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Working On New Album Helped Rihanna Recover [Full Glamour Mag Interview]

An.J — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 17:38:32 +0000

What a year it’s been for the superstar. (“I went to sleep as Rihanna and woke up as Britney Spears,” she says.) Here, we salute her for, yes, her style and songs—but also for her message to young women, which she talks about in this Glamour exclusive. “Domestic violence is a big secret,” she says. “I want to give as much insight as I can to young women…to help speak for them.”

Every once in a while, a pop star comes along who is so visually magnetic, her music so utterly everywhere, that the world can’t take its eyes off her. There’s no question who that superstar is right now: Her name is Robyn Rihanna Fenty. At 21, Rihanna’s résumé could turn even a music industry veteran a major shade of green: Since Jay-Z signed her to Def Jam in 2005, she has scored four number-one hits and has sold more than 12 million albums, a number soon to grow with her just-released album (untitled as of press time). Add to that Rihanna’s self-invented style—a mash-up of Paris couture and street punk, and possibly the best-known haircut on the planet—and you have a full-on fan frenzy. With all that attention comes a sky-high platform for doing good, and Rihanna’s used it wisely: In 2006 she quietly started the Believe Foundation, a fund that provides educational and medical supplies to needy children, and she has personally helped two leukemia sufferers find the bone marrow matches they needed to live. Of course, it’s impossible to talk about Rihanna without also discussing the February night the singer was brutally assaulted by her then-boyfriend, pop star Chris Brown. Rihanna has remained mostly silent about that awful experience. But now, with Brown out of her life, she’s opening up as a way to speak on behalf of victims of domestic violence. Listen in on this honest comeback interview.

Glamour: Let’s first talk about life before you made it: You are one of the few pop stars in recent years to come from the islands.

Rihanna: I would have never dreamed that my career would be this successful. I grew up in an average home in Barbados, and we didn’t live in the best neighborhood. But I was never aware that we were poor; my mom never made us feel that way. She loved me unconditionally. She made us feel anything was possible and instilled in me such confidence.

Glamour: Did you sing a lot as a kid?

Rihanna: Always—in the shower, to pillows and stuffed animals, my cousins. But I knew I wanted my music to be heard worldwide. That was my dream. I was able to make demos whenever I had vacation time, but my mom always said, “You are not stopping school until you get signed.” And even when I got signed, she still made me go to school.

Glamour: You auditioned for Jay-Z at Def Jam. What was that like?

Rihanna: I was nervous as hell. The night before, I couldn’t sleep. I was trying on a million different outfits and makeup. I remember seeing Jay-Z and starting to shake. I thought he would be in a suit, sitting behind a desk with a cigar. But he was totally chill, wearing sneakers and a T-shirt. Then I went into audition mode. I knew it was all or nothing. Right away, the Def Jam people said, “You can’t leave the building.” They closed the door, and the lawyers stayed until 1:00 or 2:00 A.M. to do the deal.

Glamour: That literally is the definition of overnight success!

Rihanna: In a matter of weeks, the first single [“Pon de Replay”] went to radio. Then we shot a video, and the song just took off. I was in the Top 10 with huge artists who I looked up to. Jay-Z kept telling me, “This never happens, so don’t get used to it.” I saw how special that moment was.

Glamour: What’s the most valuable piece of advice Jay-Z’s ever given you?

Rihanna: In the beginning of my career, he said, “You must be a good person, because good things are happening for you, but you have to stay humble.” One thing that intrigued me about him was that he was such a huge artist and really down-to-earth. I felt like if he was saying this, it must work.

Glamour: Let’s talk about this past year—you’ve obviously been through some difficult things. How did the people around you help you cope?

Rihanna: My friends and family have been extremely supportive, and everyone has been there for me. But at some point you are there alone. It’s a lonely place to be—no one can understand. That’s when you get close to God.

Glamour: Are you referring to the [Chris Brown] incident?

Rihanna: I am talking about starting with the night [before] the Grammys and then on. That was not the only thing that occurred this year. The picture leaking…it was one thing after another.

Glamour: You’re talking about the photo [reportedly of Rihanna’s injured face taken by police after Brown assaulted her] that was allegedly leaked by cops. You handled that so well; you kept silent in the press.

