Rihanna’s Back, But Don’t Expect an Album Anytime Soon
There's a flurry of activity from Rihanna, but it seems as though an album is not yet on the near horizon.
After remaining fairly quiet when it comes to her music career for years, the past few months have been filled with a flurry of activity from Rihanna.
With exciting announcements and new tunes, this is a thrilling moment, and it seems like the future is bright for her — but fans shouldn’t expect much more, especially when it comes to the long-awaited new album that so many have been waiting for.
“No, no, no. That’s not true,” Rihanna answered when an Associated Press reporter assumed that her upcoming Super Bowl halftime gig meant an album was coming soon. She continued, “Super Bowl is one thing. New music is another thing.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQE86I8FfUY
In September, Rihanna confirmed that she said yes to the NFL and that she’ll be headlining the 2023 Super Bowl halftime show. The instant the news was revealed, millions of stans the world over began predicting that she was also planning on releasing her ninth full-length. That thinking makes sense, but sadly, it seems that isn’t the case.
“Do you hear that, fans? Because I knew, the second that I announced this I said, ‘Oh my God, they’re gonna think my album is coming, I need to get to work,” RiRi added on, somewhat jokingly.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mx_OexsUI2M
While an album might not be on the horizon, fans do have two new Rihanna songs to enjoy. The Barbadian pop icon leads the charge on the Black Panther: Wakanda Forever soundtrack with not one, but a pair of singles. The first, “Lift Me Up,” was released on October 28, and it wasted no time making a splash on charts all around the world. While it looked for a while like the tune might debut at No. 1, becoming RiRi’s fifteenth champion on the Hot 100, Taylor Swift’s “Anti-Hero” proved too big to beat.
On Friday (November 11), Rihanna delighted fans once again with a second song from Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, “Born Again.” That song reportedly soundtracks the credits of the new superhero picture, and in a few days, it may also become another major smash on the charts as well.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k5E6CExu204
Fans have been waiting what feels like an eternity for Rihanna to announce a new album, but sadly, it appears they’ll need to continue to hold on. For much of her career, RiRi was known as one of the most prolific stars in music.
She maintained a seemingly never-ending presence on the Hot 100, constantly churning out new hits, either on her own or as a featured guest on tunes led by other powerhouse singers and rappers. Between 2005 and 2012, she released seven albums, all of which produced big radio smashes. Her most recent studio effort, Anti, came four years later, and is widely regarded as perhaps her best artistic statement.
While an album is not imminent, Rihanna might have something that fans are going to love…though what exactly it is isn’t clear. During the same interview with the AP, which took place on the red carpet for her latest Savage x Fenty presentation, the singer did tease an upcoming project of some kind. “But I do have new music coming out,” the Grammy winner admitted. “We’ll see… A special project.”
Support Metro Weekly’s Journalism
These are challenging times for news organizations. And yet it’s crucial we stay active and provide vital resources and information to both our local readers and the world. So won’t you please take a moment and consider supporting Metro Weekly with a membership? For as little as $5 a month, you can help ensure Metro Weekly magazine and MetroWeekly.com remain free, viable resources as we provide the best, most diverse, culturally-resonant LGBTQ coverage in both the D.C. region and around the world. Memberships come with exclusive perks and discounts, your own personal digital delivery of each week’s magazine (and an archive), access to our Member's Lounge when it launches this fall, and exclusive members-only items like Metro Weekly Membership Mugs and Tote Bags! Check out all our membership levels here and please join us today!
