As Rihanna as grown older and moved further into motherhood, she, by her own admission, has changed how far she’s willing to push the fashion envelope in terms of revealing looks.
At a launch event for Fenty X Puma yesterday (April 17), Rihanna explained how there are some styles of hers she looks back on in disbelief (as Vogue notes):
“I’ve done so much sh*t in my life. I’ve had my nipples out, my panties out. But now, those are the things which, I guess as a mom and an evolved young lady — emphasis on ‘young’ — there are things I feel like I would never do. Like, ‘Oh my God, I really did that? Nips out?’”
RiRi also spoke about how she looks back especially fondly on the Guo Pei gown she wore to the 2015 Met Gala, saying, “Nobody will ever forget that and I will never forget the feeling of discovering that designer based off of the design challenge that Anna gave me. And damn! You know what, no one would ever expect this, but there’s also the Stella McCartney crop top and skirt, and the party dress that she made me for that same [Met Gala] with my little ass crack out.”
RIP to Free the Nipple era…..Rihanna had Instagram shut her down because of her having her nipple out but she in her mother era now pic.twitter.com/IOhbaMuLFA
Pop superstar Rihanna hasn’t released an album since 2016’s Anti and hasn’t appeared in a film since 2019’s Guava Island. Recent reports indicate a change, with Rihanna confirmed for the leading role in the upcoming Paramount film The Smurfs Movie. During a recent Paramount showcase at CinemaCon in Las Vegas, Nevada, Paramount executives revealed who else will be joining Rihanna in the upcoming 2025 release. During the Smurfs Movie showcase in 2023, Rihanna appeared on stage and confirmed that she would be serving as a producer and contributing music to the soundtrack. Let’s examine everything we know about The Smurfs Movie, as well as Rihanna’s role in the project.
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – APRIL 27: (L-R) Jay Brown, Rihanna and Brian Robbins, President & CEO, Paramount Pictures, pose for photos at the Paramount Pictures presentation during CinemaCon 2023, the official convention of the National Association of Theatre Owners, at Caesars Palace on April 27, 2023 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images for CinemaCon)
During the panel for The Smurfs Movie, Rihanna confirmed that she would be portraying the legendary character Smurfette. Like the rest of the little blue mushroom-dwellers, Smurfette was created by Belgian cartoonist Pierre Culliford, better known by his pen name “Peyo” in 1958. Audiences will certainly welcome her performance in The Smurfs Movie. Paramount chief Brian Robbins explained that Rihanna is, in his opinion, “the most legendary Smurfette ever.”
Additional actors rounding out the cast of The Smurfs Movie alongside Rihanna include Nick Offerman, John Goodman, Kurt Russell, Nick Kroll, Sandra Oh, Amy Sedaris, Dan Levy, Natasha Lyonne, and many more. The studio has invested heavily in voice talent for the animated venture, although details about the roles of the aforementioned characters remain scarce.
A Potential Re-Launch Of The Franchise
The full voice cast of “Smurfs,” starring Rihanna, has been revealed: – Nick Offerman – Natasha Lyonne – JP Karliak – Daniel Levy – Amy Sedaris – Nick Kroll – James Corden – Octavia Spencer – Hannah Waddingham – Sandra Oh – Alex Winter – Billie Lourd – Xolo Maridueña – Kurt… pic.twitter.com/MVAOpgXKrk
Before the announcement of the Rihanna-led venture, The Smurfs had been the subject of several animated movies, including 2011’s The Smurfs, 2013’s The Smurfs 2, and 2017’s Smurfs: The Lost Village. While concrete details about The Smurfs Movie remain scarce, it appears that the film won’t follow the same continuity as the previous three outings. This conclusion is drawn from the fact that Smurfette was portrayed by Katy Perry and Demi Lovato in those films, respectively. Furthermore, this film is supposed to be a musical and Rih is expected to contribute to the soundtrack.
Barbadian singer/actress Rihanna speaks on stage promoting “The Smurfs” during Paramount Pictures’ presentation at CinemaCon 2023, the official convention of the National Association of Theatre Owners (NATO), at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, Nevada on April 27, 2023. (Photo by VALERIE MACON / AFP) (Photo by VALERIE MACON/AFP via Getty Images)
While details about the overall plot of The Smurfs Movie remain scarce, Robbins assured audiences at CinemaCon that the Rihanna-led film would hit theaters on Valentine’s Day, 2025. The only current synopsis for the film explains that the adaptation will be a musical adventure with comedic elements. The presenters posed the question: “What is a Smurf?”