Rihanna: It was humiliating; that is not a photo you would show to anybody. I felt completely taken advantage of. I felt like people were making it into a fun topic on the Internet, and it’s my life. I was disappointed, especially when I found out the photo was [supposedly leaked by] two women.

Glamour: How has this event changed you as a person, as a woman?

Rihanna: I’m stronger, wiser and more aware. You don’t realize how much your decisions affect people you don’t even know, like fans.

Glamour: Do you think you’ve gotten your strength from your mom?

Rihanna: Definitely. My mom gave us the tools to survive…. My parents separated when I was eight or nine. I helped her raise my [youngest] brother, because my mom was working all the time. He’s my favorite.

Glamour: Do you feel that this experience has laid the groundwork for coping with anything so public again?

Rihanna: It has taught me so much. I felt like I went to sleep as Rihanna and woke up as Britney Spears. That was the level of media chaos that happened the next day. It was like, What, there are helicopters circling my house? There are 100 people in my cul-de-sac? What do you mean, I can’t go back home?

Glamour: If you could offer a message to the millions of young women who look up to you, what would you tell someone who found herself in a similar situation?

Rihanna: Domestic violence is a big secret. No kid goes around and lets people know their parents fight. Teenage girls can’t tell their parents that their boyfriend beat them up. You don’t dare let your neighbor know that you fight. It’s one of the things we [women] will hide, because it’s embarrassing. My story was broadcast all over the world for people to see, and they have followed every step of my recovery. The positive thing that has come out of my situation is that people can learn from that. I want to give as much insight as I can to young women, because I feel like I represent a voice that really isn’t heard. Now I can help speak for those women.

Glamour: I think that’s a great message. What about your new album? What’s it like?

Rihanna: I was involved in a lot of the writing. I put everything I’ve wanted to say for the past eight months into my music. The songs are really personal. It’s rock ‘n’ roll, but it’s really hip-hop: If Lil’ Wayne and Kings of Leon like my album, then I’ll feel good. I would not change anything about it. Even if people don’t love it, I made exactly the piece of art that I wanted to make. It’s super fearless—which is exactly how I feel right now. I am in a really good place.

Glamour: Justin Timberlake said it sounds a little more grown-up—do you agree with that comment?

Rihanna: I agree. I have grown up a lot since my last album. It [represents] exactly where I am at right now.

Glamour: Jay-Z once said that your challenge as an artist was going to be to make people relate to you as a human being. What do you think he meant by that?

Rihanna: Before, there was an innocence to me. It was a perfect image. So the minute I did something imperfect, it was a big deal. I think that’s what he was referring to: People forget that after we get to our hotel rooms at night, we take a shower, we watch TV, eat room service and do normal things. Behind it all, we are still human beings.

Glamour: Now let’s talk about your success in the world of fashion: You have become a fashion icon practically overnight. What does it mean to you as a performer, as a creative person, as a way to celebrate who you are?

Rihanna: Fashion for me is another way I get to express myself creatively. It is one of the fun things I get to do: to play dress-up, and create outfits and looks that aren’t typical. I am an artist, so I like creating things. Shoes are my favorite thing.

Glamour: OK, so how many pairs do you own?

Rihanna: Too damn many! [Laughs.]

Glamour: Your look has evolved from the beginning of your career.

Rihanna: In the first two years of my career, there were a lot of restraints on what I could do. I couldn’t wear certain colors of lipstick, like bright pink, dark pink or red; [my lips] had to be natural. Eventually, I stopped communicating with certain people at the label, and did exactly what I wanted to do. And that was to cut my hair, dye it black, change my clothes, change my sound. Really to just express myself.

Glamour: Let’s talk about that famous hair of yours. Your cut now is even called “The Rihanna” in salons!

Rihanna: Yeah, we cut it into a bob for the [Good Girl Gone Bad album] cover shoot, but then I went even shorter for the NRJ Music Awards [in January 2008]. My hairdresser just said, “I don’t feel like doing your hair anymore—I want to cut it.” I was like, Finally!

