"Music To Me Is Like What Gardening Is To Gardeners"

DF: "Well it's a real treat to meet you Rihanna, I'm guessing Glasgow is a bit of a far cry from Los Angeles or the like."

R: "Oh well I always love coming to Britain, the fans are always so enthusiastic and the music scene here is great."

DF: "What in particular about British music or the British scene do you like?"

R: "Oh just the music in general. Sorry my manager always tells me to give positive and open-ended responses even if I can't stand the interviewer or I don't know what the hell I'm talking about or the questions are stupid."

DF: "What's the worst interview you've ever had? And feel free to say me, to be honest I'm not that good at my job."

R: "I don't have one that comes to mind as being the absolute worst but there has been a few for E! that were really terrible. Asking questions about my hair, my foundation, of what relevance is that to anyone? It's my music that's made me who I am, not what's on my nails or on my dinner plate"

DF: "Interesting stuff Rihanna. Anyway, back to the questions, so what are your plans for 2012? Will see a follow up to "Talk That Talk?"

R: "Well I'm just doing some demos wherever I'm staying at the moment, I'm always in a creative mode, even during tours."

DF: "Excellent, and aside from that just tours coming up?"

R: "Yes, I'm doing my American tour in March then Australia and Asia over the summer. Right now I'm just in Glasgow here filming some scenes for Coldplay's new video that i'm featuring on.

DF: "Great, did you like working with Chris Martin? I hear the Coldplay guys are all a nice bunch."

R: "Hardly. The rest of them don't say a word and Chris never shuts up about Fairtrade. To make matters worse he's been tweeting as if we're the best of friends now."

DF: "So you won't be chomping at the bit to work with them again?"

R: "Between you and me I'll shoot my managers if I'm in the same room as them ever again."

DF: "Wow, quite bitchy I must say Rihanna. It's refreshing to hear a musician like yourself expressing her views without being constrained by the conservatism of pop culture."

R: "To be honest being a pop star is like being a politician these days, if I so much as get caught eating a McDonalds it's like a national scandal."

DF: "It must be a difficult way to be, especially with the advent of camera phones/global communication and everything else that can record people's every movement and make it history with the click of a button."

R: "I completely agree. For the record I don't like McDonalds. I'm a Burger King girl myself."

DF: "So what can we expect from your future work? More songs about sex, men, being drunk, more sex to some synthesised Caribbean beats?"

R: "Pretty much. There might be some vapid attempt at social awareness. I campaign on behalf of some charities that help terminally ill children and for raising awareness about the situation in Malawi.

DF: "What situation?"

R: "Apparently there's a civil war going on there or something. I'll need to get my press agent to remind me about that one."

DF: "Oh well. About your music first of all, what do you think are your biggest influences and inspiration for what you do?"

R: "I guess mainly my upbringing in Barbados, the Caribbean way of life. There's such a rich and unique musical culture there, even now it strongly impacts what I do in my music today, whether I'm in Los Angeles or anywhere, really."

DF: "Has the way you approach or feel about recording and performing changed over the years?"

R: "Well I think as you mature and progress not only as an artist but as a person your outlook changes and how what you do is received by others has an effect too. I could say I'm lucky that fans have responded so well to my albums and songs, but my ethos hasn't really shifted. Music to me is what gardening is to gardeners."

DF: "A way of maintaining your garden?"

R: "No, just what you're built to do and what comes naturally. I haven't had any other passion or venture outside of music, it's always been my lifestyle and I think that passion shows in my performances."

DF: "Well with millions of fans and record sales behind you i guess you have me there Rihanna. About your performances, they've been called everything from a spectacle to racy and unsuitable for your younger fans. How do you feel about the latter comments?"

R: "We live in a sexualised world Daniel. So many things that we consume, enjoy and partake in today is sexualised or linked with the pursuit and psychology of sex that it's hard to escape, and hard for an artist like me to avoid those labels.Yes you can say my body and what my music implies is central to my image, and arguably my album sales but I'm not the only one. It's the harsh fact, people want to buy sex in all its forms, whether direct or indirect."

DF: "But do you feel it's detrimental to your integrity as an artist to merely be a "sex symbol" or be considered "racy" and "suggestive" in the pop music world?"

R: "For about 20 minutes then a paycheck comes in for $40,000,  after that it somehow doesn't matter that much anymore."

DF: "That's an interesting thought Rihanna and I appreciate your honest and insightful thoughts today. Have fun with the new demos and filming with Coldplay. Just to wrap up, what can we expect from your next shows?"

R: "Big fiery pyrotechnics going "BANG!!!!" and "WHOOOSHHH!!!!" And me appearing out of cannons and all sorts.

And now you know, the woman behind the music