Rihanna assures fans that her highly anticipated ninth studio album will be worth the wait, emphasizing that she refuses to release anything less than exceptional.
By Website Content Manager
Published by Cel Manero from Global One Media Inc.
The Grammy winner playfully remarked in a recent interview that after waiting eight years, a little more patience won’t hurt.
As fans continue to anticipate Rihanna’s next album, the singer promises it will be far from “mediocre.”
In a wide-ranging interview with Harper’s Bazaar on February 22, the nine-time Grammy winner, 37, opened up about her long-awaited ninth studio album, assuring fans it will be worth their patience.
Addressing a long-standing rumor that her next project would be a reggae album, Rihanna dismissed the speculation, saying, “Not even close! There’s no specific genre this time. That’s exactly why I took my time.”
She further explained that each time she worked on the album, she felt it didn’t align with her personal and artistic growth. “I kept thinking, ‘This isn’t me. It doesn’t feel right. It doesn’t reflect my evolution. I can’t commit to this or perform it for an entire tour.’”
“After stepping away from music for so long, I realized that my return had to be meaningful,” Rihanna shared with Harper’s Bazaar. “It has to be worth it. I need to show fans that the wait was justified.”
While the album’s release is still pending, the singer—who last dropped a studio album with Anti in 2016 and recently sparked excitement after being seen in the recording studio—assured fans that what’s coming will be nothing short of exceptional.
“I refuse to put out anything mediocre,” she emphasized. “After eight years of waiting, a little more patience won’t hurt.”
Although Rihanna remained tight-lipped about specific details regarding her upcoming album, she did express her excitement and confidence in the project.
“This feels right,” she told Harper’s Bazaar. “It aligns perfectly with where I need to be, and I truly want this. This body of work is ready to be released, and I’m ready to take that step.”
The singer—who shares two sons, RZA, 2½, and Riot, 18 months, with partner A$AP Rocky—also described making music as a newfound sense of liberation. “Being in the studio has become my new escape because I know that the time I spend away from my kids is dedicated to nurturing something that hasn’t been fully cultivated in eight years.”
Reflecting on her creative process, Rihanna admitted that despite working in the studio throughout those years, she struggled to find the right direction. “I kept searching, going through different ideas—‘Maybe this kind of album, no, not that one.’ But now, I finally know it’s not going to be anything people expect.”
She added, “It won’t be commercial or designed for radio play. It will be exactly where my artistry needs to be at this moment. I feel like I’ve finally cracked the code, girl!”
In her conversation with Harper’s Bazaar, Rihanna reflected on her past music and admitted that Anti is the only album she can listen to “from start to finish without feeling any embarrassment.”
“I’ve always felt a sense of shame when listening to my own music. Honestly, I don’t even enjoy hearing myself,” she shared. “But Anti—I can actually listen to that album. It almost feels like I’m not the one singing.”
She went on to say, “Anti is the one album where I can have an out-of-body experience. It’s not like… you know when you hear your voice in a voicemail and just cringe? Yeah, it’s not like that.”