Glamour: On to your charity work: What in your own life inspired you to start the Believe Foundation?

Rihanna: I have always loved kids. They are little adults with so much personality, and it is fun to work with that. Whether that means donating school supplies or medication, or [using my celebrity] to get them a bone marrow transplant, I want to help.

Glamour: You actually helped a young girl and a mother of two, both of whom were suffering from leukemia, find bone marrow matches for transplants. How did that happen?

Rihanna: My manager sent me a video this little girl did for her best friend. It shows them playing, and then Isabelle says to the camera, “This is my friend Jasmina, and here’s how you can help her: Swab your mouth for DNA, and put it into an envelope.” They were both adopted and have the best bond—they are inseparable. The video made you fall in love with both of them. I was like, I have to help her. So I did a bunch of events to raise awareness. Just when we thought we were not going to find a donor, we found one. The other woman, Lisa, is a mother of two who was diagnosed with leukemia and was going to die if she didn’t get a bone marrow transplant. I knew she could not leave her two kids; that’s all that was going through my head. So we said a lot of prayers, sent out press releases and did events in order to get the word out. Her transplant was successful. She was in a lot of pain, but she was so strong and determined.

Glamour: Wow, that’s amazing. So here you are, only 21, and you have already accomplished so much. Where do you see yourself in five years?

Rihanna: So much has happened in the past five years, I can’t speak for the next five. What I want is to continue to grow. Because I am never satisfied; I always want more. I always want to get better. I always want to climb another step.

Glamour: Is it too early for you to think, I want to be in love, I want to have a family? Is that too far down the road?

Rihanna: I hope I find love in the next 10 years—that will be pretty annoying if I am 31 and still have never been in love! But yeah, I’d like to be in a great place in both my personal life and my career. I still want to be doing what I love. Whatever that is in 10 years, I don’t know.

Glamour: Well, congratulations on being a Woman of the Year!

Rihanna: It is an honor. The women who are being honored are all such great inspirations to me. I look up to them.

Rihanna Opens Up For Glamour Magazine

An.J — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 20:39:42 +0000

UPDATE - Photos Added To Gallery

Apparently, Rihanna is a big believer in the silver-lining-in-every cloud thing.

The “Russian Roulette” singer opens up in the latest issue of Glamour about the past year’s events in her life—specifically, about the beating she received from ex-boyfriend Chris Brown after a pre-Grammys party in February.

According to Rihanna, the incident—and the flurry of negative publicity that followed—had at least one bright side: It strengthened her relationship with the Man Upstairs.

Says Rihanna,

“I went to sleep as Rihanna and woke up as Britney Spears,” the 21-year-old songstress tells Glamour. “That was the level of media chaos that happened the next day… The positive thing that has come out of my situation is that people can learn from that. I want to give as much insight as I can to young women, because I feel like I represent a voice that really isn’t heard.”

In the wake of the February assault, Rihanna said one of the toughest things to cope with was the leak of the shocking photo of her beaten and bruised being leaked to the public — the singer calls the leak of the pic “humiliating.”

“It was humiliating; that is not a photo you would show to anybody,” she tells Glamour. “I felt completely taken advantage of. I felt like people were making it into a fun topic on the Internet, and it’s my life. I was disappointed, especially when I found out the photo was [supposedly leaked by] two women.”

What Rihanna Has Learned After Her Brush With Domestic Violence?

“I’m stronger, wiser and more aware. You don’t realize how much your decisions affect people you don’t even know, like fans,” Rihanna says. “My story was broadcast all over the world for people to see, and they have followed every step of my recovery. The positive thing that has come out of my situation is that people can learn from that. I want to give as much insight as I can to young women, because I feel like I represent a voice that really isn’t heard. Now I can help speak for those women.”

Rihanna On Finding Love: “I hope I find love in the next 10 years – that will be pretty annoying if I am 31 and still have never been in love! But yeah, I’d like to be in a great place in both my personal life and my career. I still want to be doing what I love. Whatever that is in 10 years, I don’t know.”

