They’re beautiful, like diamonds! Rihanna’s tattoos cover different parts of her body, from her hand up to her neck, and they each have meanings.
The “Umbrella” singer is known for breaking boundaries in her music and in her image. When it comes to her body art, Rihanna, 33, doesn’t hesitate to experiment with new designs.
In a 2011 interview with Ellen DeGeneres, the “Diamonds” artist briefly talked about the “14-ish” tattoos she had at the time. She specifically pointed to the one sprawled across her left shoulder, which spells out her best friend’s birthday. While she didn’t name her friend, Rihanna claimed they both have each other’s birth date as tattoos.
In another interview, she explained the meaning behind a few of her tattoos, such as the falcon design she has on her right ankle.
“It’s supposed to start from God,” Rihanna revealed in 2012. “Back in the day, they would carve into the walls, and they would carve a falcon because they didn’t have another way of saying ‘a king in the sky.’”
In the same interview, she also showed off a small cross she had one the left side of her collarbone.
However, sometimes it’s necessary to cover up some old art, such as the one Rihanna used to have on her left ankle: a shark. She reportedly had it designed in 2016 with her then-boyfriend Drake. Since then, she covered it up with an intricately drawn crown.
Fast-forward several years, RiRi received more ink than before, covering other body parts, including one on her hip, an underboob design and a backward phrase underneath her right collarbone.
“I have a tattoo that’s written backward, so I can read it in the mirror,” Rihanna told the New York Times in 2019. “Never a failure, always a lesson.
While she appreciates the art of tattoos, the “Disturbia” artist’s brand, Fenty Beauty, encourages healthy skincare routines due to the entrepreneur past experience. “As a teen, [Rihanna] was overwhelmed with all of the skincare options out there,” Fenty Beauty’s website reads. “And, when she was younger, she tried a product that discolored her skin, which scared her from trying anything else for a long time.”
The skincare company sells products with “clean formulas that are also vegan and gluten free,” after Rihanna was “driven by that bad encounter with a harsh [skin] product,” the website continues.
Despite her previous unfortunate moment with skincare, the “We Found Love” artist isn’t afraid to look for more body art.
Scroll through the gallery to see the meanings behind Rihanna’s tattoos.