Rihanna promises new music coming “soon, soon, soon”
The long wait for Rihanna's ninth album could almost be over
Rihanna has offered a hint that her much-anticipated next album could finally be on its way after years of speculation.
Photographed by paparazzi as she exited a taxi, the popstar was asked by one person: “Any new music? Anything?” In response, Rihanna said simply: “Soon soon soon.” You can see footage of the exchange below.
Rihanna has not released an album since 2016’s ‘ANTI’, and has been rumoured to have been working on its follow-up since 2017. She had previously promised a reggae-influenced album to be released in 2019.
Back in September this year, she told The Associated Press: “You’re not gonna expect what you hear, just put that in your mind. Whatever you know of Rihanna’s not gonna be what you hear.”
“I’m really experimenting, and music is like fashion, you should be able to play, I should be able to wear whatever I want and I treat music the same way. So, I’m having fun, and it’s going to be completely different.”
Rihanna has dedicated most of her work since ‘ANTI’ towards her fashion brand Fenty and associated lingerie and skincare companies.
In August, Forbes said that Rihanna was worth $1.7 billion (£1.3billion), making her the world’s richest female musician, and the world’s second-richest female entertainer after Oprah Winfrey. The vast majority of that wealth, an estimated $1.4billion, comes from Fenty Beauty, of which she owns 50 per cent.
Last week, meanwhile, Rihanna was named the 11th National Hero of the newly formed Republic of Barbados.
This week, the Caribbean island officially removed the Queen of England as its head of state after 396 years as part of the British Empire. Barbados now becomes a republic, 55 years after it gained independence from Britain.
Prince Charles, Barbados prime minister Mia Motley and the republic’s new president, Dame Sandra Mason, were all in attendance to honour Rihanna, who was born in the country’s capital of Bridgetown.