Top 10 Rihanna Album Covers

Feature Photo: carrie-nelson / Shutterstock.com

Our Top 10 Rihanna Album Covers list will look at a successful singer, songwriter and businesswoman. Rihanna is one of the best-selling female artists of all time. She sold over 250 million albums throughout her career. The singer has numerous number one singles as well as top 10 singles. Rihanna has won various awards throughout her career. She was named one of the most influential people in the world in 2012 and 2018. The singer was ranked as one of the highest paid celebrities in 2012 and 2014. The accomplishments don’t stop with this talented singer. She is one of the wealthiest female musicians because she’s worth at least $1 billion.

Rihanna’s style constantly changes and that is reflected in her album covers. She constantly wants to change things up when it concerns her music so it makes sense that she would want to do the same thing with the artwork on her album covers. She doesn’t want people to see the same thing when they look at her albums. She doesn’t need special effects for her covers to make statements. The expressions on her face tell stories. She isn’t afraid to take risks when it concerns her artwork. She is the type of model photographers dream of shooting. She can capture your attention with an alluring look. She can switch things up from playful to sexy without any effort at all. Looking at one of Rihanna’s album covers is like taking a trip to an art museum. Her photos will grab your attention. She is the star of her album covers. Take a journey with us as we tell the story of the Top 10 Rihanna Album Covers.

# 10 – Music of the Sun

The first pick on our Top 10 Rihanna Album Covers list is Music of the Sun. Music of the Sun is Rihanna’s debut album. This is the album that introduced the world to the successful singer. She had a good girl image on this album. The album cover features a young Rihanna staring into the camera. Rihanna has a smoldering look on her face. It is a close shot of the singer’s face. She is wearing a gold top. She is wearing gold hooped earrings. Her hair is cascaded on the side of her shoulder. She appears to be leaning over in the photo. The background has a mix of purple and gold colors. Her name is written in gold letters while the album title is written in white letters.

Mark Mann captured a fresh face Rihanna. He chose not to have her wear a lot of makeup which gave her a fresh and natural look. He took a chance taking a close picture of her, but her face looks flawless. She appears as if she is staring right at you. This picture looks as if it could be in a picture frame. She looks like a model. Mark Mann is a photographer who has worked with Rihanna, Erick Sermon, Keith Murray, Iggy Pop, Fabolous, The Beatnuts, Ciara, Bone Crusher, Jermaine Dupri, DMX, Chris Brown, as well as others. Music of the Sun was released in August 2005. It peaked at number 10 on Billboard 200 and number six on the r&b charts. Music of the Sun features the singles “Pon de Replay,” “If It’s Lovin’ that You Want” and “The Last Time.” The album sold over one million copies.

# 9 – Diamonds

The next pick on our Top 10 Rihanna Album Covers list is Diamonds. Diamonds is a single from her Unapologetic album. Rihanna changed her direction for this song. She didn’t want to talk about unhealthy relationships on this single. She wanted to write about happy times. Rihanna wanted people to shine bright like diamonds. The album cover is a black and white photo of Rihanna’s hand. Her nails are painted red. She has a tattoo on her right hand. The suggestive photo features her rolling diamonds on a piece of paper. You can infer what she is trying to do with the paper. There are diamonds scattered on a table.

Art director Mario Hugo did the right thing by making the picture black and white. It gives it a mysterious look. He used the dark table to balance out the brightness of the diamonds. Mario Hugo chose not to feature Rihanna’s face on the cover. He chose to focus on her hands. The artwork on the cover spoke for itself. You can interpret the photo in many ways. He gave fans something to think about while they listen to the hit song. Mario Hugo doesn’t shoot ordinary pictures. He takes pictures that will make you think. He has worked with Rihanna on several photos. Diamonds was released in September 2012. It peaked at number one on Hot 100. Diamonds sold over seven million copies.

# 8 – Umbrella ft Jay Z

Umbrella is the first single from Rihanna’s Good Girl Gone Bad album. The song is about supporting someone you love. The imaginative album cover features Rihanna standing near a swimming pool. She is leaning to the side. There is a light shining on her as if she is under a spotlight. It helps her stand out in the photo. Rihanna is holding on to an umbrella while it is sitting on the ground. The water is missing her. The water looks like a waterfall. The umbrella symbolizes protection from the water. She is being shielded from the rain. Rihanna is dressed in a white tank top and black shorts. She is wearing calf-high black boots. The photo is mostly dark. Her tank top, swimming pool and the lettering keep the photo from being completely dark.

Roberto D’Este came up with a creative image to represent the song. He has her posing in a difficult stance. The way he took the photo makes her appear taller. He used special effects to add the water in the picture. Roberto D’Este focuses on her legs. You can’t help noticing her long and shapely legs. He chose to take her picture from afar. Roberto D’Este captured a photo you may have never seen before. Roberto D’Este is a photographer and stylist who has worked with Rihanna, Lil’ Kim, Ashley Tisdale, Tift Merritt, Michelle Williams, as well as other artists. Umbrella was released in March 2007. The single peaked at number one on Hot 100. Umbrella sold more than eight million copies.