Rihanna On Domestic Violence:

“Domestic violence is a big secret. No kid goes around and lets people know their parents fight. Teenage girls can’t tell their parents that their boyfriend beat them up. You don’t dare let your neighbor know that you fight. It’s one of the things we [women] will hide, because it’s embarrassing,” Rihanna explains. “My story was broadcast all over the world for people to see, and they have followed every step of my recovery. The positive thing that has come out of my situation is that people can learn from that. I want to give as much insight as I can to young women, because I feel like I represent a voice that really isn’t heard. Now I can help speak for those women.”

About Chris -

“He was definitely my first big love,” Rihanna said in the interview. “This happened to me. … It can happen to anyone.”

[This Is Not The Full Interview]

Vogue Italia – Full Set!

An.J — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 17:52:48 +0000

RiRi looks fierce in the new Vogue Italia September Issue.

Finally! – 2009 Vogue Italy Cover

An.J — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 18:03:49 +0000

Finally, the photoshoot RiRi shaved her hair for has came out! But only one picture, but within a few days it should come more pics from the magazine. Meanwhile, check out this crazy pic, tht’s what I call EXTREME COUTURE!!!!

If you are living in Italy, or is planning to buy this magazine, please contact us!

Rihanna Featured In Vogue – Not On Cover

An.J — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 08:33:36 +0000

Rihanna and Kanye West are featured in Vogue Magazine, in the july issue. The picture is taken from the MET GALA on their surprise performance. Too bad they wouldn’t take her on the front cover though.

“The Shape Of Things”

“Rihanna joins the evening’s performer Kanye West, for a surprise duet.”

Rihanna Covers VIBE Magazine 2009 May Issue

An.J — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 17:36:41 +0000

“You never can believe the media, especially tabloids,” Chris Brown said firmly at Maze, a restaurant in New York City’s chic hotel The London in June 2007. Two bodyguards, a publicist, and an assistant hovered at a nearby table. Later that afternoon, Chris begged management to leave so he could roll around like a regular guy. He was going to play basketball, plotting to pick up girls. Phone calls were made to his mother, Joyce Hawkins, and to his manager, Tina Davis, who insisted that the chaperones stay. Chris had turned 18 the month before, and he was excited that Michael Jackson had just called personally to wish him Happy Birthday and to tell him what a rare blessing it was to be able to sing and dance the way Brown does.

Brown was now famous in a mainstream-pop way that recalled a select few superstars. But despite his soaring fame, he resisted the urge to see what the world was saying about him. “I don’t really look at [gossip blogs],” he said. “I go straight to the source. If I hear something, I like to hear it from the horse’s mouth.”

Back in 2007, Brown spoke presciently about a culture that was about to engulf him. Since the revelation in 2008 of his relationship with Rihanna, Brown has become a tabloid obsession. And now, in the wake of an alleged violent episode in the early morning hours of February 8, the press has gone into overdrive. The morning of the Grammy Awards, Chris Brown allegedly punched, bit, and choked Rihanna. She was left battered and bruised, her photo flashing across computer screens two short weeks later when a police shot was leaked by the gossip powerhouse TMZ.com. But how did the clean-cut Virginia-bred singer get labeled a new-school Ike Turner? “Much of what has been speculated or reported on blogs and/or reported in the media is wrong,” said Brown in a statement released February 15.

Other than that brief statement, Brown has declined to speak publicly about the incident with Rihanna as he prepares to defend himself against two felony charges in Los Angeles Superior Court. But the words from this 2007 interview now read like warning signs in the couple’s turbulent story.

“Being young,” Brown said, that day at Maze, “you always have to have a wholesome image. But I’m not perfect, nobody’s perfect. I’m just a regular guy. I don’t try to try to pretend like, Oh, I’m so nice, I’m such a God.”

He was showing off a new tattoo he’d gotten on his right hand the day after his 18th birthday: a skull with a halo over it. Davis (who would soon become a controversial figure in the singer’s life) was mad the tatt was so visible, and said it would cost sales. “And then this one, these is ninjas, darkness to light,” he said, pointing to a tattoo on his arm. “It’s about my life, me being a kid, being bad, doing the wrong things, but following my own path; darkness to light, doing my own thing. This is the demons I used to fight when I was younger— this is the angel, they just battled.”

VIBE: What are your demons?

