Rihanna Sizzles on the Cover of V Magazine

Up on the heels of her new video "American Oxygen," Rihanna will grace the next cover of V Magazine, available on newsstands next month.

Photographed by Steven Klein, Rihanna appears in a candy-colored editorial -- her idea, apparently. In the cover story, the singer opens up about her new album, her creative process, and her recent single with Paul McCartney and Kanye West, "FourFiveSeconds."

Scroll down to read excerpts from the interview.

On her single "FourFiveSeconds," which left fans of her club banger beats slightly off-kilter:

"The thing that made me fall in love with ['FourFiveSeconds'] is the juxtaposition of the music and the lyrics. When you read the lyrics it's a completely different song than what you are hearing. The music is easygoing, but the lyrical content is very loud and in your face. In performing this, the key was to make sure the aggression wasn't lost."

On her infamous Instagram account and her social media presence:

"I run away from anything that does not stimulate me. I often find myself gravitating toward the underground. There is a certain creative freedom there that you can't experience anywhere else."

On privacy issues:

"Do I even give a dick about that anymore?"

Speaking directly to her critics on her absence on the music scene for the past two years:

"I didn't actually take time off. The past two years are the hardest I've ever worked. I've been working on two albums, an animated film, shooting for multiple magazines, designing for Puma and Stance [socks], a new line of fragrances, a summer tour, I launched my first annual Diamond Ball at the end of last year, and I've also been developing several projects to be revealed in the near future."

On her highly anticipated 8th studio album:

"Dude, I'm in love with my interludes. This one called 'James,' joint is on constant repeat. [The album is] soulful and aggressive, whether it's lyrically, musically, or just the tone of my voice."

Photography by Steven Klein. Styling by Carlyne Cerf de Dudzeele.
V Magazine 95, available May 7th on newsstands and at Vmagazine.com