Rihanna Credits Her Career Change To “God [Having] Other Plans” At Fenty Beauty Event

Rihanna’s ninth studio album has been eagerly awaited for roughly eight years, and fans are understandably still doubtful it’s coming anytime soon. On Thursday (Nov. 7) night, during Fenty Beauty’s launch party in Barbados, the “Needed Me” artist noted that “God had other plans” while discussing her transition from music to beauty.

“Music was the thing that got the attention, but God had other plans for me, and I was able to create in ways that were very sincere and genuine, or organic and authentic to the things that I love. It doesn’t even feel like a job, but when you bring it home,” she explained before the crowd erupted into cheers.

Rihanna’s 2017 launch of Fenty Beauty set the bar high for inclusivity within the cosmetics industry, primarily due to its diverse foundation shade lineup and subsequent drops. Since then, she’s been balancing her time between running her businesses and raising two kids with ASAP Rocky. It’s also worth mentioning that the brand, along with subsidiary Fenty Skin and Savage X Fenty, helped skyrocket her into billionaire status.

Elsewhere during Fenty Beauty’s event, Rihanna emphasized the importance of home when building her makeup empire. “The first place I’ve ever met beauty, acknowledged beauty, was at my home here in Barbados. I always used to look at my mother and was like, ‘Why is she making that face when she does her makeup?’ Now, when I do my makeup, I make that exact face. You guys have always inspired me,” she said in a clip shared on Twitter.

The musician-turned-cosmetics mogul continued, “Everything about my brands, Fenty Beauty and Fenty Skinhave been inspired by you, this country, my people, my family, my friends, my opps. I love all of you guys.”

Earlier in the year, Fenty Beauty made its way to countries like India and China. The first-mentioned launch coincided with Rihanna’s performance at the pre-wedding party of Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant, one of the country’s wealthiest couples.