Rihanna goes blonde for photoshoot

Rihanna has channelled the spirit of Marilyn Monroe by donning a blonde wig and pouting provocatively for a Vogue magazine covershoot.

The Umbrella hitmaker is seen on the front of the British publication's latest edition wearing a lustrous, light-coloured hairpiece and figure-hugging frock.

In another shot for the issue, she peels off to a skimpy bodysuit, short jacket, high heels and a black beret.

But the singer, who sparked controversy when she tied a man to a bed and suggestively sucked a banana during the promo for her hit track S+M, has defended her notoriously racy antics.

She tells the publication, "That's not me. That's a part I play. You know, like it's a piece of art... I just want to make music."