Rihanna finally confirms new album and reveals why she made us wait 9 years

This is not a drill, Rihanna has confirmed she has been in the studio and will finally release new music after nine years away.

Her last studio album Anti was released in 2016 but rumours of new music and even a possible Glastonbury headlining slot have been more rampant than ever.

Instead of topping charts, Riri has been busy starting her family with A$AP Rocky, welcoming their children; RZA, two, and Riot, 18 months.

She’s also been dominating the makeup industry as the founder of Fenty Beauty, along with plenty of fashion brands. Long story short, Rihanna has been busy.

A return to the studio seemed to be less and less likely with every passing year, with her hiatus almost as long as her active music career — until now.

‘This feels right. It feels like it digs right into where I need to be, and I want this,’ Rihanna revealed to Harper’s Bazaar.

The Umbrella icon explained that there’s no specific genre for this new album, despite speculation about a reggae record in 2018.

This is partly why she waited so long to create new music, it simply wasn’t matching her ‘growth’ or ‘evolution’.

Rihanna shared: ‘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.’

The Diamonds hitmaker isn’t sharing much about the album yet, keeping details vague but confirmed she had been in the studio throughout her hiatus.

She didn’t intend to be away for so long but the music just didn’t hit her, she spent her eight-year break ‘searching for it’.

The pressure was on after the release of Anti, which got the best reviews of her career and became an instant classic with tracks like Work, Needed Me, and Kiss It Better.

‘I went through phases of what I wanted to do,’ Rihanna said, ‘”This kind of album, not that album.” I know it’s not going to be anything that anybody expects.

‘And it’s not going to be commercial or radio-digestible. It’s going to be where my artistry deserves to be right now. I feel like I’ve finally cracked it, girl!’

Plenty of collaborations have been promised for her long-awaited record, including Alesso and Diplo.

A new album could give more credence to persistent rumours that Rihanna is a 2025 Glastonbury headliner.

As fans pray that 90s band Radiohead reunites at the iconic festival, and rumours emerge that the likes of Kings of Leon and Olivia Rodrigo could be set to perform – there are fresh rumours that the Love On The Brain singer is set to headline.

The Fenty founder hasn’t toured since her Anti World Tour in 2016, which included a stop at London’s Wembley Stadium.

However, the billionaire musician is reportedly set to return to the stage with a major residency at the London Stadium at around the same time as this year’s Glastonbury.

Music insiders have speculated that the timing of her shows at the London Stadium – formerly the Olympic Stadium – could mean that an appearance at Worthy Farm is also imminent.

A ‘senior concert industry’ source told The Telegraph that Rihanna is lining up a six-concert residency at London Stadium, with two shows reportedly set for July 4 and 5.

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The source claims that further concerts could take place on July 8, 9, 11 and 12 – mere days after this year’s Glastonbury comes to an end.

Meanwhile, a second source told the paper that the star’s promoters are ‘saving’ the venue for her.

In October 2023, it was reported she signed an eye-watering £32million comeback deal with Live Nation, so we’re closer than ever to Anti’s follow-up.

An insider previously shared with Daily Mail: ‘Either way, 2025 is set to be her year with a giant tour in the works with Live Nation and yes, Glastonbury is back on the table.’

Last year’s festival saw Dua Lipa headline on Friday with Coldplay following for a record-breaking headline show on Saturday.

Sza closed the weekend to a mixed response, with the star saying she was incredibly nervous before taking to the iconic Pyramid Stage.

Rihanna has never played at Worthy Farm, having reportedly been forced to pull out of the 2023 lineup due to her pregnancy with Riot Rose.

Elton John, Guns n’ Roses, and Arctic Monkeys were then named as headliners, with the Rocketman icon closing the weekend to thunderous applause.

However, Riri did perform at the Super Bowl halftime show that year, confirming her pregnancy to the world in style.

With A$AP Rocky, the Work hitmaker has two children; sons RZA, who was born May 13, 2022, and Riot, born August 1, 2023.

Metro.co.uk has reached out to Rihanna’s reps for comment.

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