CB: My mom had a boyfriend that was abusive domestically so watching that as a kid, it used to haunt me. Not haunt—but eat at me. I used to want to really hurt the dude.

Why do you think she stayed with him?

Probably ’cause she loved him. I hated him. That was my demons I was fighting. That’s why in relationships I vow not to be that person because seeing that as a kid, you inherit what you see, so I promised myself, I’m not gonna be that dude. I’m never gonna be that person that takes the argument that far. I wouldn’t wanna put a female or child in that position, being that terrified.

Do people think you’re dating Rihanna?

Yeah, they think we dating. I don’t know why. Rihanna’s real cool, Rihanna’s a good girl, like, friend. Not a girlfriend.

How do you know her?

Both of us came out at the same time. We were on the same radio shows, so I’d see her all the time. I’m cool with her friends, she’s cool with all my dancers. Like, we just hang out. We all chill. She’s a good person, a sweet person, but me and her are just cool.

You don’t think she’s fly?

She’s fine! If I was going to date, I’d date somebody in the industry. They understand the time and effort it takes to focus on oneself, so we could understand each other and where we’re coming from. But where I’m at with my career right now, I’m just trying to be focused on that.

But you could have a girlfriend on the low, right?

That’s hard to maintain. Like, if I’mma do it, I’d rather do it all out or not at all.

Rihanna in Vibe March 2009 Issue

Miss Shia — Sat, 31 Jan 2009 14:52:05 +0000

Keyshia Cole will appear on the cover of the March 2009 issue of Vibe, the magazine’s first-ever style issue. The issue hits stores Feb. 17th, and will also feature articles on Rihanna, Ne-Yo and Cassie, among others.

Rihanna on Cover of GQ Mexico Feb 09

Miss Shia — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 19:53:53 +0000

Rihanna is featured on the cover of GQ Mexico Feb 2009 issue. They used some old pictures from her Blender photoshoot (seen here). You can also check out the scans of the GQ Mexico Feb 2009 issue here!

17 Magazine Style Stars

rihannafan — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 17:07:28 +0000

E! News Live video clip/screen caps: Seventeen Magazine style stars:

Rihanna tops Ocean Style Magazine’s 51 Most Beautiful List

Fai — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 13:22:54 +0000

THE Premiere glossy fashion and lifestyle magazine in the Caribbean, Ocean Style Magazine, has released its ‘The 51 Most Beautiful People List’ and Barbados’ singing star Rihanna is number one.

The list reflects a wide range of talented individuals who are mega stars and may be a surprise to many, as most of them are from the Caribbean.

The magazine’s criteria for the list is said to be a combination of physical attractiveness and beauty, personal character and substantive achievement along with reflecting the individual’s ethnic diversity, culture, values and ambition.

Rihanna heads the list that features other singers including Lenny Kravitz (7), Leona Lewis (11), Shaggy (18), Wyclef Jean (22), Mel B from the Spice Girls (26), Damian ‘Jr. Gong’ Marley (30), Sean Paul (34), Machel Montano (40), Faye-Ann Lyons (46) and Tami Chin (51).

The list also includes some of the top individuals of the fashion industry with Caribbean roots including Naomi Campbell (3), Tyson Beckford (4), former Miss Universe Wendy Fitzwilliam of Trinidad and Tobago (12), Grace Jones (27), Jaunel McKenzie (32), Trinidad’s powerhouse designer Meiling (43) and Jamaica’s supermodel Carla Campbell (44).

The list further includes Nia Long (8), Leona Lewis (11) and cricketer Brian Lara (31).
Past issues have seen a string of international female celebrities to have graced the cover including Halle Berry, Mya, Rihanna and Jamaica’s own supermodel, Nadine Willis.

The magazine is also described as the ‘Vogue of the Caribbean’ with its avant-garde approach to high end fashion coupled with the very best in the Caribbean luxury lifestyle.

It blends the finest in fashion, beauty, food, luxury travel and entertainment with engaging features and interviews and profiles of celebrities and personalities. It is printed six times a year and is distributed throughout the Caribbean, New York, Atlanta, Miami and Washington DC.
Source: SKNYVibes