Rihanna has admitted that she intends to take things easy for the rest of 2008.

In an interview with Elle, the 20-year-old ‘Umbrella’ singer confessed that fatigue has prevented her from enjoying success.

She said: “I already told everyone in my camp, ‘This year, I’m not going to work like a horse.’

“In 2007 I didn’t really get to enjoy anything that I achieved, because I was moving, moving, moving.”

Rihanna picked up a Grammy for best rap/sung collaboration with Jay-Z in February and revealed that her hectic workload left her exhausted and unable to appreciate the award.

She added: “Jay was asking me, ‘How does it feel? How does it feel? How does it feel?’ I was like, ‘When I get home and I lock my room and there’s silence, I’ll tell you how I feel then.’”

Some rumors are so ludicrous, they don’t even warrant a comment – that’s exactly how Rihanna feels about the incessant talk of her so-called “relationship” with Jay-Z.

“Well, it’s crazy that you ask me that. People know that it’s not true,” the 20-year-old Grammy winner tells Elle. “I get asked about it all the time and I’m like, ‘You’re asking, but you know the answer.’ I don’t even like to address it anymore.”

The Barbados-born singer has been romantically linked to her mentor — whom she couldn’t believe was “sitting right in front of me” during her initial audition — since their love anthem “Umbrella” hit the airwaves last year, and Rihanna understands the curiosity is part of the equation.

“I think it’s kind of a cliché question, and people know it’s not true,” she says.

Since then, Jigga has tied the knot with longtime gal pal Beyonce and Rihanna has been seen carousing with Chris Brown. While she doesn’t outright call him her beau, the starlet doesn’t exactly debunk rumors either.

“We’ve always been friends, but we’re very close now.”

The Good Girl Gone Bad, 20, has played coy – except for minor PDA in a pool in Jamaica – when it comes to her “friendship” with fellow R&B stunner Chris Brown, 19. But the “Umbrella” singer unsealed her glossy lips in Elle’s June issue.

“We’ve always been friends,” she tells the magazine, “but we’re very close now.”

Although the Barbados-bred beauty, who is currently on tour with Kanye West, doesn’t comment any further on her relationship with Brown, she does put to rest the rumors regarding the other man in her life: mentor and boss Jay-Z.

“I get asked about it all the time and I’m like, ‘You’re asking, but you know the answer,’” she says of the rap mogul, who married Beyoncé in April – to Rihanna’s surprise. “I don’t even like to address it anymore.”
–Janet Murphy

Ne-Yo had turned down the Spice Girls for Rihanna. The R&B star has confessed that the girl group had asked him to write them a song but he was still busy working with the “Umbrella” singer.

The 25-year-old singer says it’s nothing personal; it’s just that he couldn’t find the time for the five girls as he was already busy with one.

Showbizspy.com has quoted Ne-Yo as saying, “Spice Girls asked me to write some songs but I couldn’t find time. They wanted something to put on their comeback album but I never got round to getting it done. I was recording songs for Rihanna at that time.”

Ne-Yo also reveals who his favorite Spice is, saying, “Scary Spice is my favorite all day long, although I like Posh too. She and Beckham are a real power couple in the U.S. Even if they just go to dinner it’s a big thing.”

R&B star Rihannawas overjoyed when Maroon 5 approached her to lend her vocals to their track If I Never See Your Face Again, because she is a huge fan of the pop band.

The Umbrella hitmaker has just finished filming a video for the new version of the song - which originally featured on Maroon 5’s 2007 album It Won’t Be Soon Before Long.

And she admits the duet was a big deal for her.

She tells MTV.com, “I always wanted to work with Maroon 5. They’re one of my favourite bands. When they called me to do this record with them, I was so honored.”

Maroon 5 frontman Adam Levine insists the collaboration worked well because there was instant chemistry between the two artists.

He adds, “The song was basically done, but we wanted to try something different, so we had her come in and do bits and pieces.

“It came together so quick. The only other collaboration I had done before was with Kanye (West), and it was the same way. It sounds cheesy, but if the magic is there, if the chemistry is there, you don’t even have to think about it.”

Rihanna performs at HP Pavilion on April 19, 2008 in San Jose, California.

Kanye West, Rihanna, N.E.R.D. and Lupe Fiasco all turned in stellar sets to begin the “Glow in the Dark” Tour, what will likely end up as one of 2008’s most talked-about bills. All of Kanye’s openers were given thirty minutes to do their thing at Seattle’s KeyArena last night, and Lupe Fiasco kicked off the night with a fast-paced half-hour into which he crammed parts of eleven songs, including the hits “Kick, Push” and “Superstar.” (Matthew Santos, who sings on the latter track, appeared for three songs at the end of Fiasco’s set.) The stage was bare for his performance, but Fiasco made up for it with vibrant physical energy and a very red dress scheme shared by his backing singers and DJ.
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Rihanna in skirt and pink top leaving Starbucks in Burbank - April 11, 2008

Rihanna made a random visit to a WeHo private school — where Heavy D’s kid goes — but it was the kids at the public school across the street that went absolutely ballistic.

