In a revelation that sent shockwaves through the fanbase and left dictionaries in turmoil, Rihanna, in a resurfaced GQ “Face to Face” interview alongside A$AP Rocky, has finally set the record straight on how to pronounce her name. It appears the entire world has been saying it wrong, and now we’re all collectively experiencing a crisis of identity, or at least of pronunciation.
For years, fans have belted out “Rihanna” with the confidence of a shower singer hitting their high note. Yet, when Rihanna herself introduced the video saying, “Hey GQ, it’s Rihanna,” fans paused, rewound, and played it again. Was it a slip of the tongue or the biggest plot twist since we found out Darth Vader was Luke’s father?
Turns out, we’ve all been living a lie. Comment sections turned into mini linguistic forums as fans tried to phonetically spell out what they just heard: “Rih-Anna.” Yes, like the way you’d casually say “Anna” at the end of “Rihanna,” except Rihanna’s been trying to tell us this was the way all along. She confirmed this pronunciation back in 2012 at the Time 100 Gala, where amidst the glitter and glam, she laid down the phonetic law: It’s Ri-An-Ah, not Ri-Ah-Na.
https://www.instagram.com/reel/C3VhuVhOUHO/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
But let’s not dwell on the past too much. Rihanna has bigger fish to fry these days, like dominating the world of beauty and fashion with her Fenty empire. She’s been so busy launching Gloss Bomb shades and teaming up with Savage for a lingerie line that we almost forgot to ask how to say her name correctly. Almost.
And just when you thought the name game couldn’t get any more intriguing, Rihanna and Rocky went ahead and named their first son RZA. If you thought “Rihanna” was a tongue-twister, try wrapping your mouth around “RZA.” It’s like a Scrabble game gone wild.
So, as Rihanna continues to reign supreme in music, beauty, and baby naming, let’s take a moment to reflect on this saga of syllables. Remember, it’s Ri-An-Ah, not Ri-Ah-Na. And as for how to pronounce “RZA”? That’s a mystery for another day, or perhaps another interview. In the meantime, let’s all practice our “Rihannas” in the mirror, so we’re ready for the next time she decides to drop a linguistic bombshell on us.
