Category Archives: Interviews

Rihanna was at the MTV Studios yesterday in NYC to tape an interview for MTV News — which should be online this weekend. According to MTVJ:

• Rihanna said she’s working on new music with Katy Perry.
• “You can’t get Chinese food any better than the $4 Chinese food in Brooklyn!” -Rihanna (she’s super passionate about this, lol)
• Rihanna will be in another digital short for SNL this wkend (on top of performing).
• Rihanna says the video for S&M has lots of colors, but that’s all she’ll tell us.
• Rihanna said she’s completely obsessed with True Blood.

MTV News – October 28, 2010

Leaving the MTV Studios in NYC – October 28, 2010

We have also updated our gallery with a picture of Rihanna rehearsing for Saturday Night Live and more pictures from the Marie Claire photoshoot in high and medium quality:

Fans get to see ‘all the things that they hadn’t seen that were going on behind the scenes,’ she tells MTV News of self-titled tome.

NEW YORK — Her fervently tracked fifth album, Loud, is just weeks from its November 16 due date, but on Wednesday (October 27), Rihanna was reflecting on her last LP, the moody Rated R.

The Bajan singer turned up at a Fifth Avenue Barnes & Noble bookstore to sign copies of her new book.

Her self-titled tome is a photographic document of the year that followed the release of that dark disc and her triumphant Last Girl on Earth Tour. The widely photographed star told MTV News that her Rihanna Navy will get an intimate peek — unlike the relentless paparazzi pics that paper the blogs — at her life with this book, shot by creative director Simon Henwood.

“I think it was really special to have behind-the-scenes photos, you know, pictures that the fans haven’t seen before, all together of a very specific moment of my life, an album of my life,” Rihanna told MTV.

From stage lights to street lights, the 22-year-old stunner shines in front of the camera and perhaps never more so than in the images that capture Rihanna in the moments between show times: Admirers will swoon over a picture of the singer clutching her hoodie on a Paris rooftop with the Eiffel Tower visible in the distance or another rather decadent snap that shows her feasting on room service with just a table napkin and black suspenders doubling as a shirt.

“They just get to see all the things that they hadn’t seen that were going on behind the scenes; really cool stuff, not typical,” Rihanna, draped in a calf-length floral frock, explained. “They’re really fun photos. And even for me, when I look at them, they say so much. Photos really tell a thousand words.“

The “Only Girl (In the World)” singer had her own favorite, though, and she thumbed through the oversize collection to show us a green-tinged photo of her onstage in an elaborate headdress that calls to mind Venetian blinds. “I call it the ‘Disturbia’ one … I love that one”.

So what essential items does a globe-trotting songstress making her debut headlining tour pack when your concert schedule takes you as far as the Belgian city of Antwerp?

“Essential?” she thought for a moment. “Comfortable, warm clothes for the bus — the bus is always freezing! And you always want to be comfortable on the bus. Not much heels. You’re pretty much going from the bus to the stage, back to the studio … back to the stage. So it’s not a lot of clothes to pack: sneakers, sweats, pajamas, stuff like that,” she smiled.

UPDATE: We’ve uploaded more pictures of Rihanna signing copies of her book at Barnes & Noble earlier today (October 27). Click the thumbs to view them.

Rihanna will be on Saturday Night Live this weekend (October 30) and will perform “Only Girl (In The World)” and “What’s My Name?”, she told Extra. She also talked about Katy Perry, her new album and her book — watch the interview below:

Rihanna stepped out in New York City on Wednesday to sign copies of her new photography book, Rihanna, and she dished on her pal Katy Perry‘s wedding.

Rihanna wasn’t able to make it to Katy and Russell Brand’s wedding, which was held last weekend in India, but she tells ET, “We’ve been texting each other.” She pointed out, however, “Ever since she’s been there it’s been no text messages because there’s no service out there.”

Rihanna may not have been able to travel to the other side of the world to cheer her friend on, but she did make time to buy a gift. “I got her a really, really cool gift, but I’ll let her tell you about that,” Rihanna dished, keeping the fabulous present to herself.

The pop star says that fans can look forward to seeing fabulous behind-the-scenes photos in her new photography tome, and she tells ET that seeing the photos reminded her of memories she had forgotten!

And when it comes to her upcoming album, Loud, she enthused.

“It’s really incredible, I love it and I think this is my favorite album of all.”

“The thing I can appreciate the most, is the colors, you know, it’s not one sound, it’s not all uptempo, and it’s not all ballads, you know it’s a really really great mixture of midtempo [songs and] uptempo [songs], but every song has its own topic and sound to it,” she explained.

Rihanna, photographed and conceptualized by Simon Henwood with a foreword by Alexandre Vauthier, is available in bookstores now, while Loud will be released on November 16.

We’ve uploaded Marie Claire Magazine scans and the first photoshoot pictures to our gallery, click the thumbs below to view them:

Scans:

Photoshoot:

Be sure to view the scans to read the interview.

