Check the raw uncut outtakes from Rihanna's encompass story interview.

This feature appears in Complex's February/March 2013 issue.

Rihanna opened up about fans, fearlessness, and how to accept the perfect self-portrait on Instagram in her latest Complex embrace story. Simply the Bajan beauty had a lot more to say during our one-on-one interview. Read on as she dishes about working with Future and Eminem, her love for strip gild records ,and what she'due south numb to.

Is there annihilation too individual that yous wouldn't want to share with your fans on Instagram?
Yeah, that'due south why I can't tell you. [Laughs.]

But you're pretty comfortable with connecting with your fans on social media.
Of grade. They know who I am, that's why I experience comfortable being myself around them. Actually, I want to encourage them to be that style. If you don't live your life, then who will?

You take a special connection with your fans. How did yous and The Navy get and so shut?
Well, at first I didn't really use anything in the social network world. I was and then anti-social network, which is kind of ironic. I really first started on a chat room on my fan site. My fans didn't really believe it was me. They were asking all these questions and I was giving them existent answers, but they wouldn't believe me. I was similar, "Oh my gosh." Then I said, Yous know what? This is the same thing as Twitter. Twitter is just like a giant conversation room that you lot tin text. Almost like you tin text your fans.

Then I simply started talking to them once again. They would enquire real questions and I would answer. I guess we started edifice a relationship like that and getting really close. They started to observe out things nearly me, I started to notice out a lot of things virtually them, and you realize how much you lot really have in common with people. They're definitely a fun group—they're really funny. It's hilarious even to just picket them. They're and then entertaining. As much as they think I'thousand entertaining, they entertain me simply as much, if not more than.

Congratulations on your album. It's my favorite so far.
Cheers and then much.

You have twelve No. 1 singles which is already a huge accomplishment, but how of import was it for you to get that No. 1 U.Due south. album? Was that the goal?
Yous know what? I thought about it for the showtime few albums and and so, after you don't get it, eventually information technology simply goes out of your mind. And then, with the seventh one, I really was thinking to myself, "This album needs to be good enough to exist a No. 1 album."

Not that the others weren't. I simply want people to know that it's good enough. I put so much pressure on myself when I was making this anthology that Jay-Z actually spoke to me and said, "If yous're making this to be a No. 1 album, then y'all're doing it for the wrong reason." It kind of snapped me right out of it. I said, "You're right. All I need to brand is a not bad anthology." And that's where the pressure level really laid for me.

I wanted this music to exist so good because information technology'southward number seven and you don't get that back. It just had to be perfect for me. And I got worried that it wouldn't exist finished in time. I knew I would exist able to stop all the songs I had so far, merely I didn't know for sure that that was the body of the album. All the songs were fantastic only sometimes you're like, "Peradventure nosotros need a little more this or a little less of that." So I was getting worried in the terminate, right up to the very concluding second, then information technology roughshod right into place.

One of the themes in the album seems to exist most how people think they know your personal life, but they actually don't know the half of it. Was that your intention when you fabricated this record?
I had no intention when I was making this tape, except the truth. That'southward all I wanted. So whatever is there is real, information technology's raw. It'south all the elements that I am, that I've grown to become and so far. That's why the album is called Unapologetic, because it's the truth.

So were you ever apologetic ?
Non atoning necessarily, just that I held back before. I didn't show a lot of myself. I was very guarded and it simply didn't feel safe to be similar that. I felt like I just needed to exist open and free and really simply fearless with who I am. Basically just say, "Fuck it. What's the worst that tin happen? They'll hate me? They've washed that before." I only felt like yous have to stay shut to the ground. Y'all really accept to.

Some of the songwriters and artists on the album you are working with for the showtime fourth dimension. Do y'all accomplish out and choice these collaborators yourself or do these songwriters come up to you?
Initially, when nosotros starting time putting the album together and when we're trying to find the sound, I pick the people that I think can execute it. We put kind of a little camp together and we switch people in and out and put producers together, put writers together in a room and see where they become. That kind of lays a foundation and gets people started in a flake of a management. When you become one that y'all love, then everybody knows, "OK, this is where we're going."

It was supposed to be me singing the hook on 'Loveeeeee Vocal,' but Ireally loved [Future's] tone on information technology. I said we're definitely keeping him on it. Because I love his demeanor on the record.

Information technology was that fashion with "Diamonds." I hateful nosotros had some other songs earlier, only "Diamonds," when I heard that, I knew this is exactly what I desire to feel. I desire to feel this the whole time. Whether it's fun or whether it'due south mellow, I desire to simply have it hither [puts easily on her stomach]. And y'all likewise have to spend time with the writers, you have to spend time with the producers and really go in the studio, allow them to really know me so it'south actually easy for them to assist me get my story into words.

