Rihanna, our favorite Barbadian jack-of-all-trades, is finally teasing new music. After five years, fans are absolutely buzzing to hear that her album is in the works. In an interview before the taping of her Savage x Fenty Vol. 3 show, the popular singer admitted that her upcoming album will be “completely different” than what we expect.
Five Long Years
It’s been five long years since the release of Rihanna’s last project. ANTI dropped in 2016, and within a week received platinum certification and jumped to the #1 position on Billboard. The album, like her forthcoming project, diverged from her known dance genre to pop, r&b, and soul. We’re ecstatic to learn just what sounds will come from her untitled new music.
Working on Her Billion Dollar Brand
Though Rihanna hasn’t dropped an album since 2016, she has not been relaxing all this time. The star began her lingerie brand, Savage X Fenty, and has taken over the world of runways since then. The taping of Savage x Fenty Vol. 3, where she gave her interview, featured huge modeling talents such as Adriana Lima, Gigi Hadid, and Vanessa Hudgens. She’s also recruited many diverse talents and body types for her inclusive brand, with ambassadors like Megan Thee Stallion and Kash Doll. At current, Rihanna’s lingerie brand is now worth more than one billion dollars.
A Few Features
Thankfully, fans have also been able to listen to a few features with Rihanna over the last couple years. In 2020, Rihanna collaborated with PARTYNEXTDOOR for “BELIEVE IT.” She also teamed up with N.E.R.D. and Drake in 2017 for a few other remixes and features. But that’s not all we’ve seen of bad gal RiRi.
Appearances on the Big Screen
In 2018, Rihanna starred in the hit film Ocean’s Eight as a witty tech thief named Nine Ball. The movie topped the box office on its opening weekend, in part because of its star-studded cast. We’ve seen Rihanna on the big screen before however, as she was given parts in major movies like Annie and Bring It On: All or Nothing.
Music is Like Fashion
Though we see Rihanna’s been busy for the last five years, fans are nevertheless ecstatic to hear about new music. Unfortunately, the star did not give us a release date or a title, but she said this of her upcoming album: “You’re not going to expect what you hear. Just put that in your mind,” she said. “Whatever you know of Rihanna is not going to be what you hear. I’m really experimenting. Music is like fashion. You should be able to play. I should be able to wear whatever I want. I treat music the same way. So I’m having fun and it’s going to be completely different.”
Whatever genre and sounds Rihanna plays with, her next project is sure to be a chart-topper and fan favorite.
