All About Rihanna!
Read the big interview on our February issue? Then get the rest of it right here in our exclusive one-on-one chat with pop music’s Good Girl Gone Bad!

Text by: Judi Davison / CELEBRITEXT
All Images are courtesy of MCA Universal

K-ZONE: How did this album come about?
Most of the album was recorded in L.A. and I had a great time recording [it], it was a fun album to make. I worked with a lot of great people…[I had the most fun] with Timbaland and Justin Timberlake. Also Ne-Yo, who I’ve worked with before… I [also] worked with Stargate, I worked with Evan and Carl, Tricky and Dream.

KZ: What is your songwriting process?
It’s always different. It’s good to work with other people to get other ideas.

KZ: Do you feel vulnerable when you write a song – that people are getting to know a different side of you?
Writing a song is always different – sometimes you’re just being creative and you make things up.

KZ: What advice would you give a young girl wanting to break into the business?
I just have to say…that it’s not easy, it’s not what it really looks like. There’s a lot of politics, a lot of hard work, a lot of traveling. But if you love it then go after it.

KZ: Is it true that your legs are insured for a million dollars?
Yes, it’s true.

KZ: How does that come about?
Well, Venus Breeze just named me this year’s Celebrity Legs of a Goddess and they insured my legs for a million dollars.

KZ: That’s a big deal.
I know! (laughs)

KZ: What are some of the perks of being a pop star?
There’s a lot of advantages doing what I do. Most importantly I get to do something I love to do as a profession, I get to travel the world, [and go] to places that I never thought I’d be able to go to. I get to meet my fans in countries where they don’t even speak English, so it’s a cool experience. I love every aspect of it.

KZ: What’s your favorite travel destination?
I like Jamaica, I like Japan [and] Australia.

KZ: How do you survive all those long, boring flights?
When I’m on long trips or on a bus or a plane, I love listening to music. Most of the time I just sleep because most of the time that’s the most sleep I get, but I like to watch a movie sometimes, play games. I try to sit next to someone in the crew so I can talk and have a good time.

KZ: Do you remember where you were the first time you heard yourself on the radio?
The first time I heard my song, it was “Pon De Replay”[from her first album, Music of the Sun – Ed.] I was in Brooklyn and I was at a mall with my mom and I remember being very, very excited and I was running around and singing along. It was a day I’ll never forget.

KZ: How different was your dream of being a big star compared to the reality?
The difference about imagining it to actually doing it was that when I was a little girl I only saw what was on the outside and I didn’t know anything about it. Now that I’m doing it there’s a lot of different layers to it. There’s so much more than it looks on television. It’s a lot of hard work and I love what I do and it keeps me going.

KZ: Who was your role model growing up?
One of my role models growing up, I really, really love Mariah Carey. She was just my idol growing up, I wanted to be her as a little girl and I still love Mariah Carey.

KZ: Have you met her?
I have met her. She has such a strong presence. I was a little star struck I have to admit.

KZ: What do you miss about Barbados?
I miss the beaches, I miss my friends, I miss the clubs, my family, the food. I miss it a lot. The food is very flavorful, very spicy. It’s just different.

KZ: What’s up next for Rihanna?
I would love to star in some movies, that’s my next goal. I would also love music and love doing it but I want to get into movies and I want to get into starting some businesses of my own. Different things. I like clothes, I love makeup so maybe I could have a hand in some of those things.