Then there'south the other one-half, where the writers write the songs and then they transport it to y'all, and we had a couple of those that kind of just blew our minds. Like the record with Future to be specific. For that one, I just called him and told him, "Just write me a vocal for y'all, don't write me a vocal for me. Only write a song you would love." Because I picked up that he had some songwriting skills that could kind of work for a female. A female could too achieve those melodies and it would work. And he sent me that record and the minute I heard it, I was like, "Oh my God. Oh my goodness." It was really shocking. And sometimes you get ones similar that that yous accept nothing to exercise with. [Laughs.] It was perfect.

What did you hear from Hereafter that fabricated yous want to work with him?
I heard a couple songs on his album that but had some unexpected melodies. I wanted him to just write something that people wouldn't really expect to come from him. Simply I didn't desire to say that, because I didn't desire to make him overthink it. I but wanted him to write something that he loves, because he already knew he was writing it for me. It was supposed to be me singing the hook on "Loveeeee Song," but I really loved his tone on information technology. I said we're definitely keeping him on it. Because I honey his demeanor on the record.

I love it, because I love "Turn on the Lights." He'southward such a sensitive thug.
[Laughs.] Yes, that one for sure. For certain. The melodies in that? Ugh, sick.


You lot said "Diamonds" was your favorite record since "Umbrella." What made information technology take that number one spot for you?
I want people to think like that, considering, you know, the government even wants to tell people how to dearest. And I was really tired of that, you know? That just doesn't brand whatsoever sense. That vocal for me actually did that, and at the same time, my grandma had just, you know, passed, and it really resonated with our connexion and our relationship for me as well. So information technology was special. It was only special.

When y'all sing that vocal, do you think almost the relationship you had with GranGran Dolly?
Every time. Every fourth dimension. I call back about a couple of things, but that's definitely i of them.

I just love working with Eminem. He's just one of my favorite rappers, and his lyrics—he's a true poet.

What are the other things that you think about?
Love. I call back almost love.

Do you lot like singing most love the almost?
I think love is one of the purest things y'all tin sing about. One of the best things you tin sing about. Only I similar songs that are quirky also, like "S&M." I like fun records besides, only honey is—at that place's nothing wrong with information technology. It'll never get sometime.

"Numb" is very different from your previous collaboration with Eminem. How did this one come up about?
The moment I worked with him on "Love the Fashion You Lie," I wanted to work with him again, and nosotros did "Dear the Way You lot Prevarication Role 2." And then I wanted to work with him again. [Laughs.] I but dearest working with Eminem. He's just one of my favorite rappers, and his lyrics—he's a truthful poet, and I savour that near him. For this song, I needed someone with not only his skill, only his personality. And I needed someone who actually understands the perspective and the metaphor in the vocal of going numb and existence numb to everything around and to say, "Fuck you." Eminem is definitely the perfect guy for that.

What are y'all numb to?
To the world, to opinions that don't matter, you know? People that don't hold any value in your life. That. I'm numb to that, considering that's none of their business.

"Bands A Make Her Trip the light fantastic" is one of your favorite songs.
Mmm-hmm.

So did you specifically desire to make a strip order record on this anthology?
Yes, who told you that?

I but figured it out.
Oh shit, that's crazy. I specifically wanted to make a strip order tape.

And what made you pick a Mike WiLL Made It record over something else?
Really, it picked me. Information technology was i of those where I was sent a track. As a matter of fact, the writers and Mike Volition were in the studio and Chris went over there and came back and said, "There's this crazy vocal that Mike Will fabricated, you should heed to it." So I had somebody from the characterization bring information technology for me then I could hear information technology. Argh—like right away I knew similar this was going to exist my tape. Like, I knew they fabricated information technology for me, but I just hadn't heard it yet. Only when I heard it, I but knew that I was keeping information technology. Information technology'due south one of my favorite ones. Right away I couldn't stop listening to the demo, over and over.

Then Chris heard the record first and was similar, "Yous accept to hear this now"?
He was in the studio with them while they were writing for me, so yeah.

1 of my favorite songs on the album is "Stay." How did you notice Mikky Ekko?
Mikky Ekko ended up writing the song for us, and when we first heard it, nosotros loved it. When the kids from Roc Nation found it and brought it to us, I loved his voice on it. The tone of his vocalisation was actually beautiful, and the label actually asked u.s.a. if we could keep him on it. And information technology turned out perfect—I didn't have a problem with that, because I loved his tone in the outset identify. That's what made me autumn in honey with it. I simply wanted to do it justice, or at least as good as him."

What are you lot trying to say with the record "Half of Me"?
Information technology basically meant that people presume, and they remember they know based off of whatsoever records, or any the media feeds to them. Information technology's pretty much saying that's all you have, and that's non even really the one-half of information technology. People have the little chip of information that they're fed, and they draw a moving picture of who yous are. And most of the time it's wrong.

You lot sing, y'all've designed, and y'all act. Is at that place anything else that yous desire to try?
 I hateful, at that place'due south so many things. Then many things that I tin can't really talk about, cause I don't desire to requite it away annihilation or blight information technology before it happens.

Yous're already a popular icon. You came from Barbados to America at age sixteen. Now you're i of the world's biggest pop stars. Where do you get from hither?
Bigger. It'due south all about growth.

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