Rihanna Snaps At Fan Asking About ‘R9’ Update: ‘Grow Up’
Rihanna‘s music career is on pause as she continues to build her brand with ventures in beauty, fashion, and film. But the demand for her ninth album, dubbed R9 by her fans, remains.
As we wait for new music, some people have been growing increasingly impatient. One social media user in December even called out Rihanna for the delay in her album’s release. But Rihanna quickly hit back with a comment that makes it clear she’s in no rush.
Rihanna hasn’t released an album in years
Rihanna’s most recent album at the time of this writing is Anti — her eighth studio album which featured “Work,” “Needed Me,” “Love on the Brain,” and plenty of other hits. It released in January 2016 to positive praise from music critics and listeners worldwide.
Anti also topped the Billboard 200 and later became its longest-charting album after spending 224 weeks on the chart, according to Revolt. To date, the album has been streamed millions of times and is considered one of the top female R&B albums in modern history.
Rihanna’s follow-up to ‘Anti’ has faced delays
It was initially believed that Rihanna would quickly release the follow-up to Anti, as she had previously dropped albums back-to-back. But as we know, that’s not how it turned out.
Though reports emerged in 2018 that she had started working on her album, it has yet to materialize. Rihanna previously said she planned on releasing the project in 2019, but as she later told Interview magazine, her busy schedule has complicated things.
I used to be in the studio, only the studio, for three months straight, and an album would come out. Now, it’s like a carousel. I do fashion one day, lingerie the next, beauty the next, then music the next. It’s like having a bunch of kids and you need to take care of them all. … It really does suck that it can’t just come out because I’m working on a really fun one right now … but I am not going to put it out until it’s complete.
Rihanna from her interview with Interview magazine
Still, fans have continued to press her about the album
In the years since the release of Anti, fans have repeatedly called on and begged Rihanna for more music. But instead of delivering, she usually just trolls them — from making snappy comments to rubbing it in with viral memes.
She was once again asked about the long-awaited project after posting an Instagram photo in celebration of the New Year. According to Complex, she shared a picture of herself along with the caption, “new year’s resolution: apply the pressure.” When a fan wrote, “Resolution should be releasing the album,” she replied saying, “this comment is sooo 2019. grow up.”
Despite the tone of her comment, Rihanna later circled back and showed it was all love. “2021 energy,” she wrote alongside a laughing emoji and a flexed arm emoticon.
Clearly, Rihanna won’t be pressured into releasing R9. But while we wait, there are at least plenty of timeless Rih Rih tunes that we can listen to.
