Rihanna is the poster girlfor bouncing back. It's been 20 months since her heated verbal exchange with formerbeau Chris Brown turned violent, and she is already preparing the release of hersecond post-incident album, "Loud." Romantically, she is blissfully happy in arelationship with her Los Angeles Dodgers boyfriend Matt Kemp.
Rihanna is genuinely giddy thistime around, she reveals in a cover story in the December 2010 issue of MarieClaire UK. Access Hollywoodreported that she told the magazine, "I feel like I smile for real this time. Thesmiles come from inside, and it exudes in everything I do. People feel myenergy is different. When I smile they can tell that it's pure bliss and notjust a cover up."
[Video: Rihanna attempts the moonwalk]
The "Only Girl (In TheWorld)" singer said she knew when her tumultuous relationship with Brown hadcome to an end.
"One day, I remember I was inNew York atthe Trump Hotel and I woke up and I just knew I was over it," she said.
But Rihanna believes thealtercation happened for a reason. "God has a crazy way ofworking, and sometimes when stuff happens you feel like, 'What did I do todeserve this? Why was it backfiring on me?'" she said, according to an Usmagazine report. "But, I needed that wake-up call in my life. I needed aturning point, and that's what God was giving to me. All [of] this terriblestuff they say to you, it breaks you down."
Brown, on the other hand, hasalso experienced his own turning point. Since the felony assault, his careerhas plummeted until recently. His introspective ballad "Deuces" reached No. 1on Billboard's R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart and was recently remixed with guestvocals from hip-hop elite Kanye West, T.I., Andre 3000, and Drake.
[Photos: Rihanna's ever-changing hair]
Brown is feeling better thesedays, he told Access Hollywood. "Everything [is] good, I'm definitely - mepersonally and mentally - I'm a great guy now," he said. "Definitely just aperson who's promoting positivity all the time, so that's just me," he said.
Brown added that he is alsoworking on recording music. "The new album is called 'F.A.M.E.': Forgiving AllMy Enemies. Basically, just being able to witness my success, failure andsuccess again," he said. "Being able to see me going from my best times to myworst times and being able to overcome it and growing [in]to a man, as I wasdoing it."
Last Saturday, Celine Diongave birth to twin boys, but fans were saddened to learn that Dion actuallylost a third child during her pregnancy with multiples. Mariah Carey and NickCannon shared their good news, that they were expecting a baby this spring. AndBilly Ray Cyrus and wife Tish filed for divorce.
There's been so much baby andcouple news over the last few weeks. Let's cross our fingers that next weekwill yield a good-old fashioned rock star feud. See you then.
THIS WEEK'S TOP 5 MUSIC STORIES
1) AlwaysBe My Baby -- Mariah Carey and Nick Cannon reveal pregnancy
2) Achy Breaky Heart -- Billy Ray Cyrus and wifeannounce divorce
3) JoyAnd Pain -- Celine Dion lost a third baby while pregnant with newborn sons
4) LockedUp -- Rapper T.I. ordered to report to Ark.prison
5) Now Boarding -- Taylor Swift plays acoustic set at airport
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