business moves

Rihanna’s First Full Concert Since 2016 Was Just for the Wealthy

Christian Dior : Front Row - Paris Fashion Week - Haute Couture Spring/Summer 2024
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How much money does it take to get Rihanna to sing again? Her last performance was at the Superbowl, which didn’t pay anything, so she has to make up potential lost revenue from the free show somehow. This week, Rihanna played a private show at Indian billionaire Mukesh Ambani’s son Anant Ambani and his soon-to-be wife Radhika Merchant’s pre-wedding festivities, estimated by the Daily Mail to begin around $6 million for the concert (Ambani also got Beyoncé to perform at his daughter’s wedding in 2018). But why would Rihanna need a measly $6 mil when she has a net worth of $1.4 billion? Maybe the web that connects them all is Fenty; Ambani acquired the rights to Sephora India last year, and RiRi has been all business lately, not so much music. So who’s to say briefly singing a few songs isn’t the biggest power move for her brand?

RiRi sang 19 songs for the show, including “Bitch Better Have My Money,” “Diamonds,” and “We Found Love,” making it her first full concert since 2016. But despite all the hype for new music, she still seems indifferent to the idea of returning to the mic for longer than a day. Can Ambani ask how much she’d take for R9?

Rihanna’s First Full Concert Since 2016 Was for the Rich