Rihanna Has a Relateable Reason for Why She’s Waited 7 Years (and Counting) to Release a New Album
For most of her career, Rihanna had been making hit after hit — from her 2005 debut, Pon de Replay, to her 2007 Grammy-winning single, Umbrella, and her 2016 No. 1 hit, Work. However, after reaching what many perceived to be her artistic pinnacle with her last album Anti, the pop superstar seemed to have disappeared from the music industry.
It’s been seven long years since Rihanna released an album, and fans have been waiting with bated breath for her next musical offering. But as it turns out, the Diamonds singer has a relatable reason for waiting this long to release a new album.
Rihanna’s last album was a huge success
When Rihanna released Anti in 2016, it was a major moment for her career. The album, her eighth studio album, received critical acclaim and became a commercial success. It debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart. Its lead single, Work, topped the Billboard Hot 100 chart for nine consecutive weeks.
In addition to its chart success, Anti also broke records on streaming platforms. According to Vulture, the album’s lead single was streamed more than 5 million times on its first release day on Tidal, a streaming service co-owned by Rihanna. Despite the success of Anti, the singer has been in no rush to release a follow-up album.
Rihanna has a relatable reason for why she’s waited seven years (and counting) to release a new album
In an interview with British Vogue, Rihanna said, “In hindsight, it really is my most brilliant album. I say that because in the moment, I didn’t realize it. But it always felt like the most cohesive album I’ve ever made.”
From the interview, we now know that Rihanna has a relatable reason for waiting seven years (and counting) to release a new album. The pop superstar spoke about how she keeps falling out of love with the songs she records. She has been waiting until her music feels right and perfect before she releases it to the world.
She said, “There’s this pressure that I put on myself. That if it’s not better than that [Anti], then it is not even worth it.” Fortunately, the pop queen appears to have accepted that she is wasting time waiting for her music to feel “perfect” before releasing it.
“I realized that if I keep waiting until this feels right and perfect and better, maybe it’s going to keep taking forever, and maybe it’ll never come out, and no, I’m not down to that. So I want to play,” the Umbrella singer said.
It’s not uncommon for artists to wait years before releasing new work
Like Rihanna, many artists struggle with the pressure of following up a successful album or project with something equally great. They want to take their time to ensure that their next project is as good, if not better, than their last. And for some, that can mean waiting years before releasing new work.
Frank Ocean is a great example of an artist who has taken a similar approach to Rihanna. After releasing his critically acclaimed album Channel Orange in 2012, Ocean took four years to release his next album, Blonde. In interviews, the singer spoke about his desire to take his time with the creative process and ensure the album was perfect. And when Blonde finally came out in 2016, it was widely praised by critics and fans alike.
Another example is Adele, who released her album 25 in 2015, four years after her previous album, 21. She took her time to ensure that every song on 25 was perfect. And when the album finally came out, it was a massive commercial success.
Clearly, Rihanna is in no rush to release a new album just for the sake of it. While fans may be frustrated that the pop queen hasn’t released new music yet, they can take solace in knowing she’s taking her time to ensure it’s the best it can be.
