A$AP Rocky has confirmed his partner Rihanna,is still “working on” her highly-anticipated ninth album – currently dubbed ‘R9’.
Last week, it was reported that the couple celebrated Valentine’s Day in Paris. In a video – believed to have been taken during their recent trip to the French capital – Rocky is seen greeting fans in the street. One asked the rapper if he remembered him, to which the New Yorker said: “Yeah, you always saying to RihRih, ‘I love you!’” This prompted the fan to ask about the whereabouts of ‘R9’.
While walking away from the group, Rocky yelled back, “She’s working on it,” earning a loud cheer from the group of fans.
Umugabo wa Rihanna ASAP Rocky uri i Paris mu Bufaransa, yahishuye ko umugore we ari gutegura album nshya.
Nubwo atatangaje byinshi kuri iyi album, ikaba yaba ibaye iya 9 uyu muhanzikazi yaba agiye gusohora, dore ko iya nyuma aheruka kuyisohora mu 2016, aho yari yayise “Anti.” pic.twitter.com/k3wiv490le
— the choice_live (@thechoice_live) February 18, 2024
While in Paris, Rihanna was also spotted leaving the Lendit Studio with her crew and choreographers, causing suspicion that the ‘Rude Boy’ singer is filming something special ahead of her next release.
Rihanna was spotted at Lendit studio (film) in Paris last night pic.twitter.com/54hq81WuD3
— Rihanna Facts (@Nevernyny) February 16, 2024
It has been eight years since Rihanna dropped her last album, ‘Anti‘. The LP ranked Number 40 on NME‘s Best Albums of 2016 list. “Despite being one of the biggest pop stars on the planet, with her eighth album, Rihanna proved that she wasn’t afraid of being a little weird, a little odd, a little grubby,” the list stated.
Since then, the Bajan pop icon has created her own beauty line called Fenty Beauty and launched the lingerie brand Savage x Fenty. Additionally, she became a mother, welcoming two sons – RZA and Riot Rose – in 2022 and 2023, respectively. They named the former after the Wu-Tang Clan member. When he found out, RZA said, “It’s a great honour.”
Rihanna signed a deal with Live Nation last year and is rumoured to go on a world tour in 2024. She told Entertainment Tonight that she will hit the road after she eventually releases ‘R9’: “I feel I want to do a tour when there’s new music. We already know what that’s gonna be, with the songs that I’ve performed on my last tour.”
She added: “It’s only fair that my fans get what they’ve been waiting on, which is new music. After that, let’s just like, blow everything up.”
In a June 2018 Vogue interview, Rihanna said she would be creating a reggae album, capitalising on the success of ‘Anti’s lead single, ‘Work’ featuring Drake, which was inspired by the Caribbean genre.
ELLE have reported that the ‘Pon Di Replay’ star is simultaneously working on ‘R9’s successor, ‘R10’ – the former will be the aforementioned reggae album and the latter will be “more pop-orientated.”
In other news, Rihanna has long been suspected as one of the two female headliners booked to top the bill at Glastonbury this year.