Chris Miller and Matt Landon will direct The Smurfs Movie. Miller has a wide array of existing directing credits. These include 2011’s Puss In Boots and 2007’s Shrek The Third. Miller has also lent his voice to several animated roles. Most notably, he provided the voice of the penguin Kowalski in the Madagascar film franchise. The Smurfs Movie will be Matt Landon’s directorial debut, though the filmmaker has existing credits in editorial and production management. He previously worked on Spy Kids 4: All the Time in the World, Scream 4, and Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse.
Rihanna has really tested the patience of her fans. The pop star’s last album was in 2016, as she has focused on acting, fashion, and motherhood in the years since. Fortunately, Rihanna seems to be back in album mode. She performed at Super Bowl LVII, and she talked about the making of her upcoming album during a recent interview with Entertainment Tonight. Not only did the pop star confirm she had “hits” on deck, but she revealed that one of her main collaborators is ASAP Rocky.
Rihanna attended the Fenty x Puma Creeper Phatty Earth Tone launch event on April 17. It was during the red carpet event that ET asked her about her upcoming album, and the singer was surprisingly forthright with information. “I already got stuff that I feel like I could make hits out of,” she told the outlet. She also sidestepped the rumor that her sons, RZA and Riot, will appear on the album by saying “It’s up to them.” The biggest reveal came, however, when Rihanna talked about the father of her children.
She confirmed that ASAP Rocky was working on the album by saying they’ve debated which songs to include on which of their albums. “Me and Rocky are really trying to figure out who’s gonna use what because it’s so good,” she reasoned.
Rihanna and ASAP Rocky collaborating is exciting, if not unexpected. The couple have been dating since 2019, but the hiatuses both artists have taken means they weren’t together when they released their last albums, respectively. ASAP Rocky hasn’t dropped since Testing in 2018. Rihanna and Rocky have never been on a song together, either, despite the former appearing in the music video for Rocky’s “Fashion Killa” in 2011.
It makes sense that Rihanna and ASAP Rocky would collaborate on their comebacks, which is something Rocky discussed with Complex. “I’m always down to collab with my partner,” he confirmed. “[Rihanna] is a phenomenal creative. There’s a lot of things we’re going to collaborate on, from products for children.” Neither artist has a release date in mind, but it sounds like wait will be worth it.
On Wednesday, April 17, Rihanna attended the Fenty x Puma Creeper Phatty Earth Tone launch event in London. While there, she was asked about whether there were “any plans to have RZA and Riot” on her next album by Entertainment Tonight.
“It’s up to them,” Rihanna said. For reference, Rihanna shares RZA and Riot with ASAP Rocky. RZA will turn two in May, and Riot was born last August. So, if Rihanna is waiting for her sons to become old enough to make a conscious decision about wanting to be featured artists on her next album, fans will be waiting awhile.
With Entertainment Tonight, Rihanna continued to play coy about a release date (“I wanna know, too”) and teased the material she has in the vault.
“I already got stuff that I feel like I could make hits out of,” Rihanna told the outlet. “Me and Rocky are really trying to figure out who’s gonna use what because it’s so good.”
Watch the clip below.
Rihanna teases whether or not she plans to include her sons, RZA and Riot Rose, on her upcoming album. pic.twitter.com/jk2uNaEvgi
The First Monday of May is looming. That means the Met Gala is on the way. Page Six reports the invites are out, and, of course, Rihanna is expected to attend.
Insiders confirm Rihanna will take the steps of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Additional details regarding the Fenty Queen’s appearance are limited.
Additional expected guests are Kendall Jenner, Gisele Bundchen, Olivia Rodrigo, Sarah Paulson, and Uma Thurman.
The theme for this year’s gala is Garden of Time. Ticket prices are $50,000; if you want to go, you must know Anna Wintour. This year’s co-chairs are Zendaya, Chris Hemsworth, Bad Bunny and Jennifer Lopez.
Drake and ASAP Rocky have a long history that dates all the way back to the early 2010s. At the start of their relationship, they were friends. As a matter of fact, some consider Drake to be a significant contributor to ASAP’s subsequent success in the music industry. Many fans believe that the tale of ASAP Rocky’s rise to stardom cannot be told without mentioning Drake.
Yet, over the years, the relationship between the two has turned sour. Since ASAP Rocky began dating Rihanna, his relationship with Drake has slowly deteriorated. So much so that the two have now fired shots at each other via diss tracks. The most recent jab was from ASAP and is featured on “Show of Hands,” a track from Future and Metro Boomin’s latest collab project, We Still Don’t Trust You. It remains to be seen if the two rappers will ever reconcile and become friends again. However, the chances of that ever happening seem to get smaller by the day.
