Rihanna’s fans are buzzing with excitement after the singer was spotted at a recording studio in New York City on January 18. It’s been nearly seven years since she released her last album, Anti, in 2016, and the sighting has many speculating that her long-awaited ninth studio album, often referred to as “R9,” may finally be on the way.
The 36-year-old music icon arrived at the studio early Saturday morning, dressed in a tan, floor-length coat with fur embellishments, paired with workout clothes and a Louis Vuitton handbag. Her arrival at the studio sparked immediate reactions from fans on social media, with many expressing their hopes that new music is on the horizon.
One excited fan wrote, “R9 IS COMING! GET UP NAVYS WE ARE GETTING NEW ALBUM,” while another simply reacted with “WHATTTTTT.” However, not everyone is convinced. Some skeptical fans questioned whether the studio time was actually for new music, with one commenting, “She’s not fooling me,” and another speculating, “She’s recording a voice over for her Fenty ads.”
A few fans even suggested that Rihanna could be working on music for the upcoming animated Smurfs movie, where she is set to voice the character Smurfette.
While Rihanna has taken a step back from music in recent years, she’s been open about the challenges of balancing her career with motherhood. She welcomed sons RZA, 2, and Riot, 17 months, with her partner A$AP Rocky. In a 2023 interview, she explained how her priorities had shifted. “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,” she said.
In June 2024, Rihanna assured fans that R9 was still in the works, but that she’s taking her time with it. “I think that music, for me, is a new discovery,” she shared. “I’ve been working on the album for so long that I kinda put all that stuff aside and now I’m prepared to go back in the studio.”
Only time will tell if the world will soon hear Rihanna’s long-awaited new music, but her fans are certainly ready for the next chapter.
