Friendship preceded romance for Rihanna and A$AP Rocky.

In a new cover story for Interview, the “We Found Love” superstar, 36, opened up about knowing A$AP for years before they officially entered a relationship.

The musicians first met when they collaborated on a remix of Rihanna’s 2012 single “Cockiness (Love It)” and performed the track on the MTV Video Music Awards. They costarred in A$AP’s “Fashion Killa” music video the following year, and while they didn’t officially start dating until late 2019, their connection was strong.

“We saw fashion the same. We saw creative the same. We ended up in the same circles a lot,” said Rihanna. “And past that, when we grew up, we ended up supporting each other’s brands and products and creative all the time. I would wear his s—, he would show up to my launches.”

Spending time around one another allowed the pair to gain insight on how each other approaches romance before launching into romance. “I’ve seen him in relationships. He’s seen me in relationships. We’ve seen each other outside of relationships,” said Rihanna.

“We knew what we’re capable of, and the trouble that we could bring to each other’s lives. We can make or break each other’s hearts. And so, we started dating with a lot of caution,” she added.

“I just let whatever was supposed to happen, happen. It was just, ‘This is a flower. It’s either going to die or blossom. But I’m going to let it decide itself,'” recalled the Grammy winner.

Rihanna and A$AP, 35, confirmed their relationship in November 2020, and they’ve since welcomed two children together: sons RZA, 23 months, and Riot, 8 months.

“COVID sped up our relationship, which I felt like God knew we needed because we were going to start a family,” the “Diamonds” singer told Interview. “And had it not been for COVID, we would’ve taken a lot more time to get comfortable with each other, to even know that we were ready.”

After spending so much time together in the pandemic, Rihanna said “there was no denying” they were in it for the long haul: “It was the best thing that ever happened to us. It just happened.”

“I let God lead and just let go,” added the Fenty Beauty founder, who was romantically linked to billionaire Hassan Jameel prior to A$AP. “Because in previous relationships, I tried and tried and tried my best, and you still feel like it’s not enough.”

“So when someone sees you completely, and believes in you, and thinks you’re worthy of being the mother of their kids, it’s a great feeling,” said Rihanna of A$AP. “I felt the same about him. I knew he would be a great dad.”