Anticipation Builds as Rihanna Declares ‘R9’ Will Be ‘Unexpected’ in Harpers Bazaar Interview

Rihanna recently shared that she’s “feeling really optimistic” about her long-awaited album during a new interview, revealing that she has “finally cracked it” after a nine-year wait since Anti.

The singer is featured on the cover of the latest Harpers Bazaar issue, per Rolling Stone, where she opened up about her highly anticipated ninth album, affectionately called R9 by fans.

When asked about R9, Rihanna expressed, “This feels right. It feels like it digs right into where I need to be, and I want this. This body needs to come out, and I’m ready to go there. This is becoming my new freedom, because when I’m in the studio, I know that my time away from my kids is to blossom something that hasn’t been watered in eight years. I’ve been in the studio the whole eight years. But it didn’t hit me. I was searching for it.”

She added, “I went through phases of what I wanted to do. ‘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!”

Rumors about R9 have been swirling since 2018, just two years after Anti dropped, when there were talks of a dancehall-inspired album. However, in her Harpers interview, she clarified that the new LP won’t be tied to any specific genre. “Way off! There’s no genre now. 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. I can’t perform this for a year on tour,’” she explained.

Even though the beauty and fashion icon hasn’t dropped a new album in nearly nine years, she hasn’t completely stepped away from music.

In 2022, Rihanna released two tracks, “Lift Me Up” and “Born Again,” for the Black Panther: Wakanda Forever soundtrack, and she also headlined the Super Bowl halftime show the next year with a set that showcased her entire career.

Now that Rih has confirmed she’s back in the studio working on new music, fans are eagerly waiting to hear when they can expect the new release.