RihannaDaily.com had the pleasure to ask Karin Darnell, one of Rihanna’s make up artists, 10 questions. Check them out:

RihannaDaily: How did you start working with Rihanna?
Karin Darnell: I started working with Rihanna about 4 years ago! I was her make up artist in the UK and Europe. This progressed to USA and rest of the world just over a year ago. From the ‘Hard’ video onwards.

RihannaDaily: Are you a fan of her/were you a fan before you’ve started working together?
Karin Darnell: When I started working with Rihanna, only ‘Pon the Replay’ had been released, I loved the song and after I met her, I loved working with her too!
I work with many major artists and you never know where things may lead and how an artists career will go! I was certain Rihanna would turn out to be a major artist, but as an English make up artist, based in London, I could never have anticipated my future role in her image! And I feel truly blessed and genuinely enjoy the creative process working along side Ursula (hair) and Mariel and Rob (stylists) and or course with Rihanna herself!

RihannaDaily: Is Rihanna allowing you to put any kind of make-up you suggest or does she participate in the process of creation of her look?
Karin Darnell: Whenever I answer questions about the make up looks on Rihanna, I always acknowledge it as a collaboration between Rihanna and myself! Everything is a work in progress! We both love fashion, and trends! Rihanna ‘gets it!’ I like to move forward all the time. Make up is there… to experiment with and to celebrate. Sometimes extreme but always an expression of the moment! Rihanna is the perfect artist, she is most importantly, open minded and unafraid! This is rare! Very rare! I have been in the business for over 20 years, and I appreciate how special it is!

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Next month Rihanna will release one of the year’s most anticipated albums, Loud, and the singer has a lot of ambitions for it. “It’s really expressive and sassy and flirty,” she tells SPIN. “It’s also blissful and really feminine.”

There’s a lot on the line with this record. Rihanna’s been riding high on the pop charts with her Eminem collaboration “Love the Way You Lie,” while her last album, the platinum-selling Rated R, spawned the massive singles “Rude Boy” and “Hard.”

The singer took a break from finishing the album to give us a sneak peek of four of the edgier songs, including the Avril Lavigne-sampling “Cheers” and the sexually charged “S&M”:

“S&M”:
Rihanna delivers some of her most provocative lyrics on this track, including lines like “Sticks and stones may break my bones but chains and whips excite me.” But she says people shouldn’t take the sexually charged lyrics too literally. “I don’t think of it in a sexual way, I’m thinking metaphorically,” she says. “It’s more of a thing to say that people can talk….people are going to talk about you, you can’t stop that. You just have to be that strong person and know who you are so that stuff just bounces off. And I thought it was super bad ass.”

“Man Down”:
On this reggae-tinged track, Rihanna delivers graphic lyrics about shooting a man, but it’s not like she’s armed with a glock and gunning down dudes on the street. “The song is about breaking a man’s heart,” Rihanna explains. “It’s a very cleverly written song and what I love about it is that it’s not a lyric you’d normally hear a female singing.” As for the reggae vibe of the record, Rihanna says the music is an echo of her roots. “The vibe is Jamaican and West Indian,” she says. “That’s something that’s close to me.”

“Cheers”:
Rihanna experiments with grungier sounds (heavy guitars, rock beats) on this pub-appropriate anthem, which samples Avril Lavigne’s ballad “I’m With You.” “It’s one of my favorites on the album,” Rihanna says. “It’s a song you would hear in a bar but I think you could also hear it all over pop radio. It’s really grungy and melodic and catchy. And the way the producers sampled Avril — it’s like she’s an instrument. It’s really cool how they combined [the song] with her vocals.”

“What’s My Name”:
Stargate and Ester Dean penned this track, which features guest vocals from Drake. “It’s a really fun flirtatious song,” she says. “It has a youthful energy. And it’s so catchy, like, you can’t get it out of your head.”

On the video front, Rihanna just dropped her latest, “Who’s That Chick,” and the production may be her most over-the-top yet. She teamed up with chip-maker Doritos to produce a “day” and “night” version of the video, which allows the user to toggle back and forth between both versions while the video streams. “It was strange because we had to shoot the exact video twice, the exact same way with the exact same staging and the same choreography,” Rihanna says. “But it was cool to see the dynamics of the set, just to see how much it was contrast. I think it’s very cool.”

Source: SPIN.com

ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: I’ve read through the Doritos Late Night info several times and I still don’t think I fully understand it. So what’s the deal?
RIHANNA: This is the first time my fans will be able to interact with me in one of my videos. We shot the video for “Who’s That Chick”  in two versions: day and night. With the Doritos bag you’ll be able to change back and forth between the two videos and it will be different every time.

The description of the project says that the experience “showcases the multiple facets of Rihanna’s personality and style.” So how would you describe those facets?
Hmmm. I would say fun, fearless, and hard.

The track is a lot of fun. But it does seem like there are a lot of songs out these days that are just about being in a club. Were you hesitant to do one now?
Yeah, I know. And that’s why it’s a bonus track and not on Loud. It’s a great song but it’s safe. It’s like a lot of other songs out there.

