The Return of ‘Thickanna’ Makes Twitter Rejoice

In the endless churn that is the celebrity news cycle, there’s one story trend you can always count on: reactions to celebrity weight gain (or loss), usually characterized by harsh criticism in either direction, depending on the star. But there’s one celeb who’s been able to transcend this cycle: Rihanna.

As evidenced by recent photos of the 29-year-old singer strutting around New York City, Rihanna’s flaunting a curvier figure — and Twitter is here for it.

“In love with Thickanna,” wrote one user.

“Let’s discuss these thighs,” swooned another, adding a heart-eyed emoji for good measure.

Another gleefully exclaimed, “The heavens have opened & people of twitter it’s true, Rihanna got thick again which means I have to get thick…for the culture #Thickanna.”

And it’s not just Twitter that’s here for Thickanna — it’s pretty much the whole Internet. There’s a Thickanna hashtag on Tumblr that returns tons of results showing Rihanna in various states of non-dress, showing off her thicker self. It’s inspired a Pinterest board full of Thickanna’s best looks. And of course, she’s all over Instagram, inspiring users with her juiciness.

The origin of “Thickanna” comes from the songstress herself. Back in 2013, an eagle-eyed fan noticed Rihanna was looking curvier and asked her if it was true that she’d gained weight. Not one to hold back, Rihanna replied, “Yasss! #progress #operationThickanna.”

Why the hashtag of progress? Because the “Umbrella” singer actually wanted to gain weight. As she told Ryan Seacrest in 2012, “It’s difficult to have any kind of routine when your schedule is that crazy. So I really have no idea how I’m continuously losing weight. It’s actually pretty annoying. Now, I don’t have a butt, no boobs — already had no boobs — so annoying!”

Well she’s got nothing to worry about now, not that she ever did — Rihanna’a hot whether she’s Thickanna or Skinnyanna, as fans have taken to calling her during times when she’s lost a few pounds. But at her more voluptuous self, Rihanna exudes infectious self-confidence that’s hard to ignore.

In fact, we wish more celebs would embrace their weight fluctuations and celebrate those times where they’re carrying a little extra junk in the trunk. Then maybe we’d see more reactions like these all over the world:

Keep doing you, RiRi.

Read more from Yahoo Celebrity:

• The Rock Sounds Downright ‘Presidential’ About ‘Baywatch’ Reviews

• Billy Bush’s 4 Steps for Winning Back Public Trust (Including Kissing Babies)

• Mark Zuckerberg Visits His Old Harvard Dorm Room, aka Facebook’s Birthplace