ASAP Rocky Disses Drake On “Show Of Hands”
This has been an interesting year for Hip Hop so far, with a number of prominent acts taking shots at Drake. It began with Kendrick Lamar on “Like That” with Future and Metro Boomin. Now, ASAP Rocky has also dissed Drake on another Future and Metro Boomin track. The song, “Show of Hands,” is featured on the duo’s latest project, WE STILL DON’T TRUST YOU. On the track, ASAP spits some venomous bars supposedly aimed at Drake. “Ni**as swear they bi**h the baddest, I just bagged the worst one / Ni**as in they feelings over women, what, you hurt or somethin’? / I smash before you birthed, son, Flacko hit it first, son / Still don’ trust you, it’s always us, never them / Heard you dropped your latest sh*t / Funny how it just came and went,” Rocky raps on the track. As things get more heated, fans eagerly wait to see if Drake will respond to ASAP Rocky more directly in the future.
Drake & ASAP Rocky’s Early Relationship
After ASAP Rocky released “Purple Swag” and “Peso” in 2011, he got the attention of many in the music industry, one of whom was Drake. Following the release of his critically acclaimed mixtape Live. Love. ASAP (2011), Rocky garnered even more public attention. Sometime within that period, he linked up with Drake, and the two began working together. Subsequently, in 2012, ASAP Rocky served as an opening act for Drake on his Club Paradise Tour. It was the highest-grossing Hip Hop tour of 2012, introducing many new listeners to ASAP Rocky. Later, on October 24, 2012, the rapper released “F**kin’ Problems,” which features Drake, Kendrick Lamar, and 2 Chainz. That track remains the only one featuring both rappers. However, they stayed on good terms for several years afterward. The tension between the two started much later, in 2020, when ASAP Rocky got into a romantic relationship with Rihanna, Drake’s ex.
2022: Drake Expresses Displeasure At ASAP Rocky & Rihanna’s Relationship
When news of Rihanna and ASAP Rocky dating came out in 2021, many wondered how Drake took it. While we can’t say for sure, chances are the “Take Care” rapper didn’t take the news very well. However, throughout 2021, he ignored the topic and did not address either ASAP or Rihanna. Subsequently, in January 2022, the couple announced they were expecting their first child together. Soon after this revelation, X news account @PopTingzz reported that Drake had unfollowed both ASAP Rocky and Rihanna. While he still hadn’t directly addressed the topic, according to fans, his actions said more than enough.
2023: Drake Allegedly Disses Rihanna On For All the Dogs
On February 12, 2023, Rihanna headlined the Super Bowl LVII halftime show. At the end of her performance, she revealed that she was pregnant for ASAP Rocky once again and was expecting the child soon. Following the news, Drake was trolled on the internet for “losing the girl” and watching ASAP Rocky live his dreams. However, the rapper still did not address the topic. Subsequently, on October 6, 2023, Drake released his eighth studio album, For All the Dogs. On the track “Fear of Heights,” he finally seemed to speak about Rihanna, albeit indirectly.
“Why they make it sound like I’m still hung up on you?/ That could never be/ Gyal can’t run me / Better him than me / Better it’s not me,” he raps in the opening lines of the track. “I’m anti, I’m anti / Yeah, and the sex was average with you / Yeah, I’m anti ’cause I had it with you,” Drake continues, not so subtly. Later in October, when a reporter from TMZ caught up with ASAP and asked if he would respond to Drake, he ignored the question. Well, we certainly got our answer in 2024.
Rihanna is one of the most revered and glamorous women on the planet. Full stop. The pop culture icon has been praised for her bold fashion choices for two decades, whether it be through her makeup line or her music. This sky high reputation is what makes her comments regarding A$AP Rocky so surprising. In a recent profile for Interview Magazine, Rihanna claimed her rapper husband easily outshines her when it comes to style. She went as far as to say that she often looks like Rocky’s “assistant” when they go out.
