Dear Gossips, 

Rihanna makes headlines all the time, right? Well, it depends where she is. Viral, actually, depends where you are. If you are in the western part of the world, you might not know that Rihanna actually went viral this week. But if you are in the East, or if, like me, your feed serves you Asian related cultural updates, you will have seen that Rihanna has been super viral this week in China. 

 

Rihanna’s Fenty Beauty launched in China last month, and this month, which happens to be Asian History Month in North America, she travelled to China to promote her brand. Few celebrities do brand promotion as well as Rihanna – because, as I have always said, she’s accessible. As CNN reporters Stephy Chung and Hasan Tayir reported: 

“Her latest move in China to promote makeup products is something of a masterclass in how to tap into its lucrative – mostly online – Gen Z market.”

 

How? She and her team clearly did their homework on what works for the Chinese market, instead of trying to carry over whatever works in the western market. Popular Chinese influencers were invited to her events, she did three livestreams with some of them, and interacted with others for content not on her channels but on theirs. Hilariously. I have watched this video probably 30 times, screaming: 

 

There’s more: 

Seriously, I’m crying. 

 

Come on. This is wonderful. This is why Rihanna is Rihanna – she is having a TIME, she’s enjoying herself as much as the people who are just grateful to be in her presence. Because she is PRESENT. Of course she’s there because she’s pushing her products, but it doesn’t feel like it’s an obligation for her. 

The Chinese audience isn’t always welcoming of western stars. Hollywood has been trying it for years with blockbusters, many celebrity brands have tried it, hoping to rely on western popularity to coast into China without success. Rihanna, however, has been embraced by China for a while, especially after she wore that incredible Guo Pei dress at the Met Gala in 2015. 

Now, almost a decade later, Rihanna’s actually on the ground in China and endearing herself to people there with moments like the above and also this: 

 

Per CNN: 

“Rihanna then became the number one trending topic on Weibo, with #RihannasfirstlivestreaminChina viewed over 81 million times. Another hashtag, #RihannashowsupinShanghai was viewed over 75 million times.”

She is SO good at this – look: 

Fenty has already made RiRi a billionaire, even before the Chinese market. And now, with Fenty going big in China, can you even imagine? 

 

One last thing – check out how she incorporated Chinese tradition into her style when she was there. Take note of the red knot on her belt. That’s how we do! This goes back hundreds of years, if not more. Knots and tassels hanging from belts and waistbands. These are the details she pays attention to that make such a difference. 

Here's Rihanna in New York on the weekend. 

 Yours in gossip, 

Lainey