It’s been nine years (!) since Rihanna released her most recent album, and while she has consistently teased its follow-up, a new interview has delivered perhaps the most promising sign that #R9 might finally be upon us.
The pop star spoke of the upcoming project as the cover star of Harper’s Bazaar’s new issue. When asked about the album, which will mark her ninth overall and will succeed 2016’s Anti, Rihanna said the collection of songs “feels right” and “digs right into where I need to be.”
“This body needs to come out, and I’m ready to go there,” she added. Rihanna went on to reveal that she has “been in the studio the whole eight years” since Anti’s release, before dishing on what fans can expect from the album.
“It’s not going to be anything that anybody expects,” she said, adding that the songs are “not going to be commercial or radio digestible.”
As for why it’s taken so long for us to be blessed with new RiRi tracks, the singer said she struggled landing on a sound that felt true to her.
“That’s why I waited. 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.’”
After much deliberation, however, Rihanna said she “feel[s] like I’ve finally cracked” the direction of the album, and vowed to make the years-long wait worth it. “This much time away from music needs to count for the next thing everyone hears,” she said.
“It has to count. It has to matter. I have to show them the worth in the wait. I cannot put up anything mediocre.”
Elsewhere in the interview, Rihanna said Anti is the only album of hers she can listen to without feeling “shame,” since she doesn’t “like listening to my music.” I will not stand for this “Umbrella” slander.
An actual release date for the album was not revealed (hey, we’ll take what we can get), but we’ll get to hear Rihanna, at least in animated form, in her role as Smurfette in the upcoming Smufs movie.
She also plays the role of mother, icon, and legend, but that’s not on her IMDb.
Lead image: Gilbert Flores/WWD via Getty Images
