It seems like Rihanna has been dangling her ninth studio album in front of fans for years. But she’s giving more insight into what people can expect and debunking rumors swirling about. The first hint she’s giving? There’s no genre.
The singer and Fenty Beauty founder recently opened up about not releasing music in almost nine years following her critically and commercially successful album Anti, which came out in 2016 and happens to be the only album Rihanna can listen to “top to bottom” with no shame. The ongoing joke within Rihanna’s fanbase — known as the Navy — is that she’s been doing everything other than making new music. From launching a makeup and haircare brand to a lingerie line, Rihanna has stayed in the know without dropping a single song.
“After waiting eight years, you might as well just wait some more,” Rihanna said in a recent wide-ranging interview with Harper’s Bazaar.
Rihanna gave a glimpse into what fans can expect as she spoke about the evolution of R9 — which as of now has no title or no set release date. In 2018, rumors flew around that she was creating a reggae album honoring her Barbadian roots, but Rihanna says fans were “way off” with that.
“There’s no genre now,” she continued. “That’s why I waited. 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.’”
Rihanna said that after taking so much time away from music “needs to count for the next thing everyone hears.”
“It has to count. It has to matter,” Rihanna said. “I have to show them the worth in the wait. I cannot put up anything mediocre.”
As for how this mysterious project is sounding, Rihanna said she’s feeling “really optimistic.”
“It feels like it digs right into where I need to be, and I want this,” she continued. “This body needs to come out, and I’m ready to go there.”
Rihanna also said that creating R9 has evolved in the last eight years, noting that she’s been “in the studio” the entire time. “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.’”
She continued: “I know it’s not going to be anything that anybody expects. 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!”
Rihanna also spoke about the joys of motherhood and the unique personalities of her two sons, RZA and Riot. “RZA is just an empath,” she said of her oldest, while Riot seems to personify his name. “[Riot’s] not taking no for an answer from anyone. I don’t know where he came from, dude.” Will her kids be featured in her music? Rihanna said she and partner A$AP Rocky are already trying to figure out how to incorporate them.
