ix. bye 2020, hello 2021
december 2020
Rihanna and Taecyeon Were Spotted Kissing in Barbados
Rihanna and Taecyeon continue to show off their relationship with a kiss after the couple was photographed showing PDA on a boat in Barbados.
"They have always had amazing chemistry and Rihanna relates to Taecyeon and it feels natural, easy and fun," a source told Entertainment Tonight in November. "She feels very comfortable around him."
Taecyeon spends the holidays in Barbados with her family, which seemed like definite proof that things were getting serious. "Spending Christmas together was an obvious step for Rihanna and Taecyeon," another source told ET.
"They've known each other for so long as friends and in a work setting, which makes it so easy for them to get along, travel together, and be involved in each other's lives to the full extent," the source continued. "They always have such a good time together and definitely seem in love."
Images of the pair on a yacht seemingly show Rihanna holding Taecyeon by the waist while others show the kpop idol affectionately placing his hand on her shoulder.
You can also see photos of them kissing over at The Daily Mail.
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Rihanna Says Her New Music Will Be "Next Level," But First, She Has a Cookbook
Rihanna used to keep her fans fed, figuratively speaking. During her first eight years of stardom, she released seven albums, more than some artists put out in their entire career. Then, however, she slowed down her release schedule, and the Navy has been waiting for a new album ever since 2016's Anti. In a new interview, Rihanna hints that more music is on the way, but right now she might be more interested in keeping her fans fed—literally.
The multi-hyphenate says that 2020 has, at the very least, allowed to her slow down and enjoy the little things. "I am always busy and quarantine gave me the time to do things I wouldn't always have been able to do: watch an entire box set in a day, cook, go for walk. It's important we do little things we enjoy and are kind to ourselves," she told U.K. tabloid Closer. The interview came amidst rumors that she's working on a cookbook of her favorite Caribbean-inspired recipes. The singer is spending the holidays in her native Barbados (and was recently spotted at a gas station on the island).
Though, Rihanna also says that she's spent at least some of lockdown working on her original career. She's "always working on my music," according to the interview. And the downtime may have given her time to reflect on where she wants to take her music career next.
"2021 is a little unknown for everybody, and nobody is sure what restrictions there are going to be," she said. "My creativity is within my control though, and I want to take my music and my brands to a different level."
The approach jives with recent changes in the music industry and the expectations of her brand. For the first decade of her career, Rihanna played by the rules of a radio hit-courting artist whose career depended on the strength of individual singles more than statement albums. The albums were perfectly great pop collections, but unlike many contemporary pop artists, her "eras," as the stans like to call them, sort of melted into each other with frequent collaborations blurring the lines in between. That happens when your contemporaries wait two to three years between albums and you wait, in some cases, just 11 months (and in Rihanna's defense, she already has more solo albums to her name than Beyoncé, Lady Gaga, Adele, Katy Perry, and more—despite not having released one in four years. So she deserves the break).
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badgalriri @Essence Jan/Feb 2021 Issue 🧊 🙏🏿
Photographic collage: @lornasimpson
Writer: @zorasc
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