Rihanna recently stole hearts after offering some sage advice to a young fan who expressed their desire to follow in her footsteps.
As part of her publicity for her recently debuted sneaker collection, Fenty x Puma, the “Diamonds” hitmaker held a press conference with children in attendance. The children asked many questions about her family and the new venture, among other things.
During the meet-and-greet, a young fan bravely expressed her desire to be “the next Rihanna,” prompting the pop star to share some life-changing advice.
The young fan, who turned out to be E! News’ seven-year-old correspondent, Francesca, spoke with the billionaire beauty mogul at the launch of the Fenty x Puma Avanti sneaker line for kids.
Francesca, wide-eyed and full of admiration, told Rihanna, “I want to be the next Rihanna.” But instead of basking in the compliment, Rihanna took the opportunity to empower the young fan with an unexpected response.
Rihanna put her hand on the girl’s shoulder and said, “Oh no, you got to be better than Rihanna.”
“Girl, Rihanna? That’s late,” the “Umbrella” hitmaker added with a laugh. By the time you grow up, I’m gonna be vintage. Antique.”
When the girl asked if Rihanna had any advice for her, the singer nodded thoughtfully. “Aim for the stars. Don’t aim for me. Aim beyond me. You’re gonna be fantastic,” Rihanna said. “I want you guys to always be greater, better, smarter, and change the world in ways that we couldn’t have.”
Her words have weight, especially given Rihanna’s own journey from a young girl in Barbados to one of the world’s most powerful women. She didn’t just get to the top; she redefined what it means to be a superstar by launching Fenty Beauty, Fenty Skin, and Savage X Fenty to global acclaim and forever altering the beauty and fashion industries.
During the interview, the singer also revealed that while her two children, RZA, 2, and Riot, 14 months, are too young to provide feedback on the shoe’s appearance, they did contribute to its design.
“They did help me figure out how to make it easier to put shoes on kids,” Rihanna revealed to Francesca. “I had to take my time in redesigning it to make it something that us moms can get onto you guys without you guys being annoyed.”
Rihanna also confirmed to Entertainment Tonight that she will attend this year’s Met Gala, which will be co-chaired by her longtime partner and father of her children, A$AP Rocky.
