Rihanna Promises Her Reggae-Inspired Album ‘R9’ Will Be Worth The Wait
Bajan songstress and beauty mogul Rihanna has promised that her reggae-inspired album, which has been dubbed ‘R9’ by fans, will be worth the wait.
The nine-time Grammy winner caught up with Entertainment Weekly’s Rachel Smith and discussed how she’s been handling quarantine, her new skincare line Fenty Skin and, of course, her long-awaited 9th studio album.
Rihanna told Rachel, “I am always working on music,” she went on to say “When I’m ready to put it out in the way that I feel fit, it’s gonna come out. You’re not gonna be disappointed when it happens. It’s going to be worth it. I am not just gonna put it out just because people are waiting like it’s taken this long and I’m gonna make it worth it.”
In an interview with Vogue magazine in 2019, she revealed that her album will be reggae-inspired. Rihanna said: “I like to look at it as a reggae-inspired or reggae-infused album,” she continued “It’s not gonna be typical of what you know as reggae. But you’re going to feel the elements in all of the tracks.”
“Reggae always feels right to me. It’s in my blood. It doesn’t matter how far or long removed I am from that culture, or my environment that I grew up in; it never leaves.”
Rihanna hasn’t released an album since her double-platinum project called “Anti” in 2016. Fans have been asking her about new music, and Rihanna mostly responds with her usual feisty comebacks. She has been very tight-lipped about an official release date, singles, or collaborators. The only thing we know for sure is that it’s a reggae-inspired album that will be out “soon.”
After 2016, Rihanna lent her voice to several hits such as Loyalty with Kendrick Lamar and Wild Thoughts with DJ Khaled and Bryston Tiller, to name a few.
As far as speculation goes, a slew of Dancehall and Reggae artistes might be featured on R9.
While Shaggy said he turned down an ‘audition’ to appear on Rihanna’s new album, this year’s Reggae Grammy winner Koffee did hint at a collaboration with the Barbadian singer in November last year during an interview with I-D.
Unconfirmed rumors have also speculated that Buju Banton might make an appearance on the album. Banton recently released his album, Upside Down 2020 .
There were also reports in August last year that Rihanna registered a new song with her music publisher, BMI that was titled Private Loving with credits to Demarco and Monique Lawz.
While we’re not sure if the album will even come out the year, what we do know is that Rihanna is busy being an entrepreneur. Most of her recent Instagram posts are photos promoting her new skincare line Fenty Skin.