Last year was the first in now 26-year-old Rihanna's career that she didn't put out an album. Halting a seven-year cycle, she gave us something better: an unfiltered look at her life as she toured the world with a rotating cast of girl friends, pausing for respites in Thailand, New York, and Barbados. Some 12 million gawkers followed her hard work and downtime on Instagram. What they saw was loose and imperfect — Rihanna drunk at home, her nose painted red with lipstick — if not exactly documentary journalism. (She sometimes commissions professional photographers to take her selfies.) The access has hard limits, but to fans she feels "real," like a friend. It's hard not to think that Rihanna's no-bullshit manner didn't push Beyoncé to release her surprise 2013 masterwork, or to market it as the record where she "dropped that fourth wall" and got real.
Rihanna doesn't consider herself a role model; most other people wouldn't call her that either. But if her experiences speak to flawless 32-year-old mothers like Bey, they certainly merit a closer look from Rih's twenty-something peers.
1. Never apologize for your success. Share your milestones freely.
2. Don't feel the need to play nice with someone who doesn't respect you.
3. Value the friends that ride for you above all else.
Bwaaahaaaaa!!!! Yo I LOVE my friends ya cunt!!!
4. Don't worry if those friends are not men.
5. But when they respect you, it’s totally cool to make new friends.
6. Hooking up with someone casually doesn't mean you won't be their peer down the line.
7. Don’t let anyone, even your friends and fans, shove you around.
8. Let people know when you feel you've given them enough.
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Rihanna is not here for free concert tickets.
9. Don't overthink social media.
10. Pose for #filtafree pictures proudly.
11. If something doesn’t interest you, don’t feel the need to pretend that it does.
12. You can say everything without saying anything at all.
13. Phuck FOMO: it's okay to sit out some parties.
14. When you go out, make sure your friends get home safe.
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At the end of a night out with Charlamagne Da God in LA, Rihanna called the radio host a car. "Rihanna is the realest n**** in the game since Tupac," he said.
15. When celebrating a culturally significant holiday, like Crop Over in Barbados, stay out until the festivities are done.
Woke up in paint and a veil from partying in de street all morning!!! #Barbados #FOREDAYmorning CROP OVA almost here! #heauxm
16. The next day, kill your hangover with Chinese takeout.
Alcohol is the devil and I need Chinese food
17. Show up for a big moment wearing what you want, even a doobie wrap.
18. And no matter how far you travel, take pleasure in repping your home block.
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19. Stand up to name calling and shaming.
20. Remember to take time to go home and recharge.
21. Change your hair to entertain yourself, not to please others.
22. When you want to master a skill, identify a pro you admire and ask for help.
23. Don't bother with expensive jewlery.
24. Invest in bodysuits.
25. Shop the boys section.
26. Savor opportunities to celebrate your elders.
27. And be a cheerleader when women who are younger than you accomplish something great.
28. If you have a relationship with god, make it your own.
God = Dat Nigga
29. Don't pass up a sure thing.
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Rihanna and Eminem have done three singles together. They're all global monster hits.
30. But never resist the thrill of doing something you’ve never done before.
31. You can spend money on others and yourself at the same damn time.
32. But don't pile up on possessions.
33. Create a world for yourself where people support each other. Make every day a No Basic Zone.
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"My bitches twerk on water. No basic zone! No basics!"