Rihanna Had This To Say About Fulfillment & Realistic Dating Expectations
This September, slay is an understatement for the melanated magicians that graced various media publications with their Black girl magic. Tracee Ellis Ross snatched all edges in her cover issue of ELLE Canada, Beyonce hired the first black photographer to shoot her cover for Vogue, and Tiffany Haddish walked in her truth in this month's issue of Glamour. But there's one star who shook up the game in a major way by becoming the first black woman to appear on British Vogue's September Issue in the magazine's 102-year history.
The same woman who brought inclusivity to the mainstream makeup world and created a new genre in the music industry is now breaking down barriers in the fashion world, and you better have her money. Rihanna has been in the entertainment industry for more than 15 years, and this British Vogue issue has us hoping that she gives us 15 more. Snippets of the interview reveal she was asked why she thinks she's so popular among her audience, to which she replied:
"You're asking the wrong person… I don't know, maybe it's because I'm 'thicc' now."
"I'm about to get back into the gym and stuff, and I hope I don't lose my butt or my hips or all of my thighs. I'll lose some but not all. And I think of my boobs, like, 'Imma lose everything, everything goes!'"
"[Having a butt] comes with a price. You want to have a butt, then you have a gut."
Rihanna has been transparent about her fluctuating body type, stretch marks, and all of the other things that hide under a woman's bed at night. Yet and still, her beauty and down-to-earth demeanor make her one of the fiercest celebrities the industry has ever seen, as well as one of the most eccentric. The singer told her interviewer:
Bertrand Rindoff Petroff/Getty Images
"It's just my mood. I get bored and I feel like, why not try something else? As an artist in this day and age, everything is driven by some kind of visual aspect. You want to push it and not have it be predictable. The only thing I can stick to is probably a pair of jeans."
Rih wears her natural confidence and IDGAF demeanor in her latest collaboration. The current Editor-In-Chief at British Vogue said that with September being the magazine's biggest issue, and Rihanna being one of the world's biggest stars, this collaboration was only logical.
During the interview, they discuss finding balance, the future of Fenty, and the highest points in their careers. For Rihanna, success at one point meant her first Grammy, but as she grew older, her perception changed.
"The awards become less and less significant as you really start to understand the industry. The people who care are your fans. As long you're happy, they're happy. That should really be it."
"Finding a balance becomes a priority, even if you don't get it down, that's always the goal, you know. Not necessarily to neglect work, it will never be that, but to find a way you feel fulfilled."
Like many of us, Rihanna admitted to suffering from a fear of failure. Rih continued:
"But I get so afraid of disappointment. I don't like that feeling. I never want to get too excited about something or even relish a moment because I don't know what's going to happen."
Despite her fear, she persisted and it paid off in a major way.
Chesnot/WireImage
Although Rih maintains that she doesn't have all the answers, she does have her share of experience with giving advice. She's been known to help her fans out from time-to-time via DM with tweet-worthy wisdom, especially when it comes to romance. She told Edward:
"I get a lot of boy-advice questions. I think a lot of people meet people and then they're dating the idea of what the person can become, and that person never shows up and they're just mad disappointed. A person can always get better they can always get worse but you've got to be fine with what you met them as."
Rihanna is the friend in all of our minds who gives dope advice and doesn't care what you think about her eyebrows, and that's what makes her one of the biggest icons of our generation. We can all learn a thing or two from Rih about the power of persistence and staying true to yourself. It might just earn you a Vogue cover.
Check out more information about her Vogue cover here.
Featured image by Chesnot/WireImage
Taylor "Pretty" Honore is a spiritually centered and equally provocative rapper from Baton Rouge, Louisiana with a love for people and storytelling. You can probably find me planting herbs in your local community garden, blasting "Back That Thang Up" from my mini speaker. Let's get to know each other: @prettyhonore.
ItGirl 100 Honors Black Women Who Create Culture & Put On For Their Cities
As they say, create the change you want to see in this world, besties. That’s why xoNecole linked up with Hyundai for the inaugural ItGirl 100 List, a celebration of 100 Genzennial women who aren’t afraid to pull up their own seats to the table. Across regions and industries, these women embody the essence of discovering self-value through purpose, honey! They're fierce, they’re ultra-creative, and we know they make their cities proud.
VIEW THE FULL ITGIRL 100 LIST HERE.
Don’t forget to also check out the ItGirl Directory, featuring 50 Black-woman-owned marketing and branding agencies, photographers and videographers, publicists, and more.
THE ITGIRL MEMO
I. An ItGirl puts on for her city and masters her self-worth through purpose.
II. An ItGirl celebrates all the things that make her unique.
III. An ItGirl empowers others to become the best versions of themselves.
IV. An ItGirl leads by example, inspiring others through her actions and integrity.
V. An ItGirl paves the way for authenticity and diversity in all aspects of life.
VI. An ItGirl uses the power of her voice to advocate for positive change in the world.
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Rihanna Talks Shedding Expectations And Finding Balance As A Mother
Since becoming a mother in 2022, Rihanna has defined parenthood by her terms and hopes to pass that sense of autonomy on to her children.
For Vogue China’s April cover story, Rihanna shared her perspective on raising her two sons with A$AP Rocky, and how she hopes to preserve her children’s uniqueness, devoid of societal expectations.
"The most beautiful thing...is that [children] come into the world with their own individuality and sincerity, without any logic or conformity,” she told the publication. “Which usually makes you feel that you must fit into a certain group."
The “Work” artist, known for her trendsetting style and captivating persona, expressed her desire to support children in fully embracing their individuality and encouraging them to be whoever they want to be. "It's really beautiful to see and I want to continue to help them navigate that and make sure that they know they can be whoever they want to be,” she says.
She continues, “They should embrace it completely, because it's beautiful, and it's unique. I love them just that way."
From shattering music charts to shaking up the beauty industry, Rihanna has forged a path that has since created the “dream” life we see today. One that she says has made her parents proud of.
“I’m living my dream,” she continued. “My parents were very proud of that because they just wanted me to be happy and successful. So, I think the key thing is to find some kind of balance. Yes, balance is important. Do this and you get the best of both worlds. You can write your own life the way you want, and it will be beautiful. Sometimes, you just need to let go of everyone’s expectations and start living your own story.”
Rihanna, who shares sons, RZA, 23 months, and Riot, 8 months, with rapper A$AP Rocky, recently shared her vision for expanding her family in the future in Interview Magazine.
When stylist Mel Ottenberg asked about the number of additional children she hoped to have, Rihanna replied, "As many as God wants me to have.”
"I don't know what God wants, but I would go for more than two. I would try for my girl,” she adds. “But of course, if it's another boy, it's another boy."
Featured image by Neil MockfordWireImage