Rihanna Provides a ‘R9’ Status Update

Rihanna is a little busy taking over the entire globe – releasing shades, socks, boxers, bras, bronzers, moisturizers and everything in between (while also trying to save the world while doing so), but in her spare time, she enjoys singing a song or two.

Ahead of the launch of Savage x Fenty Show Vol. 2, which premieres on Friday (October 2) on Amazon Prime Video, and already has all the makings of what could be the year’s biggest and most exciting and most inclusive fashion event (Victoria’s Who?), Rih did a little press blitz to promote the show.

Rihanna sat with the Associated Press, where she said perhaps the most she’s said about the process of preparing her follow-up to 2016’s Anti, dubbed R9 until further notice.

“Oh! It started with tons of writing camp. Now it’s more, what do I feel personally? What do I want to put out, and as an artist, how do I want to play it with my art? How do I want to interpret that?” she explained.

“How do I want to reimagine it? Because it’s been so structured before,” she went on to say.

“You do pop, you did this genre, you do that, you do radio, but now it’s just like, what makes me happy? I just want to have fun with music. Everything is so heavy. The world that we live in is a lot. It’s overwhelming every single day. And with the music, I’m using that as my outlet.”

So, to clarify: still no release date in sight – but at least she’s allowing herself the space and freedom to rih-lly explore what The Artist Rihanna looks and sounds like today. And we’re all gonna have FUN.

And while she didn’t provide any specific progress update, she did sort of imply that the music might be ready.

“I want to go on tour, but I can’t! I’m stuck with music that I love, and now I’m trying to figure out how I can even create visuals to that. That’s a challenge as well…but I love challenges so, you know, I’m gonna get it done,” she teased.

The wait is (not) over, but at least we have what looks to be a genuinely epic show ahead of us this weekend.