In the nearly decade-long stretch without a the 2023 Super Bowl Halftime Show. This performance served as a reminder of the music fans are missing out on in the seemingly never-ending anticipation of a new Rihanna album.
Since the release of Anti in 2016, Rihanna has been dropping hints and teasing fans about a new album. In 2019, she even shared a video of a dog dancing on her Instagram captioned "me listening to R9 by myself and refusing to release it." The six years following this post have not delivered this seemingly complete album. However, in June 2024, RiRi told Entertainment Tonight that she is "starting over."
Why Rihanna Hasn't Released A New Album Since 2016
Rihanna Has Poured Her ion Into Many Other Ventures
Although she hasn't released a new album since the beloved hip-hop classic Anti, Rihanna hasn't been just kicking her feet up and relaxing. Rihanna has become a wildly successful entrepreneur. She has two brands in the Fenty empire with estimated values in the billions. In 2017, she launched Fenty Beauty, named after her family name.
Fenty Beauty isn't just a celebrity cash grab with Rihanna at the center of an ethos marketing campaign — it is a high-quality, well-respected beauty brand. A year later she launched Savage X Fenty, a lingerie brand. Her value at the core of both businesses is to create high-quality, inclusive products to empower people of all skin tones and sizes. The brands have brought the star's net worth to an incredible $1.4 billion as of 2025.
In addition to chasing her dreams of creating brands that make everyone feel beautiful, Rihanna is a mother. She has two children with A$AP Rocky. The two have been a celebrity power couple for over a decade and continue to pour love and attention into the family they are building together. They welcomed their first child in 2022, RZA Athelson Mayers. Rihanna's second pregnancy was revealed in her 2023 Superbowl performance.
How Black Panther 2 Convinced Rihanna Out Of Self-Imposed Hiatus
Black Panther 2 director Ryan Coogler discusses Rihanna's much-anticipated involvement in the Marvel Cinematic Universe movie.
In of music, Rihanna has appeared on a few tracks over the years. In 2022, Rihanna released her powerful tear-jerker "Lift Me Up" on the Black Panther soundtrack, and it was widely considered one of the best original songs in the MCU. She did a handful of features in 2017, most notably Kendrick Lamar's Grammy-winning song, "Loyalty." Rihanna has also made appearances in movies and TV shows such as the action-packed Ocean's 8.
What Rihanna Has Said About Making A New Album
She Has Teased It Several Times
There have been rumors about the release of R9 for years, mostly started by the 'Umbrella' singer herself. RiRi can't help but bring up the album every few months and make unfulfilled promises. In 2018, the singer simply replied "2019" to an Instagram comment asking when the album would drop.
"I’ve tried every genre – now I’m just, I’m wide open. I can make anything that I want." - Rihanna, British Vogue, 2020
Interestingly, in that same year, she told Rolling Stone that she was working on more than one album; a pop album and a reggae album. Neither released in 2019. In 2020, Rihanna said she was "very aggressively working on music." The last time R9 felt like it was nearly in our grasp was when Rihanna told British Vogue that it would be "ridiculous" if she didn't release her album in 2023. Ridiculously, the album was not released.
Could A New Rihanna Album Be Released In 2025?
RiRi Has Said She Is Stepping Back Into The Studio
The R9 rumors have been reignited by some of Rihanna's recent comments. In the summer of 2024, Rihanna was spotted walking around wearing a shirt that said "I'm Retired," causing the Navy to worry that their idol was dropping hints about her retirement from music. She squashed these rumors and said that she was prepared to step back into the studio and experience the album with fresh ears. She wants to find all the elements of the album that she still loves and alter the parts that don't speak to her anymore.
Fans and reporters alike have been begging for answers, but taking the singer's word often leads to disappointment. Rihanna is an unreliable source and there has been no evidence of music beyond her word. Only time can tell what 2025 holds for Rihanna.
Sources: Forbes, Entertainment Tonight, Vulture, Vogue, Hollywood Reporter
