Rihanna (book)

Rihanna <span class="Z3988" title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=Rihanna&rft.author=%5B%5BRihanna%5D%5D%0A++++++++++++++++++%5B%5BSimon+Henwood%5D%5D[1]&rft.date=October+19%2C+2010&rft.pub=%5B%5BAngelo+Rizzoli%7CRizzoli+Publications%5D%5D&rft.pages=144">
Author	Rihanna Simon Henwood[1]
Original title	Rihanna: The Last Girl on Earth
Illustrator	Henwood[1]
Country	United States, United Kingdom
Language	English
Publisher	Rizzoli Publications
Publication date	October 19, 2010
Media type	Hardcover, paperback
Pages	144
ISBN	978-0-8478-3510-2

Rihanna is a coffee table book written by Barbadian recording artist Rihanna, in collaboration with artistic director Simon Henwood.^[1] It was released on October 19, 2010, under Rizzoli Publications.^[2] The book, which features photos from Rihanna's Last Girl on Earth Tour, serves as an accompaniment to her fourth studio album Rated R.

History

Rihanna performing on her Last Girl on Earth Tour.

Whilst appearing on British television channel 4Music, Rihanna divulged information on the book, saying "It's gonna be a coffee table book with all of these images that people have never seen before. It's like a backstage pass, like a fashion book. It is a creation of Rated R from step one all the way to what it is now. From all the steps, how it was created and how it came to this."

The book was originally titled Rihanna: The Last Girl on Earth, tying in with Henwood's The Omega Man influences and the Last Girl on Earth Tour.^[3][4] The title was later changed to Rihanna.^[1]

Release

Rihanna was released in both hardcover and paperback editions on October 19, 2010.^[1][5] To promote the book, Rihanna held a signing at a Barnes & Noble on Fifth Avenue in New York City.^[6]

Deluxe edition

Also available for a limited time was the Rihanna: Deluxe Edition, a limited edition of the book that featured a rare signed photograph of Rihanna at the "Rude Boy" video shoot. The edition also featured a clamshell monogrammed with Swarovski crystals, as well as a CD featuring a special remix of "Photographs" from Rated R. Only a small amount of copies of the deluxe edition were produced.^[7]

Critical reception

Critics were favorable in their reviews of the book. Rap-Up, a magazine that focuses on the hip hop and R&B aspects of the music industry, praises Henwood's depiction of Rihanna, commenting that he "captures the 'It' girl at the height of her beauty and ferocity".^[8] Music Books Reviews observes that Rihanna's book "presents a densely-illustrated account of her life and work from Simon Henwood, her creative director" and feels the "photographs alone are reason enough for the book".^[9] Rebecca Thomas from MTV observes that "the 22-year-old stunner shines in front of the camera and perhaps never more so than in the images that capture [her] in the moments between show times".^[10]

References