RIHANNA LOUD AS EVER – By James Logan, edited by Reena Combo
This is probably Rihanna’s most open interview ever. The singing sensation talks openly to Ikonz World about growing up with her cocaine addicted father, the love for her mother, her new red locks, the release of Loud and much more.
How did having a father, who was addicted to crack cocaine and who beat your mother, affect you, growing up, and shaped you as a person?
In life, every negative thing or horrible thing that has happened, or is happening, like that always [leads to] something great coming out of it. You can’t see that at the time but now, when I look back at my childhood, I would never have been the person I am now; I wouldn’t be the woman I am now and my skin wouldn’t be this thick – and these are the things I need in an industry, like this, that I work in – so my childhood definitely helped me to survive with this industry.
How important has your mother been in your life?
Definitely important. She’s definitely had the most influence on me, throughout my life and even now I see a lot of her coming out – even in my facial expressions. I mean, when I was younger, a lot of people said ‘oh, you look like your mum’ and I’m like ‘oh, gross’ I never, never saw it. but now when I’m looking in the mirror, or every time I see a video of mine I’m like ‘wow, I’m Monica Fenty, right there…’ it’s kind of weird, but. So, she’s definitely had a huge influence on me, as a woman.
In what way?
Not only the things she’s taught me – the basics in life; how to cook, how to clean but just the responsibility of life – that life comes with. She’s also taught me that life comes with consequences: you get what you put in and that has stuck with me. Karma is a big, big thing for me, even now and I always think about that.
With your good friend Katy Perry getting married has it made you think about marriage?
No, no plans; I’m just 22! I’ve heard the word ‘marriage’ 400 times in the last few days but no, I’m not ready for that.
Who’s your fashion icon?
I don’t really have a fashion icon. I mean, what is a fashion icon? I don’t have someone’s style I emulate but I’m inspired by a lot of different things with fashion. You can be inspired by the simplest thing, like stars or a flower and I’m into that now, like I’m into a lot of stuff that has to do with nature and colours – things that a re really expressive. Grace Jones is definitely, hands-down, one of the most iconic women in fashion and she will always be forever because when she made her stamp [mark] she made quite a great impression, so her name will be a legacy forever. People will always know Grace Jones for years to come.
Normally when a woman changes her hairstyle or hair colour usually something’s changed in her life. Is that true with you, now you’ve changed it to a vivid red?
Well, I guess my mood did change and I was ready for something new, something loud and something expressive. And also something that was fun. I really wanted something that as fun; I didn’t want a typical, normal colour. Like, I had blonde and it was so boring for me. maybe it’s my skin colour with the colour blonde but after a while I was like; ‘ok, it’s blonde…’ and before that it was black. Black is still my favourite colour but I wanted something edgy because I didn’t like the edgy clothes anymore, so I guess I had to take the edge to somewhere else.
How important is your image and controlling your image?
I think my image plays a very big part of my brand and also the thing that people know me for, a lot of it is the way I dress, my music and my hair. But for me, it’s just something that I do for fun and that’s how people started becoming fond of it because I always changed my hair and I did something else. I’ve never done anything for shock value, or to see what people say, or hope they like it or see if they like it. I just wear my hair however I feel like wearing it and I get bored really quickly.
Has it been difficult being a role model for young girls?
I think the role model thing is something that was definitely a lot more focused on – and there was all the pressure on it – in the first two years of my career but I think my fans – what they enjoy about me – are my flaws and my imperfections and the fact that I am rebellious and do things my way. I think it motivates them to be individuals, so that’s all I care about – people being themselves and living that to the fullest.
Do you have a role model in life? Someone you admire?
Actually yes, a girl who I worked really closely with: she’s young and she’s beautiful and she has like a West Indian/ Latino background also but it’s just her work ethic and he proactiveness is really inspiring to me, as a woman. I really look up to her and she just has all her cards in line – she’s very organised – so those are things I admire. And then she’s there, at work, in stilettos! So I really admire her. What’s her name? Oh, it’s Sierra?
