Billionaire pop star and beauty mogul Rihanna has once again teased fans about her long-anticipated new album, her first since 2016.
In a recent interview, Rihanna mentioned she is starting over after taking a break from the studio, addressing fan speculation about her viral ‘I’m Retired’ t-shirt and denying she has quit the music business.
Rihanna, known for her rapid succession of album releases between 2005 and 2012, followed by her last album ‘Anti’ in 2016, has kept fans on edge with the unusually lengthy wait for her ninth studio album, affectionately dubbed ‘R9’ by fans.
Despite featuring on several tracks in 2017, including Kendrick Lamar’s ‘Loyalty’ and DJ Khaled’s ‘Wild Thoughts’, and earning an Oscar nomination for her song ‘Lift Me Up’ from Black Panther: Wakanda Forever in 2023, Rihanna has yet to drop any teasers or singles from her upcoming project.
The singer’s relationship with her fans has been marked by playful trolling.
She famously promised a 2019 release date, only to later post a video of a dog dancing, captioned: “me listening to R9 by myself and refusing to release it.”
In a 2020 interview with Entertainment Tonight, she admitted to enjoying the back-and-forth with her fans: “I like to antagonize my fans a little bit. Well, they antagonize me, too! So, they get it right back.”
In early 2023, ahead of her Super Bowl halftime performance, she hinted that “it’d be ridiculous” not to release the album within the year.
Rihanna’s album tease came during the launch event for Fenty Hair in Los Angeles.
The new haircare line, which released on June 13, 2024 offers a flexible line of products aimed at strengthening and repairing all types of hair, expanding her already vast beauty empire.
Since launching Fenty Beauty in 2017 in collaboration with French luxury goods giant LVMH, Rihanna’s business ventures have grown significantly.
She later introduced Fenty Skin, a skincare line, and Savage X Fenty, a popular lingerie collection.
These enterprises have contributed significantly to her estimated $1.4 billion net worth, according to Forbes, with her 28% stake in Savage X Fenty being particularly lucrative.
Forbes ranked her as the 23rd richest self-made woman in the United States in 2024.
Rihanna’s fans remain hopeful that the launch of Fenty Hair and her ongoing business success will not overshadow her musical career.
With her cryptic hints and playful interactions, the anticipation for ‘R9’ continues to build, leaving fans eagerly awaiting any further news from the multi-talented superstar.
Related: Rihanna emerges as female musician with the most diamond-certified singles in history
