Vaccines: Rihanna's no artist

The Vaccines claim Rihanna "isn't an artist."

The 'No Hope' band don't see the singer in the same light as themselves, because she has a team writing and producing all her songs for her rather than doing it herself.

Guitarist Freddie Cowan told Digital Spy: "Rihanna isn't an artist - she has 15 writers, 15 songwriters and 15 producers all fighting for space on her albums and she's the face of it. I have nothing against it, but I don't want to be associated with it."

Freddie also claimed his group would never want to do a collaboration with a pop star, such as that recently undertaken by Coldplay, who wrote 'Princess of China' with Rihanna. Coldpplay and Rihanna will will perform together at the Paralympics closing ceremony next month.

He added: "I've never heard that song, but it's Coldplay - they'll do whatever they can to be the biggest band on earth, to be bigger than U2.

"They do it really well and they've never put out a bad album so hats off to them.

"I have nothing against those collaborations because I don't feel you can judge people, but I don't think I'll ever be involved in something like that. It needs artistic merit."

The Vaccines new album, 'Come of Age' is set for release on September 3.