Stevie Nicks Says Rihanna Was Born to Be in Fleetwood Mac

Rock legend Stevie Nicks has named Rihanna as the contemporary artist she thinks could have slotted right into Fleetwood Mac. According to Far Out Magazine, Nicks became convinced of this after watching Rihanna perform "Shut Up and Drive" on Late Show with David Letterman.

What Nicks actually said

Nicks is quoted as saying: "If I ever met her, I'd call her Rhiannon. I've adored her since she did 'Shut Up and Drive' on Letterman. I thought, 'That girl could be in Fleetwood Mac.' She can do it all." She singled out the raw, heartbroken quality in Rihanna's voice on slower material, comparing it to the mystique that runs through Fleetwood Mac's own music.

The case she makes

Nicks pointed to Rihanna's "Diamonds" specifically, arguing that a slowed-down rendition of the song carries enough emotional weight to work within a rock band's register, not just as a dance track. For Nicks, Rihanna isn't just a strong vocalist — she has a stage presence that holds an audience's attention, something Nicks connects to her own rise as a performer in the mid-1970s.

Part of a wider pattern

Per Far Out Magazine's report, Nicks has kept an active interest in contemporary pop and rock artists over the years. She has collaborated with Harry Styles and Natalie Maines of The Chicks, and has spoken publicly about her admiration for Taylor Swift and The Weeknd. Her role in music has increasingly shifted from peer to elder figure for younger generations of artists.

Since establishing her solo identity with her debut album Bella Donna, Nicks has continued to build a musical life outside Fleetwood Mac. In her view, the vocal range and personal magnetism Rihanna brings represent a continuation of that same musical spirit.