though she still had the long hair, the “SOS” video presented us with a much more mature Rih. One who openly embraced her sex symbol status.
2007: “Umbrella”
One of her biggest hits brought us RiRi’s first major change. The “Umbrella” video gave us the short bob we were all envious of.
2008: BET Awards
She surprised us once again with her first foray into a pixie cut. It showed off her perfect features and became one of her signature looks.
2009: Met Gala
Over the years Rihanna’s has given us multiple unforgettable Met Gala looks. Her most underrated came in 2009 with her short hair and glam tuxedo.
2009: “Hard” (feat Jeezy)
“That Rihanna reign just won’t let up.” We got our first glimpse at a blonde Rih in the “Hard” video, where she delivered Mad Max realness.
2011: 53rd Annual Grammy Awards
The red bob she rocked at the 2011 Grammys showed us all she was really entering her world domination era.
2012: 54th Annual Grammy Awards
Her curly short ‘do definitely said blonde bombshell, who also happens to be a badass boss.
2013: American Music Awards
She returned to a pixie cut, but wore it bone straight giving off simple, uncomplicated beauty vibes.
2014: Met Gala
This gorgeous updo really highlights how statuesque the “Diamonds” singer is.
2014: CFDA Fashion Awards
Yes, technically there’s not a hair look to showcase here. But we couldn’t celebrate Rih’s best looks without highlighting this stunning headwrap.
2015: RiRi By Rihanna Fragrance Unveiling
What’s so gorgeous about these reddish brown upswept curls is how perfectly the color matches her skin tone. It’s so brilliant.
2017: Met Gala
When you have an attention grabbing gown like this, the hair can sometimes be an afterthouht. However, the Barbadian superstar manages to bring a style that’s simultaneously simple and captivating.
2018: Ocean’s 8 Premiere
She entered her movie star era with old Hollywood glamour at the red carpet for the premiere of Ocean’s 8.
2019: 5th Annual Diamond Ball
There’s just something interesting about this sleek, dark look. You can’t stop staring at it.
2020: 51st NAACP Image Awards
The braids bring an island authenticity to her awards show glam.
2022: Black Panther: Wakanda Forever Premiere
For her first major red carpet after having her son, RZA, Rihanna went for full pin-up glam with gorgeous waves.
2023: Super Bowl LVII Halftime Show
Rihanna returned to live performing with this Janet Jackson-style ponytail.
2023: Rih Goes Blonde
The star’s new long blonde hair marks her first major change in a few years. Once again, she makes every style work, leading fans to wonder where she’ll go next.