My favorite moment is when you say “Urrbody” instead of “Everybody.”
You’re funny. I think it was J-Kwon who came up with that first.

There’s a track with Nicki Minaj on Loud, right?
It’s called “Raining Men.” It’s about how if things don’t work out with one guy, there are always many more other guys out there.

What would you say is the most personal song on the record?
“Fading.” It’s about the end of a relationship and how you deal with it and move on.

Since it’s coming out next month, there’s no way you have the time to fit a duet with Katy Perry on there, right?
We’re actually in the studio talking about that right now. So you never know!

You’re in the middle of filming Battleship now too. So who’s the most bad-ass: you, Alexander Skarsgard, or Liam Neeson?
Me. Well, the most bad-ass in the whole movie is Taylor Kitsch. But I get to kick some ass too.

Source

Via MuuMuse.com: From the jagged, metallic logo to the last seconds of the Last Girl on Earth Tour, Simon Henwood has been the crucial creative force behind one of the most dramatic artistic reinventions in recent pop history: Rihanna’s Rated R campaign.

Back in the fall of 2009, a gritty, static viral video for “Wait Your Turn” teased its way onto the singer’s official website. The clip showcased the formerly sunny Barbadian pop princess now looking murderously serious in all black; her long hair slicked back beneath a hood and over-sized sunglasses.

With the release of the devastating lead ballad “Russian Roulette” days later, it became clear: Gone was the sun soaked, island-infused energy of Music Of The Sun and A Girl Like Me. Instead, Rated R ushered in a chilly new era of sound, colored (or rather, darkened) by the ominous imagery of sharp metal, broken glass, dismembered mannequins and guns.

To execute this new image, Rihanna worked with Simon Henwood, the creative director responsible for such productions as Kanye West‘s Glow In The Dark Tour and the gorgeous video for the rapper’s “Love Lockdown,” Imogen Heap‘s video for “Headlock,” and the bulk of Róisín Murphy‘s visual output over the past decade. (Fitting, especially given that the two recently welcomed a child together.)

Henwood and Rihanna worked together closely throughout the entire Rated R era, evolving and finessing the entertainer’s dramatic change of style into a sophisticated neo-rock ‘n’ roll noir.

Now, that transformation is about to be put on public display with the release of The Last Girl On Earth, the long delayed photo-book that promises to guide fans through the entire Rated R creative journey from start to finish.

A few days ago, Henwood was kind enough to answer a few lingering questions that remained from Rihanna’s last campaign. The creative director provided a few small glimpses into the process throughout, as well as a better idea of his vision as an artist (plus a brilliantly subtle swipe at Madame Gaga).

For skeptics, casual fans and fellow Rihanna Navy members alike, this one’s a must read.

Be sure to click “Read More” and see the interview!

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Rihanna was recently interviewed by german Bravo magazine during her promo visit in London. She gave her six secrets how to be successful, talked about the rumour of her dissing her pal Katy, about her new movie “Battleship” and what keeps her stronger.

Check the gallery for scans and read the interview below. Many thanks to Jasmin who scanned it and translated it for RD visitors!

Rihanna’s Revenge
She is THE Superstar right now! This girl with fire red hair and colourful style is everywhere and noone can pass her.  Since her worldwide hit “Love The Way You Lie” with Eminem (37) Rihanna (22) is the #1 girl on top! What happened with Chris Brown last year seems to be forgotten. Rihanna is all-smiles! Her success brings haters of course. Current example: There are rumours that RiRi dissed her best friend Katy Perry (24) in a radio interview. They claimed she ment that her music is boring. Some fans attacked Rihanna after that…”How can she say something about her best friend?” or “mean” were the comments.  Really hurtful things. But it’s Rihanna and Rihanna fights back! We’ve met her in the “Royal Garden” Hotel  in London last week for an interview and she told us how she’s gonna fight back.

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Rihanna has talked about her hair, “Love The Way You Lie”, Madonna, her new album, “Battleship” and more while she was in London recently. Watch this new interview below:

Thanks, Lu!

JJ: Battleship is your first feature film. What has that experience been like?
R: We’re not even done yet but we did the first half in Hawaii and that was such a good experience.

JJ: Do you have scenes with Alexander and Taylor?
R: Yeah, I have scenes with both. Most of the scenes are with Taylor, more than Alexander but he’s in there for some of the movie with me.

JJ: And you play a lieutenant?
R: Well now it’s a second petty officer. I’m a weapons officer so I’m pretty much a badass. And I basically control and know every weapon on the ship, so it’s a really cool part.

JJ: Is your character good or bad?
R: Good, of course! Bad would be fun too but for this it made sense. We’re in the Navy. We can only be good.

JJ: Are there mostly action scenes you’re in or are you in any love scenes?
R: There are action scenes, no love scenes. There’s no tolerance for flirtation from guys or any of that stuff. It’s just strictly business!

JJ: And what are Taylor and Alexander like? What was it like working with them?
R: Taylor is another badass. He’s like tearhead kind of badass.

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