Rihanna Teases Studio Return
Rihanna finally hinted at new music for the first time in a decade, sharing rare images of herself in the studio. This update has electrified her fanbase after years of silence on recording. The images mark her first concrete signal of returning to music since becoming a billionaire businesswoman.
Rihanna's last full-length album, *Anti*, was released on January 28, 2016. The critically acclaimed project, which included hits like "Work" and "Love on the Brain," was seen as a creative turning point and became the longest-charting album by a Black female musician. In the decade since, her musical output has been sparse, primarily consisting of soundtrack contributions. She earned an Oscar nomination in 2023 for "Lift Me Up" from *Black Panther: Wakanda Forever* and released "Friend of Mine" for the 2025 *Smurfs* movie. Her most significant musical performance was the 2023 Super Bowl Halftime Show, where she performed a medley of her greatest hits. The widely-viewed event was also where she famously revealed her second pregnancy. During her musical hiatus, Rihanna launched Fenty Beauty in 2017 in a partnership with luxury goods group LVMH. The brand, lauded for its inclusive foundation shades, became the most successful celebrity beauty brand, generating $602.4 million in revenue in 2023. She expanded her empire with the lingerie brand Savage X Fenty in 2018. By 2021, the company had achieved a valuation of $1 billion. Rihanna is the first Black woman to create two separate billion-dollar brands. Her ventures into beauty and fashion have made her one of the richest women in entertainment, with Forbes declaring her a billionaire in 2021. The bulk of her estimated $1.7 billion net worth comes from her 50% stake in Fenty Beauty and 30% stake in Savage X Fenty. Fans have long referred to the anticipated ninth album as "R9." Rihanna has occasionally fueled this anticipation, stating in a February 2025 interview that she had "finally cracked" her new sound for the project.
