Rihanna

I’ve always believed our sense of smell is one of the most underdeveloped senses. Think about it. You know the artists and genres of music you love, the flavors and foods that speak to you, the textures you enjoy against your skin, and the visuals that draw your eye. But if someone asked what kinds of scents you’re drawn to, most people wouldn’t know where to begin.

I’ve long argued that there’s a powerful connection between our senses and that weaving them together can create new pathways in the brain, enriching how we experience the world.

For me, scent has always been personal. I often match my fragrance to what I’m wearing, and the music I choose for the day tends to follow. Over time, I’ve found that pairing certain scents with specific sounds transforms the way I hear. In a new way, a song takes on new color, a mood deepens, a memory sharpens.

So it feels only fitting that the first artist in our Artist Series is none other than Bad Gal RiRi herself. In this feature, we’ll pair each of Rihanna’s albums with a fragrance that captures its essence with the spirit, emotion, and atmosphere that define each of her musical eras. As a playful experiment, I invite you to listen to each album while exploring its paired scent, and see how the experience resonates with you in a new way.

Music of the Sun x Tom Ford Soleil Blanc

I’ll always associate this album with gold sequins and dancing to Pon de Replay. To me, her debut album captures the essence of her Barbadian roots. From features with Vybz Kartel and Elephant Man to the island rhythm of tracks like If It’s Lovin’ That You Want, the album feels like a musical bildungsroman that starts with the story of joyful youth steeped in culture and finishes with a sun-drenched spirit ready to take on the music world.

When I thought about a fragrance that embodies that youthful innocence with a hint of maturity and something that smells like the sun itself I thought of Tom Ford Soleil Blanc. Its blend of creamy coconut accords, lush ylang-ylang flower, and spicy cardamom mirrors the warmth and rhythm of the island, while bright bergamot adds a citrus freshness that recalls the moment Rihanna burst onto the scene with a voice that was new, radiant, and unmistakably her own.