Glamour 2009 Women of the Year

Rihanna: In a matter of weeks, the first single [“Pon de Replay”] went to radio. Then we shot a video, and the song just took off. I was in the Top 10 with huge artists who I looked up to. Jay-Z kept telling me, “This never happens, so don’t get used to it.” I saw how special that moment was.

Glamour: What’s the most valuable piece of advice Jay-Z’s ever given you?

Rihanna: In the beginning of my career, he said, “You must be a good person, because good things are happening for you, but you have to stay humble.” One thing that intrigued me about him was that he was such a huge artist and really down-to-earth. I felt like if he was saying this, it must work.

Glamour: Let’s talk about this past year—you’ve obviously been through some difficult things. How did the people around you help you cope?

Rihanna: My friends and family have been extremely supportive, and everyone has been there for me. But at some point you are there alone. It’s a lonely place to be—no one can understand. That’s when you get close to God.

Glamour: Are you referring to the [Chris Brown] incident?

Rihanna: I am talking about starting with the night [before] the Grammys and then on. That was not the only thing that occurred this year. The picture leaking…it was one thing after another.

Glamour: You’re talking about the photo [reportedly of Rihanna’s injured face taken by police after Brown assaulted her] that was allegedly leaked by cops. You handled that so well; you kept silent in the press.

Rihanna: It was humiliating; that is not a photo you would show to anybody. I felt completely taken advantage of. I felt like people were making it into a fun topic on the Internet, and it’s my life. I was disappointed, especially when I found out the photo was [supposedly leaked by] two women.

Glamour: How has this event changed you as a person, as a woman?

Rihanna: I’m stronger, wiser and more aware. You don’t realize how much your decisions affect people you don’t even know, like fans.

Glamour: Do you feel that this experience has laid the groundwork for coping with anything so public again?

Rihanna: It has taught me so much. I felt like I went to sleep as Rihanna and woke up as Britney Spears. That was the level of media chaos that happened the next day. It was like, What, there are helicopters circling my house? There are 100 people in my cul-de-sac? What do you mean, I can’t go back home?

Glamour: If you could offer a message to the millions of young women who look up to you, what would you tell someone who found herself in a similar situation?

Rihanna: Domestic violence is a big secret. No kid goes around and lets people know their parents fight. Teenage girls can’t tell their parents that their boyfriend beat them up. You don’t dare let your neighbor know that you fight. It’s one of the things we [women] will hide, because it’s embarrassing. My story was broadcast all over the world for people to see, and they have followed every step of my recovery. The positive thing that has come out of my situation is that people can learn from that. I want to give as much insight as I can to young women, because I feel like I represent a voice that really isn’t heard. Now I can help speak for those women.

Glamour: I think that’s a great message. What about your new album? What’s it like?

Rihanna: I was involved in a lot of the writing. I put everything I’ve wanted to say for the past eight months into my music. The songs are really personal. It’s rock ‘n’ roll, but it’s really hip-hop: If Lil’ Wayne and Kings of Leon like my album, then I’ll feel good. I would not change anything about it. Even if people don’t love it, I made exactly the piece of art that I wanted to make. It’s super fearless—which is exactly how I feel right now. I am in a really good place.

Glamour: Jay-Z once said that your challenge as an artist was going to be to make people relate to you as a human being. What do you think he meant by that?

Rihanna: Before, there was an innocence to me. It was a perfect image. So the minute I did something imperfect, it was a big deal. I think that’s what he was referring to: People forget that after we get to our hotel rooms at night, we take a shower, we watch TV, eat room service and do normal things. Behind it all, we are still human beings.

Glamour: Now let’s talk about your success in the world of fashion: You have become a fashion icon practically overnight. What does it mean to you as a performer, as a creative person, as a way to celebrate who you are?

Rihanna: Fashion for me is another way I get to express myself creatively. It is one of the fun things I get to do: to play dress-up, and create outfits and looks that aren’t typical. I am an artist, so I like creating things. Shoes are my favorite thing.

Glamour: Wow, that’s amazing. So here you are, only 21, and you have already accomplished so much. Where do you see yourself in five years?

Rihanna: So much has happened in the past five years, I can’t speak for the next five. What I want is to continue to grow. Because I am never satisfied; I always want more. I always want to get better. I always want to climb another step.

Glamour: Is it too early for you to think, I want to be in love, I want to have a family? Is that too far down the road?

Rihanna: I hope I find love in the next 10 years—that will be pretty annoying if I am 31 and still have never been in love! But yeah, I’d like to be in a great place in both my personal life and my career. I still want to be doing what I love. Whatever that is in 10 years, I don’t know.