It looks like Rihanna’s eagerly anticipated ninth studio album is finally on the way.
The singer, 36, is supposedly getting ready for the album’s release, according to a “well-placed music insider” who chatted with The Sun on Monday.
Since the release of her eighth studio album, Anti, in 2016, Rihanna’s devoted fan base has been clamouring for new music from the singer. If all goes according to plan, they may even get to see her live as she is expected to be the headlining act at the 2025 Glastonbury Festival in England.
Since releasing the album, which received some of the highest reviews of her career, Rihanna has mostly devoted her time to managing and promoting her lucrative lingerie and cosmetics businesses in addition to spending time with her partner, rapper A$AP Rocky.
The couple’s first child, Riot Rose, was born in August 2023, and they received a son, RZA, in May 2022.
Rihanna is preparing to release her first studio album in eight years by the end of the year, a ‘well-placed music insider’ told The Sun on Monday; pictured June 21 in Paris
According to the insider, Rihanna is also organising a major global tour and will be the featured performer at the 2025 Glastonbury Festival in England. She was last seen performing at the Super Bowl halftime show in February 2023.
The insider remarked, “It’s been a running joke how long Rihanna’s ninth album has taken to release, but finally the wait is almost over.”
They asserted that Rihanna had collaborated with producers Alesso and Diplo as well as created tracks with “loads of different people” in recent years.
It is said that the singer-songwriter experimented with many genres in an attempt to find her style, but her audience might never get to hear the results of her failed attempts.
The source went on, “She has done everything from pop to reggae to hip hop and everything in between.” But nearly everything was scrapped because Rihanna wanted it to sound new and because of where she is in her life.
Some of the songs had been “reworked” and repurposed for the album’s final release, they said, but “when she went back to the drawing board earlier this year, the majority was canned completely.”
With optimism, the insider continued, “Rihanna has been back in the studio for a while now and things are finally coming together.”
They pointed out that Rihanna usually releases her albums by the end of the year, but that could easily be pushed back into early 2025 because vinyl records are made slowly, despite the fact that vinyl sales have decreased recently and vinyl has grown greatly in popularity.
Still, the possibly postponed release date would be ideal for arranging Rihanna’s purported world tour.
Her last LP was 2016’s acclaimed Anti, which earned some of the best reviews of her career. But in the subsequent years she focused on her cosmetics and lingerie brands
Riri was set to headline the 2023 Glastonbury Festival, but dropped out due to her pregnancy with second child Riot Rose. She previously welcomed son RZA in May 2022
She intends to release her album late this year, according to the source, though vinyl delays could cause it to come out in early 2025.
Furthermore, according to the insider, Rihanna was scheduled to perform as the main act at the prestigious Glastonbury Festival.
“In any case, 2025 is going to be her year. A massive tour with Live Nation is in the works, and yes, Glastonbury is back on the table,” they declared.
The singer of Work had reportedly been covertly preparing to play at the festival in 2023, but her pregnancy with Riot Rose prompted her to cancel.
Later, the top three acts of the event that year were covered by Arctic Monkeys, Guns n’ Roses, and Elton John.
After her partner A$AP Rocky’s fourth album Don’t Be Dumb, which is set for release on August 30 of this year, comes Rihanna’s musical comeback.
From the LP, he has already released several advance singles, such as D.M.B., S***tin’ Me, RIOT (Rowdy Pipe’n), and Same Problems?
In order to promote his first fashion collection, American Sabotage, he released another song last month. This one featured vocals by their two-year-old son, RZA.
In the meantime, producing The Smurfs Movie for Paramount Animation is one of Rihanna’s upcoming major endeavours.
The hitmaker allegedly experimented with multiple genres and collaborators over the years, but she junked many of her songs before her final push to finish the album; seen with A$AP rocky in June in Paris
In addition, she will compose and record new music for the animated feature The Smurfs Movie, in which she will also play Smurfette. Released in theatres in the US and the UK on February 14, 2025; seen in May in NYC with A$AP Rocky
The singer of Diamonds will also have a significant role on screen as Smurfette, her voice will be provided.
For the movie’s soundtrack, she is apparently creating and recording a number of new songs, however it may not be enough to satisfy fans who are eagerly anticipating her next album.
Ted Lasso star Hannah Waddingham, Sandra Oh, Alex Winter, Billie Lourd, Xolo Maridueña, Kurt Russell, John Goodman, Dan Levy, Amy Sedaris, Nick Kroll, James Corden, Octavia Spencer, and Nick Offerman from Parks and Recreation will also feature in The Smurfs Movie, along with Rihanna.
On February 14, 2025, the family-friendly movie opens in theatres across the US and the UK.