Rihanna (aka the best-dressed star on the planet) rarely gives full interviews, leaving magazines to do what’s called a ‘write around,’ but lucky for Miranda July at The New York Times‘ T Magazine, Rihanna agreed to sit down over a glass of wine to discuss all things Fenty, and ended up talking about taking nude pictures for Instagram, Googling vaginas, her experience with the racial divide and coming to West Africa.
The mega bae, who was recently revealed as Vanity Fair‘s November’15 coverstar (see it here), admitted that somehow within her busy schedule, she finds herself searching the web, to looking up;
‘‘Oh, random things. Like I will be sitting around Googling childbirth.
…Childbirth is putting it the not-gross way. I was searching the size of certain things, and how much they expand, and then what happens after.’’
To her fans and followers this may not come as a surprise, seeing as Rih has before admitted that childbirth is her greatest fear; the only thing that wavers a woman with the balls to be pictured smoking weed and sharing bikini-selfies over Instagram. But on her body and its familiarity with her social media platforms, Rih says;
“There’s no rule about whether you have to be clothed or not. I want to see a naked woman who isn’t even aware of her nakedness. And men are gonna do what they do – and I am gonna do what I do.’’
Having recently discussed dating with ??, Rihanna talks men again with T Mag, saying she is not in the right space to see any right now because;
‘‘…Guys need attention. They need that nourishment, that little stroke of the ego that gets them by every now and then. I’ll give it to my family, I’ll give it to my work – but I will not give it to a man right now.’’
On attention, Rihanna also talks the first time she had experience being treated differently because of the colour of her skin, stating;
“You know, when I started to experience the difference – or even have my race be highlighted – it was mostly when I would do business deals. And, you know, that never ends, by the way. It’s still a thing. And it’s the thing that makes me want to prove people wrong.
It almost excites me; I know what they’re expecting and I can’t wait to show them that I’m here to exceed those expectations. But I have to bear in mind that those people are judging you because you’re packaged a certain way – they’ve been programmed to think a black man in a hoodie means grab your purse a little tighter.
For me, it comes down to smaller issues, scenarios in which people can assume something of me without knowing me, just by my packaging.’’
Rihanna was also asked if she’d ever visit West Africa (a question the interviewer gave on behalf of her Uber driver, who originally comes from Niger), and her answer was great news;
“You know what? If I ever go to West Africa, it would probably be for a free concert. I would want to do something for the people there.
Maybe we can make a whole event, the way Bob Marley would have done it. Just for the people. And if they climb over the gate, let them climb over the gate.’’
Hoping to catch that concert? Team SPICE are too, but first, read Rihanna’s full interview with The New York Times’ T Magazine here and see below an accompanying short style video with Rih, which was shot by Craig McDean.
Video & image source: Nytimes.com
