When a teenage Rihanna sang Mariah Carey's 'Hero' at her high school talent show

23 May 2025, 17:25

The 'Umbrella' star wowed with a rendition of the hit Mariah Carey song in 2003 when she was just 15 years old.

Global superstar Rihanna was once just Robyn Rihanna Fenty, a schoolgirl in Barbados with a big voice and even bigger dreams.

Now a Grammy award-winning singer and the head of the multi-million pound Fenty empire, Rihanna is a mogul in her own right.

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Yet one of the most remarkable glimpses into her early talent is a home video capturing her heartfelt cover of Mariah Carey's 'Hero' at her high school talent show.

Aged just 15, the grainy footage, which has resurfaced on social media platforms like TikTok, shows a teenage Rihanna standing on a modest stage pouring emotion into every note of the notoriously difficult song.

Rihanna delivers the ballad with the kind of presence that would later captivate millions. Though the production is humble, her natural charisma is unmistakable.

The video was shot in 2003, months before she met Evan Rogers, a record producer who was on holiday in Barbados.

Rogers, who has written and produced more than 20 top 40 hit records, heard about a young Rihanna's talent and arranged a meeting.

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During her impromptu audition at Rogers' hotel room, Rihanna sang 'Emotion' by Destiny’s Child and 'Hero' by Mariah Carey.

Rogers later recalled being instantly impressed by her confidence, tone, and star quality. The audition was so impactful that Rogers called his production partner, Carl Sturken, and told him: "You won’t believe the girl I just met."

Rogers and Sturken invited Rihanna to the United States to record demo tapes in New York.

But despite the glamour of being invited to the States, Rihanna was torn about hurting the feelings of the friend she auditioned with.

"We sang as a group," says Rihanna, "and then we sang individually, and Evan expressed an interest in helping me get a solo deal," she told The Guardian in 2009.

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"It was a really difficult place to be, because obviously I didn't want to hurt my friend's feelings, I didn't want to betray her, but it was a reality. We had auditioned together, and individually, and that was it."

December 2004 saw Rihanna record 'Pon de Replay' which was then sent to various heads of record labels.

These recordings eventually reached Def Jam Recordings, where she auditioned for then-president Jay-Z in 2005. He was so impressed that he signed her on the spot after an intense audition – allegedly refusing to let her leave the building without a deal.

Rihanna singing Mariah Carey's 'Hero':

Rihanna - Hero (Mariah Carey Cover)

Rihanna later recalled being completely starstruck when she auditioned for Jay-Z.

“That's when I really got nervous... I was like: 'Oh God, he's right there, I can't look, I can't look, I can't look!', she told The Guardian.

"I remember being extremely quiet. I was very shy. I was cold the entire time. I had butterflies. I'm sitting across from Jay-Z. Like, Jay-Zee. I was star-struck.”

What followed was a meteoric rise to stardom for the young singer.

'Pon De Replay' dropped in 2005 and quickly became a hit, peaking at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100. Her debut album, Music of the Sun, set the stage, but it was her third album, Good Girl Gone Bad (2007), and the smash single 'Umbrella,' that cemented her as a global superstar.

Earning her a Grammy Award, 'Umbrella' signalled a bold shift in Rihanna's image and sound. Over the years, she has proven to also be a trendsetter, consistently reinventing herself with albums like Rated R, Loud, and Anti.

Today, Rihanna is one of the most influential and wealthiest artists in the world, with an estimated net worth of over $1.4 billion. Much of her fortune comes not from music, but from her business ventures.

Rihanna's debut single 'Pon de Replay':

Rihanna - Pon de Replay (Internet Version)

Rihanna launched Fenty Beauty in 2017 to offer makeup for all skin tones, followed by Savage X Fenty lingerie, and together these brands helped make her a billionaire and a game-changer in beauty and fashion.

The resurfaced clip is a powerful reminder of humble beginnings and raw talent, and for fans, it offers a rare, unfiltered glimpse at Rihanna before the fame.

Despite all the fame, Rihanna stays true to her roots, saying her real name is the key to staying grounded.

"Robyn is the brick to my foundation," she told Rolling Stone in 2011.

"It's something I hold on to. It's everything I grew up with, my childhood, Barbados, people close to me. Everything that's familiar.

"People know Rihanna from my music. But if this were to all go away tomorrow, I would always look at myself as Robyn."

Read more: Liam Payne sings emotional cover of 'Love Yourself' in last ever performance