# 7 – We Found Love ft. Calvin Harris

We Found Love is a single from Rihanna’s Talk That Talk album. The song is about finding love in a hopeless place. The black and white photo features Rihanna walking down the street. She is wearing a denim outfit. She is wearing black ankle boots. She has her hair swept up on top of her head. The singer has her arms crossed. Rihanna has a sad look on her face. She has a cigarette in her mouth. She is standing by a fire hydrant. There are buildings and cars across the street. There is a logo with the letter R on the side of the album cover. The name of the single and Calvin Harris’ name appears on the sidewalk.

Ellen Von Unwerth captured a laidback tomboy image of Rihanna. The image doesn’t go with the theme because no one else is in the photo with her. The song is about falling in love, but she is alone in the picture. She also doesn’t look happy. We weren’t sure what direction Ellen Von Unwerth was headed when she created the image, but it turned out nice. She created a realistic look of someone casually walking down the street. If Rihanna wasn’t looking in the camera, it would look like a candid shot. Ellen Von Unwerth is a photographer and art director. She has worked with Rihanna, Fine Young Cannibals, Everyday People, Duran Duran, Janet Jackson, Christina Aguilera, Kylie Minogue, Bananarama, as well as others. We Found Love was released in September 2011. The single peaked at number one on Hot 100. We Found Love sold over 10 million copies.

# 6 – Loud

Loud is Rihanna’s fifth studio album. Rihanna wanted dark themes on her previous albums. With this album, she wanted upbeat songs. She wanted to return to the optimistic style she had when she started in the music business. This album cover features a close shot of the singer. Her face takes over the album cover. She has fiery red hair and lipstick. Her skin is glowing in the picture. You can see part of her tattoo on her neck. Her eyes are closed, and her mouth is partially open. She is wearing makeup in the picture. There is nothing else featured in the picture. Rihanna is the star of the cover.

Camilla Akrans came up with simple picture, but Rihanna managed to look sexy without doing much. Camilla Akrans wanted to focus on Rihanna’s face instead of the songs. The goal was for Rihanna’s face to be the attention grabber in addition to the album. The color of the album is supposed to symbolize love and passion. Rihanna proved she didn’t need props to make an album cover look good. A simple shot of Rihanna posing is all the photographer needs to take a good picture of her. Camilla Akrans is a photographer who has worked with Rihanna and Orup. Loud was released in November 2010. The album peaked at number three on Billboard 200 and number three on the r&b charts. Loud features the singles “Only Girl (In the World),” “What’s My Name,” “Raining Men,” “S&M,” “Man Down,” “California King Bed” and “Cheers (Drink to That).” The album sold over eight million copies.

# 5 – A Girl Like Me

The next pick on our Top 10 Rihanna Album Covers list is A Girl Like Me. A Girl Like Me is Rihanna’s second album. She stuck with the same style of music she used on her first album. The seductive album cover features Rihanna in another close shot. She is wearing a white off the shoulder dress. She is wearing a necklace. Her hair is cascading down her back. She has strands of hair on her face. Her eyes are piercing through the picture. Her eyes are telling a story. She isn’t wearing a lot of makeup. It gives her a soft look. This is another album cover where Rihanna is the star.

Nichelle Delzaille and Tony Duran came up with an even tone album cover. The colors aren’t too dark or light. They did an excellent job creating Rihanna’s good girl image. This picture highlights the light color of her eyes. It would be hard not to go into a trance looking at her eyes. Her skin looks smooth and silky in the picture. Nichelle Delzaille and Tony Duran wanted Rihanna’s presence to speak for the album. Nichelle Delzaille is an art coordinator. She has worked with Rihanna, Gil Evans, Charlie Parker, Johnny Hodges, Jimmy Smith, Herb Ellis, Wes Montgomery, Ben Webster, as well as others.

Tony Duran is a photographer who has worked with Rihanna, Gerald Levert, Jennifer Lopez, Lina, Martine McCutcheon, Joy Enriquez, Foxy Brown, Rod Stewart, Alicia Keys, Deborah Cox, Heather Headley, Toni Braxton, Ashanti, as well as others. A Girl Like Me was released in April 2006. It peaked at number five on Billboard 200. It features the singles “SOS,” “Unfaithful,” “We Ride” and “Break It Off.” A Girl Like Me sold over one million copies.

