Rihanna shares update on new music: “There should be a show of growth”

Rihanna has shared a new update on her anticipated ninth studio album – see what she had to say below.

• READ MORE: Rihanna: every album ranked and rated

While attending a Fenty Beauty Soft’lit Foundation event in Los Angeles on Friday (April 26), Rihanna spoke to Extra about a number of topics, ranging from her son’s upcoming second birthday, what she plans to wear at this year’s MET Gala party and her upcoming music.

When asked about her new music, Rihanna told Extra: “It’s gonna be amazing. It has to be — that is the only reason it’s not out yet. If I’m not feeling it and I’m not feeling like it represents the evolution, the time I spent away. There should be a show of growth, right?”

She continued: “I want to play, and I feel like music is a playground, and I want to have fun with it and show truly where I am at.” Rihanna later added about possible guest performers on her next record: “I’m not a big collaborator… It has to be very intentional, so I’ll know when I have the record.”

Rihanna’s comments marks the latest update she’s shared about new music. Earlier this month, the singer revealed if her children would appear on any of her new music. “I mean, it’s up to them,” she said. “I already got stuff I feel like I could make hits out of. Me and [partner, A$AP] Rocky are really trying to figure out who’s going to use what because it’s so good.”

Rihanna’s last full-length album was her 2016 eighth album ‘Anti’. She has been teasing the follow-up – dubbed ‘R9’ – since 2018, originally promising fans in an Instagram comment that it would arrive the following year. In 2019, she further taunted fans by uploading a video of a dog dancing to House Of Pain’s ‘Jump Around’ with the message “Update: me listening to R9 by myself and refusing to release it.”

Rihanna’s last release was the 2022 song ‘Lift Me Up’, the sombre lead single to the Black Panther: Wakanda Forever soundtrack and a tribute to late actor Chadwick Boseman.

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