Rihanna on her R9 album delay: ‘I like to antagonise my fans’

Rihanna is well aware that fans are clamouring for her ninth studio album. Now, the star has said that she likes to “antagonise” her fans when it comes to album delays.

Asked by Entertainment Tonight’s Rachel Smith about the follow-up to her last album, 2016’s ANTI, in New York City on Friday night, Rihanna reportedly mimed three dots with her fingers and said, “to be continued”. She added: “I like to antagonise my fans a little bit. Well, they antagonise me, too! So they get it right back.”

Rihanna’s long-gestating album is said to draw from reggae and dancehall music, with the singer having described it as being “reggae-inspired or reggae-infused” rather than “typical of what you know as reggae”. She’s also said she’s already thinking about her next album. She recently told The Cut that she was heading into the studio with Pharrell.

R9 has been in our most anticipated albums lists for the past couple of years with no sign of arriving. But hey, it’s 2020, a new decade where anything can happen.

In the meantime, revisit ANTI below.