by Britni Danielle
Clutch Magazine

Men’s glossy Esquire named Rihanna the “Sexiest Woman Alive” for 2011. The Bajan beauty is no stranger to adulation. Many have hailed her fashion sense, her music has set records, and her fans line up to see her sold-out shows. Simply put, Rihanna is a bonafide star, and love her or hate her, you can’t knock her hustle.

In the latest issue of Esquire she chats about her country’s initial lukewarm reception, how she prepares for a show, and being proud of Chris Brown.

Check out some highlights from the interview

On her pre-show routine:

I eat lozenges, steam my voice, do my makeup. I Skype my vocal coach and we sit there at the makeup table and do warm-ups for about a half-hour. Then, Jen, my personal assistant slash bartender, brings me a shot that she dilutes with a little something so it’s not so harsh, like orange juice or soda water and lime.

I have to have it [a shot of liquor]. I take it very seriously, so there is a level of anxiety, always. I overthink everything when it comes to my job. The drink calms my nerves. I sip it while I watch the opening act from my dressing room. Sometimes I go out into the audience. I put on a really big hoodie and sneak out there.”

On her country’s initial reaction to her:

I grew to realize that that hate was just pride. I realized that it’s a part of our culture. I’m always representing Barbados. All over the world, no matter what I was doing, no matter what I achieved, no matter what award it was, I always shouted them out. So, I started making them feel like, “This is our girl. If people in the UK could get this excited about her, what’s wrong with us?” And I never turned my back, too.

On Chris Brown’s comeback:

It’s incredible to see how he pulled out of it the way he did. Even when the world seemed like it was against him, you know? I really like the music he’s putting out. I’m a fan of his stuff. I’ve always been a fan. Obviously, I had some resentment toward him for a while, for obvious reasons. But I’ve put that behind me. It was taking up too much of my time. It was too much anger. I’m really excited to see the breakthrough he’s had in his career. I would never wish anything horrible for him. Never. I never have.

Read the rest over at Esquire.

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