Rihanna declared national hero of Barbados
Rihanna was honored as part of the celebration of gaining independence and becoming a republic of Barbados.
President-elect Sandra Mason will become head of state after the country announced last year that it would cut ties with the monarchy.
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Rihanna attended the Republic proclamation and Mason's inauguration ceremony in her hometown of Bridgetown on November 30.
"Continue to shine like a diamond and honor your nation with your words, your actions and your recognition wherever you do it," said Prime Minister Motley as he paid tribute to Rihanna, who will now be known as the title "The Right Excellent".
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Rihanna was born in Barbados in 1988 and grew up in Bridgetown, where she lived until she was discovered by American record producer Evan Rodgers as a teenager and then moved to the United States to begin her career.
In 2008, the singer was awarded the role of ambassador to the culture of Barbados. A decade later, in 2018, Rihanna was named Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of her home country, a role that includes promoting education, tourism and investment.
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Last year, when the Barbados government announced plans to completely abandon its "colonial past" in 2021 by becoming a republic, fans jokingly demanded that Rihanna replace Queen Elizabeth II as head of state.
In September, Rihanna told fans to expect a different sound from the singer when she finally releases her long-awaited ninth album, a sequel to 2016's "Anti".
"You will not expect what you will hear, just keep it in mind. Everything you know about Rihanna will not be what you hear. I really experiment, and music is like fashion, you have to be able to play, I have to be able to wear what I want and treat music the same way. "So, I'm having fun and it will be completely different," the singer said as she promoted her latest show on "Savage X Fenty".
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