Henwood envisioned the project as the depiction of a "journey", as it includes professional and candid photos by him, that show the singer's fourth studio album, Rated R's (2009) promotional campaign, alongside pictures from other live appearances.

In November 2009, Rihanna released her fourth studio album Rated R through Def Jam Recordings,[2] to critical and commercial success.

[5] In January 2010, details about a Rihanna photo book were revealed, including its initial title—Rihanna: The Last Girl On Earth—and a tentative date, on June 29 of that year.

[6] During an interview with website MuuMuse, the book's photographer and British artist Simon Henwood, who also served as the creative director during the promotional campaign for Rated R, spoke on the concept and purpose of the publication.

"[7] Having spent a long period of time with Rihanna on diverse locations, such as "fashion shows, on set, hotel rooms" amongst others, Henwood told MuuMuse that it depicted the "journey from the initial design of the logo and concept of the album to the singer embarking on the Last Girl on Earth Tour.

[8] Rebecca Thomas of MTV had a similar opinion, stating: "The 22-year-old stunner [Rihanna] shines in front of the camera and perhaps never more so than in the images that capture [her]".