Advertisement
It’s been nearly a decade since Rihanna last dropped an album, leaving fans eagerly awaiting her ninth studio release, popularly referred to as R9. The singer’s music hiatus, stretching back to her 2016 album Anti, was largely due to her busy focus on building her beauty empire with Fenty Beauty and other ventures.
When Rihanna announced her third pregnancy at the 2025 Met Gala, many assumed the new album would be pushed back further. But in a recent interview with Entertainment Tonight, the global superstar put those worries to rest.
Asked if her pregnancy would delay R9, Rihanna confidently replied,
“No, maybe a couple of videos,” before adding with a smile, “I can sing.”
This revelation confirms that despite her expanding family and busy schedule, Rihanna remains committed to releasing her new music soon.
At the same Met Gala appearance, Rihanna also opened up about how she’s feeling physically during her pregnancy. She revealed she’s surprisingly managing well, saying,
“I’m good! I’m shockingly feeling okay, and not too overwhelmed at the moment. At first, it was kinda like, ‘Ahhh!’”
Already a mother to two sons—RZA, 2 years old, and Riot, 21 months—whom she shares with rapper A$AP Rocky, Rihanna is preparing to welcome her third child. The singer has often made her pregnancy announcements in creative ways: last time, it was during her Super Bowl halftime show; this time, she chose the glamorous Met Gala carpet to share the joyful news with the world.
Rihanna’s musical journey began in 2005 with her debut album Music of the Sun, quickly followed by A Girl Like Me in 2006. Her breakthrough came with Good Girl Gone Bad (2007), setting the stage for future successes. Her fourth album, Rated R (2009), sold over three million copies worldwide, showcasing a darker, edgier sound.
She continued her streak with albums in 2010 and 2011, but it was Unapologetic (2012) that became one of her most commercially successful records. After a four-year wait, Rihanna released Anti (2016), an album that earned six times platinum certification by the RIAA and solidified her place as a music icon.
With R9 on the horizon, fans are buzzing with anticipation, eager to hear the next chapter of Rihanna’s evolving sound—no matter what life changes she’s juggling.