# 4 – Good Girl Gone Bad

Good Girl Gone Bad is Rihanna’s third studio album. This album was Rihanna’s transition from innocent girl to a mature woman. She expressed her maturity with the dress she wore on the album cover. She is wearing a sexy white dress on the cover. The sexy dress is Rihanna’s transformation from a good girl into a sexy woman. She is leaning back in the picture. It may look as if she is leaning against a wall, but the wall is photoshopped out of the picture. Rihanna cut her long locks into a short and sexy bob. She is peering out at you with one eye showing. The other eye is covered by her hair.

Robert D’Este took a glamorous photo of the singer. Rihanna wanted to be edgier, but she looks classy. Who says you couldn’t be classy and edgy? She proved she can do both. She has a come hither look on her face. Robert D’Este took a black and white photo. The only color in the picture is her name. It is written in light blue letters. Good Girl Gone Bad was released in May 2007. The album peaked at number two on Billboard 200. Good Girl Gone Bad features the singles “Umbrella,” “Shut Up and Drive,” “Hate That I Love You,” “Don’t Stop the Music” and “Rehab.” The album sold over nine million copies.

# 3 – Talk That Talk

Talk That Talk is Rihanna’s sixth album. This album is like her Loud album. She experimented with different genres of music for this album. She used dubstep, electronic and house music. The seductive album cover features Rihanna with her tongue out while licking her lips. She is trying to seduce the camera and the listeners with her eyes. Rihanna is wearing a black and white sleeveless blouse. She is wearing rings. She is holding her left hand on her head. You can see the title of the album along her arm. The logo for her name is on the white background. The picture is a bright one except for the black color on her blouse, lipstick and nail polish.

Ellen Von Unwerth created a safe and seductive photograph of Rihanna. Rihanna was seductive without showing a lot of skin. The makeup artist gave her a smoky eyed look to make her eyes stand out. You may not recognize her at first because she transforms into a different person. She impressed fans with her look. She shows that she can evolve with each album. Talk That Talk was released in November 2011. It peaked at number three on Billboard 200. Talk That Talk features the singles “We Found Love,” “You da One,” “Talk that Talk,” “Birthday Cake,” “Where Have You Been” and “Cockiness (Love It).” The album sold over five million copies.

# 2 – Rated R

Rated R is Rihanna’s fourth studio album. This album was a departure from her good girl image. She wanted to show her mature side on this album. The intriguing album cover features Rihanna embracing a gothic look. She is doing a reflective pose. She is wearing a leather shirt. Rihanna has her hand over her right eye. She has a ring on each finger. This photo might have you question what is going on in her mind. If you know her history, you know that she was going through relationship issues with Chris Brown. It is reflected in the artwork. You can look into her eyes and tell that something is different about her. Her emotions are practically jumping off the cover. She looks like she is mad at the world and wants to scream out.

Ellen Von Unwerth, JP Robinson and Simon Henwood came up with the perfect image for Rihanna to display on the album cover. Ellen Von Unwerth enjoyed working with Rihanna on this project because she wasn’t afraid to push the envelope. Rihanna was involved in every aspect of the photo shoot. The black and white photo sets off the dark tone of the album. You can tell by looking at Rihanna that she is going to be more aggressive on this album. JP Robinson is a graphic designer and art director. He worked with Rihanna, Allure, Mary J. Blige, K-Ci & JoJo, Funky Green Dogs, Allister, Something Corporate, Snoop Dogg, Mos Def, The Cure, Floetry, Driveblind, New Found Glory, as well as others. Simon Henwood is an artist and music director. He has worked with Barry Adamson, Swans, Valentine, as well as others. Rated R was released in November 2009. It peaked at number four on Billboard 200. Rated R features the singles “Russian Roulette,” “Hard,” “Wait Your Turn,” “Rude Boy,” “Rockstar 101” and “Te Amo.” The album sold over three million copies.

# 1 – Anti

The number one pick on our Top 10 Rihanna Album Covers list is Anti. Anti is Rihanna’s fifth studio album. This is a soulful album for her. It is about the emotions she feels from love and relationships. She talks about all the aspects of love. The enigmatic album cover features a picture of Rihanna as a child wearing a crown on her head. The crown is hanging low and covers her eyes. Behind her is a picture of a poem written in Braille. The picture is dominated by red, white, gold and gray colors. The gold crown stands out because it takes away from the color of the album.

Rihanna wanted to work with Roy Nachum because she believed he could photograph exactly what she was feeling. She believes he thinks outside of the box. Roy Nachum was able to cover the message she wanted for her album cover. He used Braille writing to represent the fact that people who can see can be blinder than those who can’t. Roy Nachum created a deep and meaningful album cover. It will leave people talking. It looks as if it is something that could be in an art gallery. Roy Nachum is a painter whose specialty is using a crown over a kid’s eyes to shield them. Roy Nachum has worked with Rihanna and Kanye West. Anti was released in January 2016. The album peaked at number one on Billboard 200. Anti features the singles “Work,” “Kiss It Better,” “Needed Me” and “Love on the Brain.” The album has sold over three million copies.