1: using william, florida, pitbull to get a top 20 hit
2: post snippets to keep 2-3 people talking about her album that is not coming
3: use the minorities (gays) with false pretense of fighting for their rights to stay relevant
4: use religiously controversial outfits, lyrics and performances to keep the talk going
5: fight with other artists to get headlines
Rihanna struggled for her first two eras. You don't have the right to throw shade.
But compared to the other members of the current trinity - Katy and Gaga - Rihanna is the only one to get her career off the ground on the first try. No extra stage names, flopped albums/music, etc.