2008

Rihanna

R&B Duo: Rihanna & Chris Brown?

After adamantly denying being involved with actor Josh Hartnett, Rihanna is romantically linked to 18-year-old R&B star Chris Brown (pictured at Clive Davis' Pre-Grammy Party). "He's one of my closest friends in the industry," Rihanna tells Allure in January. "He makes me feel like a teenager. I have to act and think like an adult so much. He makes me feel young again." In February, the pair is spotted awfully close in a pool in Jamaica.

Rihanna

March

Rihanna Covers Cosmo

Now a household name, Rihanna appears on the cover of Cosmopolitan, with newfound self-confidence. "A year ago, I would have sat here in my shell with my hands in my lap and been very shy," she explains to the magazine. "But now, I can be goofy and outgoing." The Grammy winner also gets to celebrate another single, "Don't Stop The Music," heating up the Billboard charts, reaching No. 3 – right behind Chris Brown's "With You."

Rihanna

June

Rihanna's "Very Close" With Chris

Continuing her magazine cover domination, Rihanna appears on the cover of Elle, where she briefly unseals her glossy lips regarding her "friendship" with Brown. "We've always been friends," the singer, who is currently on tour with Kanye West, tells the magazine, "but we're very close now."

Photo Credits

BIOGRAPHY (top to bottom): Kevin Mazur/WireImage

Edited by Mai Dinh, Janet Murphy