No One Pronounces Rihanna's Name Right, Except for Rihanna (Maybe)
[There was a video here]
In the rare instance that she is made to say her name in public these days, Rihanna pronounces it, "Ree-anna." This is unlike the rest of the world, which pronounces it "Ree-ah-na." This has been a longstanding pet peve of mine (especially because I say it the way she does). It doesn't make sense that people such as her Roc-a-fella boss Jay Z, or her on-again-off-again parasite of a boyfriend, Chris Brown, say it the popular way (have they even listened to her)? Shit went haywire Sunday night during the American Music Awards, when her own mother, Monica Braithwaite, pronounced it onstage with the "ah." After all, Braithwaite had a hand in giving her daughter the name (it's actually her middle name—full name is Robyn Rihanna Fenty).
Could it be that Rihanna is the wrong one and everyone else (the former lovers, the collaborators, the bosses, the parents) is right? The video above collects multiple examples of celebrity peers, interviewers, and radio DJs saying it like "Ree-ah-na" (and a few who don't), to give you a sense of the widespread confusion. In 2010, Rihanna released a song with Drake called "What's My Name?" It's her damn anthem.
Use this video to change your ways, if in fact one of your ways is to say "Ree-ah-na." But the bright side is if you don't, you're still in great company.