TIME Music

‘Ooh na na, What’s Her Name?’ Has the Public Been Mispronouncing Rihanna’s Name This Whole Time?

If you were stunned to learned that Rihanna managed to low-key move to London without tipping off any fans to the transatlantic move, brace yourself for this next shock. It turns out that after all these years, people may have been mispronouncing the singer-turned-Fenty entrepreneur’s name.

Rihanna appeared in a video for British Vogue and introduced herself not as “Ree-ah-na”, which is how most people pronounce the “Umbrella” singer’s name, and instead pronounced it as “Ree-anna.”

For fans who have been following RiRi since “Pon de Replay” hit the Billboard charts back in 2005, learning they have been mispronouncing her name for over a decade has come as a bit of a shock. Perhaps that is why she chose the track, “What’s My Name”

[time-brightcove not-tgx=”true”]

It shouldn’t have come as such a surprise, though. Back in 2012, Rihanna tried to set the record straight about the correct pronunciation of her name in a red carpet interview and she tried to teach the world again in 2015 in a video that has re-surfaced on Instagram.

Maybe her song “What’s My Name” was not just a jam, but also a plea for fans to learn how to say her name correctly.

Tap to read full story

Your browser is out of date. Please update your browser at http://update.microsoft.com


YOU BROKE TIME.COM!

Dear TIME Reader,

As a regular visitor to TIME.com, we are sure you enjoy all the great journalism created by our editors and reporters. Great journalism has great value, and it costs money to make it. One of the main ways we cover our costs is through advertising.

The use of software that blocks ads limits our ability to provide you with the journalism you enjoy. Consider turning your Ad Blocker off so that we can continue to provide the world class journalism you have become accustomed to.

The TIME Team