It’s a new era for NME as the weekly music mag releases its first free issue today, with a world exclusive interview and cover star in the one and only Rihanna. Interviewed by Popjustice‘s Peter Robinson in LA, RiRi revealed that the difference between herself and Taylor Swift is that TayTay’s a role model, whereas she is not; her video for BBHMM wasn’t about female empowerment, it was a work of art; and that we’re gonna have to wait a little longer for the album that we’ve already been waiting two years for. We’ve picked out the 10 juiciest bits from NME’s interview with “pop’s biggest rebel”…
1. On her long-awaited eighth album, tentatively titled R8 by her fans…
“It’s not done! To me it’s not done until it’s done. Until the final moment… I have so many songs I love – and they’re so different – that’s it’s hard to actually put them all on the same album.”
2. On the anti-feminist remarks about her video for BBHMM…
“Well I mean now we’re reaching. I didn’t think about anything that had to do with that. Wow. The bitch was the man. So I’m confused. Those are the people that didn’t get it. I’m not worried about those people. This was not a woman empowerment video. I was making a piece of art.”
3. On being in T Swizzle’s squad…
“I don’t think I would. I just don’t think it makes sense. I don’t think our brands are the same: I don’t think they match, I don’t think our audiences are the same. In my mind she’s a role model, I’m not.”
4. On cutting her hair the night before the cover shoot for Good Girl Gone Bad…
“We sent [the label] the images. Their reaction was, ‘These are way too edgy. What are we going to do with these? We can’t use these.’ But the photoshoot was done. And we weren’t going to do it again. I had to rebel and do it my way. And I had to jump ship in order to achieve that. Without permission.”
5. On being herself…
“I just have a way of breaking the rules even when I don’t intend to. You have to let people be who they are – you have to believe that that’s going to be the best version of them.”
6. On her fourth studio album, Rated R, the downbeat follow up to her previous hit album…
“It was a time in my life where I felt vulnerable and naked. I felt like the world was watching and that there was a spotlight on me. I felt confused. I knew I couldn’t make a happy album. It was like: it’s the truth. It’s not real. I know I won’t feel like this forever, but this is how I feel right now.”
7. On the paparazzi…
“It’s annoying, but what’s the worse that could happen? They’re just taking pictures. A picture of every move. Every good move, every bad move, every wrong move, it’s all there. There’s no getting away from that now unless I start to completely suck at my job. Unless I completely fall off. So I guess there’s a silver lining to all this.”
8. On being alone…
“My thoughts never bore me. I like to spend my time alone wisely. A moment of quiet. A moment of silence. A moment of just organizing my thoughts. I just enjoy being alone. Maybe a little too much…”
9. On growing old…
“When I see myself as an old woman, I just think about being happy. And hopefully I’ll still be fly.”
10. On moving from LA to London…
“I’d like to live in London next year, you know. I want to try it. While I’m childless, and I can run around. I wanna do it.”
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Credits
Photography Paolo Roversi
Fashion Director Alastair McKimm