Rihanna Confirms She Is Recording New Music, Hints at Potential Collaboration with The Neptunes
Rihanna has music on her mind.
The “Needed Me” singer, 31, confirmed that she is working on new music on her Instagram Stories on Thursday, sharing a photo taken from a soundboard in a recording studio.
“gang. back in the STU,” she captioned the candid snap.
The 9-time Grammy winner also seemingly hinted at a potential collaboration with The Neptunes, a production team composed of Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo, making sure to include a shot of the famed duo’s name on a screen in frame.
The last few years have certainly been busy for Rihanna, who launched Fenty Beauty in 2017 and unveiled her Savage x Fenty lingerie line in 2018. Last year, she also announced the Fenty Maison line under French luxury goods conglomerate LVHM Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton.
However, the pop star has never strayed too far from her musical roots.
In May, Rihanna told The New York Times’ T Style magazine she has been hard at work on a new album, which she’s been referring to as R9, but that fans should not expect a collaboration with Lady Gaga or Drake, contrary to rumors.
“Not anytime soon, I don’t see it happening,” she said of working again with frequent collaborator Drake. “Not on this album, that’s for sure.”
Rihanna trolled fans about new music in December, sharing a teasing video of a white puppy hilariously headbanging to House of Pain’s 1992 hit “Jump Around.”
“Update: me listening to R9 by myself and refusing to release it,” she joked in the caption.
update: me listening to R9 by myself and refusing to release it
A post shared by badgalriri (@badgalriri) on Dec 22, 2019 at 8:39am PST
The “Love on the Brain” performer also cheekily strung fans along in October when she posted a photo of herself dabbing her forehead with a tissue where a crowd of people behind her smiled and held up their phones to capture the star on their cameras.
“I feel attacked. ***valley girl who’s never been attacked voice*** R9 chronicles,” she wrote.
i feel attacked. ***valley girl who’s never been attacked voice*** R9 chronicles.
A post shared by badgalriri (@badgalriri) on Oct 4, 2018 at 6:00am PDT
In response to a fan who asked, “where is the m.u.s.i.c. ???” on Instagram the previous month, Rihanna commented back, “I know I know sis. I’m doing music. Simultaneously doing lingerie, makeup, film, amongst a couple other things that I enjoy. when the music is ready, you won’t have to ask for it. But it’s coming. Just not today sis. I’m hype too tho, it can’t come soon enough for me.”
The album will be Rihanna’s ninth and her first since 2016’s Anti.
