Rihanna assures fans that she has not stopped making music; rather, she is simply reimagining it.
ET’s Kevin Frazier chatted with the GRAMMY-winning superstar on Monday at the Fenty Hair launch event at Nya Studios in Los Angeles, California. Rihanna provided an update on her highly awaited album, dubbed R9 by fans, and denied the newest rumours regarding her music, which began when she was seen in New York City with A$AP Rocky wearing a t-shirt that read: “I’m Retired.”
“People got triggered with that retired word,” Rihanna quipped. “They were like ‘We’re never getting an album now.’ No one read the other line, it was something about, ‘This is as dressed up as I get.'”
Rihanna attended the Fenty Hair launch party in Los Angeles. – Leon Bennett/Getty Images.
Fans should not be concerned, as Rihanna informed ET that she has been logged into the studio — but it is taking time.
“I think that music, for me, is a new discovery,” she said. “I’m rediscovering things. I have been working on the album for so long that I kinda put all that stuff aside and now I’m prepared to go back in the studio. I’m gonna start — give me a second!”
Rihanna wears an I’m Retired shirt while out with A$AP Rocky in New York City. – BACKGRID
Rihanna’s process includes revisiting the songs that she already has — but there are still new things to come.
“Yeah, I’m starting over,” the mother of two revealed. “But I don’t want to neglect the songs that I have, so I actually want to go back and listen to stuff with new ears, with my new perspective and then see what applies and what I’m still in love with.”
Although she hasn’t released an album since 2016’s Anti, her previous tracks continue to be successful. Last week, Rihanna’s 2012 single, “Diamonds,” was certified Diamond. The song still gives her the feels to this day.
“Wow, I remember where we made it from the jump. It was in London, and I also remember performing ‘Diamond’ on tour,” she told ET. “Performing it with all the lights…everyone puts their phone out at that very moment. And it’s connected to my grandma. I literally think of her every single time I perform that.”Rihanna attends the Rihanna x Fenty Hair launch party at Nya Studios on June 10, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. – Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Fenty Hair
Rihanna’s current venture, Fenty Hair, remains focused on bringing everyone together and producing an inclusive product.
“Inclusivity has always been a big big deal for us,” she said of her haircare line. “And we didn’t want to change that with with going into a new category, which is hair. We wanted to make sure that we applied that. We started off trying to make one product for all hair types and that’s just like one of those things, you you can’t. So we had to shift gears. We’ve been working on this for over four years.”
Rihanna added, “I just didn’t believe that we could continue like that, so I wanted to just make sure that we knew that everyone was included. All hair types, there’s not a race to hair. Hair is different for everyone.”