On Rihanna, Robyn and fearlessness

If you need proof of Rihanna's fearlessness, look no further than her new "Pour It Up" music video.

The 25-year-old singer both directed and stars in the raunchy clip, which - true to the song's lyrics - features plenty of both dollar bills, strippers, and their requisite poles.

As RiRi showed on her Instagram account, she even fit in some pole practice for the shoot.

But, the star tells Glamour magazine in its November issue, that carefree attitude had to be cultivated.

"I had to regain my fearlessness because it did go away for a little bit," Rihanna says. "My mother said something to me a few years ago: 'I’ve seen something in your eyes I’ve never seen before: fear.' She was like, 'No, this is not you.' I just got back to being OK with myself."

Rihanna admits that she was teased as a kid, but believes the criticism helped prepare her for the kind that comes with fame.

"I got teased my entire school life. What they were picking on I don’t even understand. It was my skin color [which was lighter than her classmates’]. Then when I got older, it was about my breasts. But I’m not victimized - I’m grateful. ... It’s so easy for me to deal with the bulls*** now," she says.

If the singer does get any negative feedback for her latest video, it wouldn't be the first time. Another single, "Man Down," was criticized for promoting violence. But, the artist tells Glamour, she's gotten used to being misunderstood.

"When people call me Robyn, my head just flies around because I feel like that person knows me. But Rihanna, that tends to be people’s own [creation]. Robyn is who I am. Rihanna - that’s an idea of who I am," she says. "That’s why it’s important for me to know who I am. There’s no way for people to know me. All they have are a couple of pictures and some crazy headlines to go off of."