But the Diamonds singer is also a homebird at heart and likes nothing more than going back to Barbados and tucking into chicken curry.
That’s according to her younger brother Rorrey Fenty, who today lifts the lid on the real Rihanna and what she’s like away from the spotlight.
Rorrey, 23, himself an up-and-coming rapper and DJ, reveals how his big sis can’t get enough of partying.
“We don’t have a drinking age limit in Barbados so we started partying at 14, going to clubs and drinking,” he says.
“It’s the Caribbean island life so everyone just has fun. Ri loves to party and I’m the same. The wildest party was her 22nd birthday – so much happened that I couldn’t even tell you.
“She had a midget stripper and she danced with her. She loved it.
“There was a lot of drinking and a photobooth. Some crazy photos came out of it.”
Close
Rorrey reckons Rihanna, 25, won’t go off the rails as she has good people around to look after her and keep her grounded.
But he adds: “My mum worries about her and she’s in constant touch to put her mind at ease.”
But there’s more to the chart star – born Robyn Rihanna Fenty – than partying.
She had a difficult childhood when her dad Ronald, now 58, got hooked on crack and her parents’ marriage fell apart.
This brought her closer to mum Monica, 50, and brothers Rorrey and Rajad, now 16.
Rorrey says: “We have a big family but we’re all pretty close. We grew up in a single parent household and we’re very close to our mum.
“It was really hard for me when Ri had to leave. She was 16 and I was proud she was doing a lot at such a young age but I really didn’t want her to go. Still, we see each other a lot.
“She comes back whenever she has a break and at home her favourite food is curry chicken – she can’t get enough of that!
“As soon as she touches down in Barbados, she comes home and eats a lot of curry chicken.
“It’s our mum’s speciality and Ri asks her to make it for her.
“We have a really nice house and garden, very cosy, about 15 minutes’ drive from the beach, though in terms of Barbados that’s quite far!”
Monica made sure her kids had a normal childhood, making Rihanna do chores and banning her from sexy outfits.
Rorrey says: “Ri’s dress sense is really great – she’s very edgy and risky.
“There were a lot of things she wanted to do when she was younger but my mother didn’t permit her to.
“She wouldn’t let her dress the way she wanted to. They’d go shopping in Bridgetown and Ri would say she wanted certain outfits but mum would say: ‘No, that’s too short, you can’t wear it.’
“My mother doesn’t complain about what Ri’s wearing now so I think she’s accepted it.
“As kids we used to run through the streets. I was always faster and she kept trying to catch up.
“We had a dog called Reggae, a stray we took in. Ri and I had our chores, cleaning and washing, things around the house. She would feed the dog and do the dishes but she hated all the chores.”
He says Rihanna now misses the relaxed life on Barbados.
He adds: “When my parents split up it never really affected me or Ri. We were all close even then.
“We would go to my dad at weekends and watch movies.
“My mum’s still close to him too. They see each other a lot. She doesn’t hold any grudges against him. He comes for Christmas or we go there.
“He’s a great cook. He does curry chicken as well. It’s a competition between them to see whose is best.”
Touchy
Rorrey says his sister thinks decent guys are too intimidated by her fame to ever make a move. And he admits that Chris Brown, 24, Rihanna’s on-off lover for the past few years, is a touchy subject for the singer.
“I don’t really speak to her about whether they’ll get back together or not,” he confesses.
“They were great together. They were like soulmates – she was very connected to him.
“She needs a man who likes to do the stuff she likes doing, someone laid back and fun-loving.
“She has talked to me about getting married and having children. She plans on settling down but not right now. She has to focus on her career.”
So does Rorrey believe he can follow in his sister’s footsteps?
“If we did a duet together I know it would be instant fame,” says Rorrey. “But I want to do it my way, not on the back of Ri.
“She is always giving me a lot of support and encouragement. But Ri is a hard act to follow!”