After unleashing her double-platinum eighth album in 2016, Rihanna has dominated
the charts worldwide with hits including the juggernaut Drake-assisted ‘Work’,
‘Needed Me’ and many more.
Despite not releasing any solo material in 2017, Bad Gal has been slaying the
fashion and beauty industries, as well as supporting her many philanthropic causes
and featuring on a number of chart-topping singles.
Nevertheless, The Navy is always anticipating new material – as are the rest of the
world – and are ready for the #R9 era to begin.
One could say that Rihanna fans have grown impatient waiting for her ninth studio
album, when really they are past the point of impatience — and for good reason.
The Grammy winner has not released an album since January 2016, when she
dropped her magnum opus, Anti, which included the blockbuster singles “Work”
featuring Drake, “Needed Me,” “Kiss It Better” and “Love on the Brain.” Since then,
she has been teasing and teasing and teasing her next project, but other ventures
— namely her multimillion-dollar Fenty Beauty brand — have delayed the process.
#R9, as fans have temporarily dubbed the album, has been in the works for nearly
two years. Rihanna first confirmed that she was “in the studio and working on new
music” in June 2018 while appearing on The Graham Norton Show. Even then, she
stayed mum about the details, teasing,
“You’ll just have to wait and see.”
When asked for an update 15 months later, the Barbados native was equally tightlipped.
“Well, obviously, I’m a confident woman, so whatever I do, it’s gon’ be
confident — whether it’s the album, perfume, lingerie, makeup or fashion,” she told
Entertainment Tonight in September 2019. “Y’all gon’ have to wait, Navy. I’m so
sorry.”
That said, not everything about the album has been top-secret. Rihanna confirmed
that it is inspired by her reggae and dancehall roots, and Pharrell Williams and The-
Dream are on the shortlist of producers helping her pull it all together. As for the
release date, well, even RiRi has no idea.
