Bajan beauty Rihanna has admitted that working with another artist is a very personal thing so she likes to become friends with the people she duets with before they head into the studio.

During a new interview with Elle magazine, the 'Umbrella' sensation explained that writing a song with someone else can be a very intimate experience, so in order to break down any walls that might block the creative flow she gets to know them first:

"I spend a lot of time with them so they know my story by the time they write, and it's always the truth. At times I won't be rebellious or edgy, sometimes it'll be vulnerable and really innocent but you don't know what bad things that girl might do to get to the vulnerable state!"

In the same interview, Rihanna opened up about the tattoo of a gun she got a few years ago and confirmed that it was to symbolise her strength:

"Everybody wanted to know what was happening in my life (at the time). Is she a drug addict? No. Is she an alcoholic? No. Is she a victim? No. That's when I got the gun. It was a symbol of strength - it was 'I'll never be a victim!' I had all these eyes on me, critic after critic after critic. I'd heard so many things I was kind of numb to it.

Watch Rihanna's video for 'Stay' below: