Rihanna lands another cover with British Vogue with two Steven Klein-shot photographs marking the first time the magazine has featured a durag on the cover. Styled by editor-in-chief Edward Enninful, the mogul and musician gave up quite a bit of info in the interview including some hints about her next album, plans to extend Fenty Beauty with a Fenty Skin line, why she’s currently single and won’t necessarily wait to be coupled up to have children.
Conducted a week after her 32nd birthday (February 20th) in Roc Nation’s Hollywood offices, Rihanna spoke about R9, but kept details obscure. She explained, “I can’t explain when I’m going to drop but I’m very aggressively working on new music.”
As to what sound to expect, she explained, “I don’t want my albums to feel like themes. There are no rules. There’s no format. There’s just good music, and if I feel it, I’m putting it out.”
At the same time, when asked if the album is reggae-themed songs, she answered, “Oh no, that is happening,” but reiterated, “I feel like I have no boundaries. I’ve done everything. I’ve done all the hits, I’ve tried every genre. Now I’m just, I’m wide open. I can make anything that I want.”
As to why she’s no longer dating Hassan Jameel, the Barbados-born Rihanna once again avoids specific details but implies she no longer has time for half-stepping relationships. She explained, “Since I turned 32, I’m realizing life is really short. You don’t have a lot of time to tolerate shit, you know? You put so much on your plate. When you’re overwhelmed, you need to start cutting things out. And I’m overwhelmed too much. What’s happening now is that I’m going back to black and white. My grey area is shutting down.”
That said, she doesn’t view her single status as getting in the way of her eventually having three or four children. “I feel like society makes me want to feel like, ‘Oh, you got it wrong,’ she explained, adding, “They diminish you as a mother if there’s not a dad in your kids’ lives. But the only thing that matters is happiness, that’s the only healthy relationship between a parent and a child. That’s the only thing that can raise a child truly, is love.”
