If there’s one thing we know about Rihanna, it’s that she does things on her own time. And when she finally decides to drop R9, I already know it’s going to shake the industry.

Rihanna says she’s “feeling really optimistic” about her long-awaited album in a new interview, and that she “finally cracked it” amid the nine-year wait for the follow-up to Anti. The singer graces ...

Meanwhile, her music career took a backseat, despite constant fan pressure for new material. Rumours about R9 began circulating in 2018, when Rihanna hinted at working on a reggae-inspired album.

Rihanna’s Highly Anticipated 9th Album: Everything We Know So Far About #R9 “This feels right. It feels like it digs right into where I need to be, and I want this,” Rihanna stressed.

Rihanna – who already has sons RZA, two, and Riot, 21 months, with Rocky – also revealed she isn’t “too overwhelmed” by her pregnancy, although there was some initial shock.

Later in the chat, Rihanna shut down reports that R9 would be a reggae album. “Way off,” she said. “There’s no genre now… I have to show them the worth in the wait.

After waiting eight years, you might as well just wait some more.” Rihanna’s fans have been clamoring for an update on R9 — their nickname for the singer’s next album — for years.

Rihanna then debunked the rumor that R9 was going to be a reggae album. Around 2018-2019, she spoke about the album being reggae-centric and influenced by Bob Marley.

When asked about R9, Rihanna said, “This feels right. It feels like it digs right into where I need to be, and I want this. This body needs to come out, and I’m ready to go there.