Rihanna performance to benefit her charity “Believe” - April 9, 2008

Rihanna post performance pics for her charity “believe” - April 9, 2008

Rihanna leaving her benefit concert Eye Need Flash Nerds - April 9 , 2008

Rihanna in colorful print and backless thingy out in West Hollywood April 10, 2008

Rihanna in a hoodie out on a shopping spree in New York city - April 8 2008

Rihanna - Getting Tattoo - April 8, 2008

Like many of Jay-Z and Beyoncé Knowles’s friends and colleagues, Rihanna had no idea about the happy couple’s hush-hush nuptials last week.

“I didn’t know!” Rihanna told PEOPLE at the Escada Moon Sparkle/Island Def Jam benefit for her Believe Foundation and DKMS, the world’s largest bone marrow donor center. “No one knew!”

(Although the wedding has not been officially confirmed, sources tell PEOPLE the ceremony did take place April 4 and Knowles has been spotted wearing a huge ring.)

Among those in the audience at Manhattan’s Highland Ballroom were L.A. Reid and Rihanna’s “friend” Chris Brown. “Chris said it was a good show,” the 20-year-old said of her rumored beau. “He really enjoyed it.”

After the show, Rihanna met with several young bone marrow transplant patients. “You are so beautiful,” she told 15-year-old Camila Mera.

MediaTakeOut.com just got official confirmation that Rihanna and Chris Brown are dating. The confirmation came from the lips of Chris’ close friend - American Idol winner Jordin Sparks.

Here’s what Jordin told UK magazine Young Voices:
Are Chris Brown and Rihanna dating?
Yeah, they are. It was really cool because I walked on the set and she was sitting there with Chris Brown and I was like I can’t believe she’s here. She came and she told me that she loved No Air, and that it was one of her favourite songs. It was really cool hearing that from one of my peers. She just wanted to support him.

Did it feel weird doing intimate scenes with Chris Brown with his girlfriend watching you?
(Laughs) It was hard at first, but then I said, ‘you know what? I have to work!’ It had to look like I was in love with him, so I had to do it. Hopefully she won’t kill me!! (Laughs)

Rihanna and Chris Brown really need to stop denying their relationship — we’re not buying it anymore!

They had a not-so-subtle night out, causing a major scene with fans, cops and bodyguards when leaving a NY tattoo parlor — and were spotted hitting a bar together after that. Seriously guys, give it up already.

- TMZ

R&B young diva Rihanna proved herself again at Canada’s Juno Awards, taking home the award for International Album of the Year with Good Girl Gone Bad.

Rihanna was victorious at Canada’s Juno Awards.

The singer’s LP Good Girl Gone Bad won International Album of the Year at the ceremony which took place at Calgary’s Pengrowth Saddledome.

Rihanna fought off stiff competition from Fergie, Bon Jovi, Josh Groban and Timbaland to land the accolade.

New Canadian singing sensation Feist picked up a remarkable five awards on the night.

As Feist took to the stage to collect her first statuette, Single of the Year for hit 1234, she said: “I wrote down a load of stuff to say on my arm. Should I try to chip through it?”

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Rihanna has an unusual use for plasters - she uses them as nipple covers.

The ‘Umbrella’ singer relies on the sticky medical bandages to prevent any red carpet wardrobe malfunctions.

She said: "I love plasters. They are great for shoe blisters, as nipple covers and also for nail mishaps - people just think you have a cut."

Rihanna - who is rumoured to be dating R’n'B singer Chris Brown - also admits she had a crush on her musical idol Mariah Carey when she was growing up in Barbados.

She added to Britain's InStyle magazine: "I was in love with Mariah Carey when I was younger. I thought she was flawless. I also loved Marilyn Monroe's timeless look. And I love everything Madonna does - she switches it up and that's what I like to do. I hate sticking with the same thing all the time."

R&B pop singing sensation Rihanna opened up to “Extra” about her future in fashion design and acting, details about her new single and the secret to maintaining her killer curves.

Conquering the music world is just the beginning for Rihanna, she admitted, “Designing my own fashion line is definitely on my agenda…[And] movies and acting is another thing I want to get into.”

In the meantime, her new single, Take a Bow, is topping the charts. She said, “It’s doing incredibly well already.” Rihanna continued, “We’re about to shoot a video for it. It’s for the re-release of my album, Good Girl Gone Bad. We are recording a bunch of new songs as well as a couple remixes of old songs we already have on the album.” Read More »