Rihanna Has Weighed in on the Canadian Election
Credit to Author: Sarah Berman| Date: Thu, 03 Oct 2019 23:54:13 +0000
She doesn’t follow unofficial Canadian ambassador Drake anymore, but Rihanna now follows Canadian federal party leaders on Instagram.
While it might not count as an explicit political endorsement, @badgalriri followed New Democrat leader Jagmeet Singh on Instagram Thursday.
The Rihanna follow is apparently a big deal, even to celebrities. The pop singer has made headlines simply by unfollowing other artists like Drake and Cardi B. Despite being followed by tens of millions of Instagram users, Rihanna keeps her own follow list relatively short at just over 1,000 people. As of Thursday evening VICE confirmed she was already following Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.*
Rihanna has been outspoken about American politics in the past. She isn’t afraid to @ Donald Trump with her stance on ICE raids, and has sent the president cease and desist letters over use of her songs.
While it’s not clear what about Singh caught RiRi’s attention, he is making history as the first person of colour to run as leader of a major party in Canada. He also made international headlines with his emotional response to the Justin Trudeau blackface scandal last month. Singh spoke directly to Canadians who have experienced racist mocking first hand, telling them they are seen and loved.
Whether it was Singh’s recent response to a racist street encounter, or his climate policy that did the trick, the mysterious follow might mark Rihanna’s biggest statement about Canada since she wore a Senators jersey that one time—arguably the highlight of that franchise's history.
In addition to recently being named the richest woman in music, Rihanna has proven she knows what she’s doing in several industries. She’s launched her own makeup line, acted in blockbuster movies, and has a high-end clothing line on the way.
Maybe Canadian politics is the triple-threat’s next big thing.
Follow Sarah on Twitter.
*An earlier version of this story said Rihanna doesn't follow other party leaders.