Let us find in general $w^z$ where $w$ and $z$ are complex. This expression is by definition equal to $$\exp\{z\ln w\}$$ where $\ln w$ is one of the complex logarithms of $w$. That is, it is $w'$ where $$e^{w'} = w.$$ Suppose $w = re^{i\theta}$. Then $$w' = \ln r + i\theta +2ik\pi$$ where $k$ is an arbitrary integer and the $\ln$ is the ordinary real-valued logarithm. (Since $r\ge 0$ this is well-defined everywhere except for $r=0$, in which case we are dealing with $0^z$, which really is ambiguous.)
Putting this back into the original formula we have the answer, that $$\begin{align}
(re^{i\theta})^z & = \exp\{z (\ln r + i\theta + 2ik\pi)\}\tag{$\star$} \\
& =\exp\{z(\ln r + i\theta)\}\cdot \exp\{2ik\pi\cdot z\}
\end{align}$$
where $k$ is an integer.
Now observe that although $(\star)$ seems to list an infinite number of solutions, they are not always distinct. For example, when $z$ is a real integer,
the second factor, $\exp\{2ik\pi\cdot z\}$ part is 1 for every choice of $k$, and so can be disregarded.
To find out how many values of $(\star)$ are distinct, one needs to ask about the values of $e^{2ik\pi \cdot z}$. When $z$ has nonzero imaginary part, or is a real irrational, these are all distinct and there are an infinite family of values of $w^z$, given by different choices of $k$. But when $z$ is a real rational number with (lowest-terms) denominator $n$, there are exactly $n$ distinct values.