The A$AP Rocky praise was prompted by a pair of earrings he gifted to Rihanna. She claimed that he was the absolute “best” when it came to identifying fashionable pieces and looking sharp regardless of the occasion. “I be feeling bummy as s**t next to this man,” she admitted. “I feel like, g*****n, I look like his assistant. I’m getting on a plane. We should be in sweats. He wants to be in a full Bottega suit. I’m like, “Why you got to do that to me.” Rihanna also credited A$AP Rocky, real name Rakim Meyers, with creating the lipgloss she wore during the magazine’s photoshoot.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – OCTOBER 04: ASAP Rocky and Rihanna are seen at Carbone to celebrate ASAP Rocky’s birthday on October 04, 2023 in New York City. (Photo by Jackson Lee/GC Images)
The “Praise Da Lord” rapper not only serves as an inspiration for Rihanna herself, but for the way she dresses their sons, RZA and Riot Rose. During the Interview profile, Rihanna revealed that she’s the one who picks out the clothing for their sons over Rocky. “Riot is actually in all of RZA’s one-year-old clothes already,” she added. “He’s only six months. Everybody thinks Rocky dresses them because I dress them in Rocky outfits.” Rihanna also noted that motherhood has affected the way she dresses on a regular basis. “Moms are lazy dressers in real life,” she admitted.
Rihanna’s praise may be sweet, but it’s not altogether surprising. A$AP Rocky was praised as a fashion icon since he arrived on the scene in the early 2010s. He released a collaboration with Guess inspired by his love of 90s fashion in 2016, as well as Gucci, Puma and Bottega Veneta on a 2023 campaign inspired by paparazzi photos. When asked to describe his style, Rocky told Complex that it was an “individual thing” that’s constantly evolving. “Everybody has their individuality, so you just gotta make it work for you,” he advised. “I no longer concern myself with what everybody’s doing and how they do it. I don’t even care anymore.” Obviously, his approach has worked.
Rihanna speaks about motherhood, revealing that she is still open to having more children. In an interview with Interview Magazine, she talked about having more children, highlighting “As many as God wants me to have.”
“I don’t know what God wants, but I would go for more than two,” Rihanna said. “I would try for my girl. But of course, if it’s another boy, it’s another boy.”
Previously, Rihanna gushed over A$AP Rocky’s fatherhood abilities. Speaking with Access Hollywood at the Fenty x Puma launch party, Rih Rih revealed that Rocky’s fatherly duties turn her on.
“I loved him differently as a dad,” Rocky said. “This is major, it’s a turn on. It’s just like, ‘Wow. What a leader, what a great, patient, loving.”
She added, “And my kids are obsessed with him. I’m just a background, I’m an extra. It happens. It doesn’t matter if it’s girls or boys, they love their dad differently and I love to see it.”
Rihanna is pulling the curtain back on her current creative process. In a new Interview Magazine cover story, Rihanna revealed she is working backward.
“I have a lot of visual ideas,” Rihanna said. “It’s weird. My brain is working backward right now. I usually have the music first, and the music leads me into all of these visual opportunities, and now I’m having all of these visuals, and I don’t have the songs for them yet, but maybe that’s the key, this time.”
She added, “Maybe the visual ideas are leading me to the songs that I need to make.”
For years, hip-hop heads thought Rihanna and Drake would settle down together because of their strong working relationship. Ultimately, though, the “California King Bed” songstress chose ASAP Rocky to father her children, and she confirmed today (April 9) that they’re hoping to have more. On Tuesday morning RiRi’s Interview Magazine cover story dropped, consisting of iconic, gender-bending outfits and a conversation with Mel Ottenberg that reflects how life has changed for her since becoming a mother.
At one point, Rih was asked about the time when her man, ASAP Rocky, grabbed her butt during a performance at the 2012 MTV Video Music Awards. They were singing the hypersexual “Cockiness (Love It)” when the New Yorker gave his future lover’s behind a squeeze. “So when he grabbed my a** that night, everybody thought I was about to… My team was worried that I wanted to have his head on a f**king mantle,” the 36-year-old recalled of her short temper.
Who Knew Rihanna and ASAP Rocky’s Relationship Went Back So Far?
However, since Rihanna was able to play the hot and heavy moment off, her inner circle was quick to speculate a growing crush. “I was like, ‘Ah, nah.’ That’s why everybody was like, ‘Oh my God. She likes him,’” the Barbadian explained. In 2013 she appeared in Rocky’s “Fashion Killa” visual, but it wasn’t until 2019 that their romance became serious.
Elsewhere in her Interview Magazine sitdown, Rihanna spoke about how Mel Ottenberg has always had a knack for styling her over the years. “You’ve always taken advantage of my silhouette and what my body is doing,” she praised the creative. “Like when I’m mad skinny, my boobs are, like, nothing and I have a little booty, and you work with that. And now it’s like, ‘Okay, I had two babies. You really have to push this up, snatch this in,” the Bad Gal added. See photos from their latest shoot together at the link below, and check back later for more hip-hop/pop culture news updates.
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(@lebanonrihanna) April 18, 2024
