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Here’s how 7 of your favourite pop stars handle their nerves

If you tuned in to the BRIT Awards on Wednesday night, you would have saw absolutely own the opening performance, with their rendition of Shout Out To My Ex. You never would have guessed they were nervous, would you?

Well, speaking on the red carpet shortly before the show, Perrie Edwards admitted, "I'm terrified, I can't stop thinking about it." Thankfully bandmate Jesy Nelson was on hand with an encouraging speech to calm the ladies down before they hit the stage - but how do other pop stars handle nerves?

Rihanna

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The Rihanna Birthday Mix

Annie helps Rihanna celebrate with this special birthday mix.

Of course, has a typically rock ‘n’ roll way of calming her nerves: with a shot. “Jen, my personal assistant slash bartender, brings me a shot that she dilutes with a little something so it’s not so harsh, like orange juice or soda water and lime,” RiRi told Esquire in 2011.

“I have to have it. I take it very seriously, so there is a level of anxiety, always… The drink calms my nerves. I sip it while I watch the opening act from my dressing room.”

Lorde

Lorde highlights

Highlights of Lorde's set at Radio 1's Big Weekend in Glasgow 2014

In an interview with The West Australian, admitted, "I, like, totally threw up before my show last night. I am reduced by nerves. I can be completely crushed by feelings of all kinds. I get nervous, I get freaked out, I get, you know, the usual stuff."

So how does Lorde manage to force herself out on stage? By giving herself a good, stern talking too. “[I] just try and tell myself that 'You'll be in your zone. The lights will be on and ... people will be cheering and, you know, it'll be okay’”.

Mark Ronson

Mark Ronson - Interview

Mark Ronson chats to Charlie Sloth on Radio 1.

Before he got his Uptown Funk on, suffered from terrible nerves – but having company on stage has helped him massively. Speaking to The Daily Record, Mark said, “I still get nervous when I am performing and a bit too anxious to fully enjoy it, but I have also never felt so comfortable and solid on a stage with a group of musicians. It feels like a band.

“I love the group because it is a support system for me. The fright is not something that would make me stop. It is like a slightly welcome anxiety that lets me know something is functioning in there.”

Taylor Swift

Taylor Swift

Highlights of Taylor Swift's set at Radio 1's Big Weekend in Norwich 2015

Back in 2011, admitted to Teen Vogue that it’s awards show audiences that scare her most, when not everyone is necessarily a fan. "I never look down at the front row!” she said. “My hero watching me equals nerves!” Maybe just imagine them in their pants next time, TayTay?

The Weeknd

It’s hard to imagine as anything other than super confident, but it’s only since he found a fan base that his nerves have calmed. “I used to be very nervous, especially about performing on TV,” he told Billboard in December 2016.

“I think being known helps the nerves. Now, when I step out at the American Music Awards or on Saturday Night Live, I have fans. Before, I was just some indie R&B singer and I had to prove myself. You could hear a pin drop in some of those TV stations. Now, people come out and buy tickets. I hear them scream my name, so I know I’ll be fine. They want me to do well.”

Niall Horan

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Another gent who believes having your own fans is the key to relieving nerves? .

Ahead of his solo performance at the 2016 American Music Awards, Niall told E! News, “When it’s this kind of thing, you get nervous - it’s live TV. “When it’s your own gig, you can get away with it a little bit more. The whole crowd comes to see you, so you can kind of get away with a bit more messing about.”

Wonder what his One Direction bandmates would have to say about that.

Adele

Adele’s Grammy night was an emotional roller coaster

She made Grammy history, made Beyoncé cry and then (kind of) announced her marriage.

’s performance anxiety has been well documented, with the star telling Rolling Stone magazine, “One show in Amsterdam I was so nervous, I escaped out the fire exit. I've thrown up a couple of times. Once in Brussels, I projectile vomited on someone. I just gotta bear it.”

So just how does she bear it? Well, Adele found herself asking that age old question, “what would do?” and invented her own alter ego: Sasha Carter, based on a combination of Bey’s own stage persona, Sasha Fierce, and late country legend .