Will Rihanna finally release “R9” this year? In an Instagram post on Thursday, Rihanna gave an inside look at her day-to-day life, and in the short video, the “Umbrella” singer is hard at work in the studio. Ten years ago, the album “ANTI” was released, and the fans have been begging the singer to release a new album. But don’t get your hopes up yet, because this isn’t the first time Rih has teased an album.
Rihanna Teases “R9” Again
The year has just started, and maybe Rihanna is getting a head start on her next music project. In the video post on the official badgalriri Instagram account, at around 2 a.m., the “Kiss it Better” singer is in the studio until about 6 a.m. She also posted this video to her X account. The video does not feature any music samples in the background, and most of the studio clip portions do not have any sound.
In the video, Rihanna is in the studio dancing and bopping her head to music, writing in a notebook and even adjusting the mixing board. The small part with sound, the “Battleship” actor is laughing with a group of people and saying, “Let’s connect, and yesterday’s price is not today’s price.”
This is the first time the mother of three has posted recent footage of herself working in the studio instead of partying and supporting her man, A$AP Rocky, giving fans hope.
Is “R9” Finally Coming?
Before fans start dancing in the streets, the latest “R9” tease could be another stunt to troll the internet. Rihanna has poked fun at the public for years, making jokes about how long the project is taking. And in several interviews, when discussing her next album, she expressed that she is taking her time to find the right sound.
For example, in an interview with Harper’s Bazaar in February last year, she explained why it is taking so long to release the album,
“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.”
Rihanna’s Next Era Awaits
Rihanna’s next album will come with high expectations, so taking her time is understandable. The “Diamond” singer has the Midas touch, having launched two billion-dollar businesses, expanded her beautiful family, become a fashion icon and continued to break records with an album a decade old. The bar is set high for R9.”
According to Billboard, “ANTI” has eight diamond-certified songs, and “”ANTI” also remains the longest-charting album by a Black female artist on the Billboard 200, with more than 508 weeks and counting.”
The same music fans who will celebrate the release of a new Rihanna album include the same critics who will bash “R9” if it is not on the same level as “ANTI.”
Rihanna Balances Boss and Mom
When does she sleep? The viral Instagram video posted by Riri starts with a late-night board meeting after 9 p.m. with the Savage x Fenty team. The “Sex With Me” singer is alert and perky in the meeting, approving fabric samples.
After the meeting is over and Rihanna leaves the studio, she races home to put together a diy Mardi Gras outfit and umbrella for her son Riot. With a billion-dollar net, the Bajan beauty could have paid someone to do it or bought a showstopping Mardi Gras outfit. But being a supermom, Rih created the outfit, and mommy duties lasted until almost 10 a.m., and the Roc Nation singer showed no signs of slowing down.
Revisit Rihanna’s Classic Era
Fingers crossed, hopefully “R9” will release this year, but while you wait, stream Rihanna’s album “ANTI” on Spotify. If you have already overplayed “ANTI,” try jamming the album “Talk That Talk” by Rihanna, released in 2012. The album features the songs “You Da One,” “We Found Love” and “Cockiness (Love It).”