Is it still important to you that your fans can relate to you and see you as real?
Definitely, absolutely. I definitely think it’s not only important for fans, because they get to know the person whose album they’re buying, it’s more for me too. I like being able to be comfortable with what I’m thinking and saying that – just speaking my mind. It just makes you feel true as an artist and true to your music, so when you get to reflect those things through music – through your lyrics – that makes it even more special…
Do you worry about competing with people like Lady Gaga, Beyonce or Katy Perry?
I never focus on who is at the top, or what is at the top because you never know what or who will be there. You know, when people become better at what they do individually it gets noticed. That’s what’s important and I want to be an artist that is known for growing constantly, becoming bigger and better. It’s not about who’s better between Rihanna, Katy Perry and Lady Gaga because all three of us can’t be number one but we can be number one at what we do.
Is your new album, Loud, a new start for you after the ‘darkness’ of your last album?
It’s just a new sound, it’s a different sound for me. Every time we try to do something different but something that’s true to me, at the time, and Loud is a very expressive album and you get a gist of all those elements.
You’re just 22 but you’ve released five albums. Do you sometimes think that you missed out on teenage life and matured too quickly?
Not at all, because I was always more mature than my age and I think I enjoy that, like I enjoy knowledge so I do hang out with a lot of older people now and I’ve always been doing that, ever since I was a little girl; all my friends were older than I am. I think I enjoy having a ‘heads-up’ on life and learning things about life from them.
Is there a theme to the album?
Actually the whole theme behind the album is a very liberating, fearless, fun, sassy, flirty- it just feels really good – and overall it’s just an album that was very tailored to me and that’s what I enjoy the most about listening to it.
Are you completely happy with this album?
Absolutely. I feel like this is the most complete album; it’s very well-rounded, there are up-tempos, mid-tempos, just enough ballads, which happen to be two, and we just wanted to keep it free. We just wanted it to make people feel good when they heard it and it takes you on a journey. There are so many different sounds on it, that it’s really, really enjoyable and I love listening to it. I listen to it a lot. Then sometimes I just have to not listen to it for three days so I don’t get tired of it!
What was it like collaborating with Eminem on ‘Love the Way You Lie’?
I think Eminem is a genius-like. I love his lyrics: he’s one of the cleverest poets right now and I enjoy listening to that. I enjoy listening to a line where there was extreme thought put into it or it’s articulated really, really cleverly. And Eminem’s lines are like that; they are so not generic. They’re just very unique and very, very interesting to listen to. He tells a story but in a very interesting way. I’d love to collaborate with him again. We’ve already been talking about it.
Can you tell us a little about the movie, Battleship, that you’re appearing in?
I’m playing Weapon’s Officer Raikes and she’s all tarted up. It’s a very badass part, very far from my realistic life so it’s fun to get to play that part and be that person for a few weeks at a time. right now we break off the film to focus on the music but we go back in November, after the album comes out, to wrap that up. It’s been a really wonderful experience and I’m surrounded by a really great cast, which makes it enjoyable. But then the director is also amazing. peter Berg has been tremendous to work with, like I couldn’t have custom-made a better director for my first film.
Can you tell us about your book? Is it an autobiography?
No, it’s not an autobiography because that’s boring. It’s just a lot of pictures that were shot by Simon Henwood; a behind-the-scenes coffee table book because I really enjoy coffee table books – that’s my favourite thing to collect, I like to put them on my coffee table. I love black and white images – old images – by all these great photographers and I thought; ‘why not start putting images of my life’ – I have such an eventful life – so why not start putting a collection of those together, like things that people don’t [usually] get to see, like my fittings and behind the scenes, shooting a video or fashion week in Paris? So that’s what we did and it’s a really interesting book, I think.
You’ve described yourself as a kid as a barefooted tomboy; how about today?
I’m a rebel – a rebel flower. [laughs] it’s the yin and yang. It’s the symbolism of the yin and yang that makes me up, and that’s girly but tough, so there’s always that strength and vulnerability. There’s always something beautiful, but there’s still an edge.
