Rihanna gives update on new album: “It’s not going to be anything that anybody expects”

Rihanna has given fans an update on her much-anticipated new album, saying it is “not going to be anything that anybody expects”.

• READ MORE: Rihanna: every album ranked and rated

Widely dubbed ‘R9’, the pop superstar’s next record will be her first since ‘Anti’, which was released in January 2016. She has been tight-lipped with details about her progress on new music in recent years, but a new interview has shed significant light on the project.

Speaking to Harper’s BAZAAR, she said: “I’ve been in the studio the whole eight years. But it didn’t hit me. I was searching for it. I went through phases of what I wanted to do. ‘This kind of album, not that album’.”

“I know it’s not going to be anything that anybody expects,” she continued. “And it’s not going to be commercial or radio, digestible. It’s going to be where my artistry deserves to be right now. I feel like I’ve finally cracked it, girl!”

She was also asked about reports in 2018 and 2019 that the album would be highly influenced by reggae. “Way off! There’s no genre now. That’s why I waited,” she revealed. “Every time, I was just like, ‘No, it’s not me. It’s not right. It’s not matching my growth. It’s not matching my evolution. I can’t do this. I can’t stand by this. I can’t perform this for a year on tour.’”

“After a while, I looked at it, and I was like, this much time away from music needs to count for the next thing everyone hears. It has to count. It has to matter. I have to show them the worth in the wait. I cannot put up anything mediocre. After waiting eight years, you might as well just wait some more.”

The few scraps of information Rihanna has shared in the last 12 months about ‘R9’ include her saying she was “starting over” with a “new perspective” at a Fenty Hair event in June, and enigmatically suggesting that “God had other plans for me” than music at a product launch in November.

Rumours emerged on Friday (February 21) that linked Rihanna to a string of huge headline shows at the London Stadium in early July, which also triggered speculation of a possible headline appearance at Glastonbury 2025 for the ‘Umbrella’ singer. There has been no confirmation on either count so far. Rihanna has not toured at all since the ‘Anti’ World Tour in 2016.

The last song Rihanna was featured on was ‘Lift Me Up’ – the 2022 lead single for the Black Panther: Wakanda Forever soundtrack. She gave a powerful performance of the ballad at the 2023 Oscars.

Rihanna also headlined the 2023 Super Bowl Halftime Show – which was her first performance in seven years. She then followed that up last year when she played her first full show in eight years for a billionaire’s private wedding in India.

Her partner A$AP Rocky was found not guilty last week in his trial for a 2021 shooting incident. The Los Angeles jury acquitted him on all counts, after he had been charged for allegedly firing a gun at his former friend A$AP Relli. He had faced 24 years in prison and had turned down a plea deal for 180 days in jail.

Responding to the acquittal, Rihanna wrote: “The glory belongs to God and God alone! Thankful, humbled by his mercy! ”

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