The 'We Found Love' hitmaker - who has not had a serious relationship since splitting from Chris Brown after he brutally assaulted her in February 2009 - is wary of falling in love again in case the relationship goes bad.

She said: "When I was in love, I fell so hard ... The way it made me feel was priceless. And in a blink of an eye my whole life changed. Everything that I knew was different. I never thought I'd feel that pain in my life. I'm afraid of feeling that again."

The 24-year-old R&B superstar - who has had a brief romance with Drake - admits she is very "conservative" in her personal life because she finds it hard to trust people or let them get close to her.

She added to the August issue of America's Harper's Bazaar magazine: "I have been conservative in my love life ... it's pretty much non-existent. If I come across someone who I find really cool, I'll hang out. But the minute I find that we're getting too close I just - I don't let people in."

Instead, the 'Where Have You Been' singer prefers to express her "rebellious" side through her appearance.

She explained: "[I'm] rebellious through my music, through my fashion, tattoos, and my hair."