Rihanna sparked speculation about a potential new album after being seen entering a New York City recording studio early Saturday morning. The nine-time Grammy winner, who hasn’t released an album since 2016’s Anti, wore a floor-length tan coat with fur embellishments, workout clothes, and carried a Louis Vuitton handbag.
Fans on X expressed excitement over the possibility that Rihanna’s long-awaited ninth album, dubbed “R9,” might be in the works.
“R9 IS COMING “”””””””””GET UP NAVYS WE ARE GETTING NEW ALBUM,” exclaimed one fan, while another simply wrote, “WHATTTTTT”, according to PEOPLE.
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However, more skeptical fans remained doubtful, unwilling to assume the sighting signals new music from the singer and fashion mogul.
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“She’s not fooling me,” one said, while another fan guessed, “She’s recording a voice over for her Fenty ads.”
Some fans speculated that Rihanna’s studio visit might be tied to her role as Smurfette in Paramount’s upcoming animated Smurfs movie.
The “Work” singer has been open about taking her time with music since becoming a mother to sons RZA, 2, and Riot, 17 months, with partner A$AP Rocky.
“It’s very different,” Rihanna said of working post-kids during a press conference prior to her 2023 Super Bowl Halftime Show. “The balance is almost impossible because no matter how you look at it, work is always something that’s going to rob you of time with your child. That’s the currency now, that’s where it goes. The magnitude of how much it weighs.”
In a June 2024 interview with Entertainment Tonight, Rihanna reassured fans that her ninth studio album is on the way but indicated she wants to approach it with a fresh perspective reflecting her current stage in life.
“I think that music, for me, is a new discovery,” she said. “I’m rediscovering things. I have been working on the [new] album for so long that I kinda put all that stuff aside and now I’m prepared to go back in the studio.”
