Rihanna insists she's virtually the same as before she was famous just a little "more bad".

The Barbados-born singer has received a lot of attention for her ever-changing looks and love of risqu outfits. Even her friends enjoy commenting on the latest look Rihanna has discovered, although they know she is the same person she always was underneath it all.

"I am 24 and it's curious that my friends keep telling me, You know, you are becoming sexier.' They think I am a sex symbol and I am glad to hear it, although that wasn't my first goal. I just wanted to sing and that's it. I am the same person, or maybe a little more bad," she laughed to Italian magazine A.

Although Rihanna seems self-assured when she is on stage, she actually gets very nervous and worries about how she is portraying herself.

She believes that is the same for all women though, so it doesn't worry her too much.

"I have my weaknesses, like every other woman. I mean, every woman is a mix of strength and insecurity," she stated. "Sometimes you feel like you want to show that you can win over everybody, other times you need to show your weakness."

Rihanna's friendship with Jay-Z is legendary, as the hip-hop star helped launch her in the industry.

She insists he isn't as involved in all aspects of her life as people think though and laughed off rumours he gets a say in her romantic relationships.

"Nooooooo!" she laughed, when asked if it is true that Jay-Z comments on who she dates. "I choose my boyfriends on my own and I dump them when I decide to!"