Rihanna has promised the release of her ninth studio album for years now. However, with the COVID-19 pandemic creating chaos all across the globe, delay is inevitable.
As COVID-19 continues to affect the nation, there is a strong possibility that Rihanna might release the new R9 album before the end of the COVID-19 pandemic. Reports say that the We Found Love singer has already decided to postpone the album’s release.
Even though her fans and followers have been asking her outright for the release, Rihanna’s current focus is dealing with the pandemic in her own ways. The singer wants to focus on helping the fight against the coronavirus, which is overwhelming the communities all over the world.
Rihanna chastises fans for R9 album questions
Rihanna called out her fans for still asking her about the R9 album even with the COVID-19 crisis and said,
If one of y’all m***********s ask me about the album one more time when I’m tryna save the world, unlike y’all president…
The Barbadian artist has not had a studio album since 2016’s Anti. That record turned out to be one of her most successful projects, receiving raves from critics and fans. The album got a total of six Grammy nominations in 2017, including Record of the Year for Work.
Rihanna 2020 album information so far
As with most of her projects, Rihanna has been secretive about the R9 album. She, however, teased her Navy, telling them that she is “very aggressively working on music.”
In her past interviews, she has been consistent in saying that the R9 album is “pending.” This could mean that she is not in a hurry for the world to hear the record.
The We Found Love singer did say that her next record will be reggae-influenced. The album could be a throwback to the Caribbean music dominant in her first two albums Music of the Sun and A Girl Like Me.
Interestingly, the pop superstar recently uploaded an Instagram Story of her working in the studio with The Neptunes. This could result in an infusion of their signature electronic funk sound in her new music.
There were also reports that the R9 album will feature guest appearances from Rihanna’s frequent collaborators. She might serve her Navy with rumored collaborations with Calvin Harris, DJ Khaled, and Kendrick Lamar.
Rihanna’s father diagnosed with COVID-19
The R9 album’s delay could also be because Rihanna’s father recently tested positive for COVID-19.
Thankfully, the pop star immediately sent resources including a ventilator to their mansion in Barbados. This is in hopes of aiding his respiratory system and so that he can recover swiftly.
For her part, RiRi is also doing everything she can to help organizations fight COVID-19. She was very influential in raising funds for medical equipments in her home country, Barbados.
Her foundation, the Clara Lionel Foundation, gathered as much as $5 million for personal protective equipment (PPE) for healthcare frontliners. She donated the PPEs to the State of New York, which prompted Gov. Andrew Cuomo to personally thank her on Twitter.
The Clara Lionel Foundation also partnered with Jay-Z’s Shawn Carter Foundation to help homeless and undocumented populations. They targeted the New York City and Los Angeles areas for the initiative.
Images courtesy of Rihanna VEVO/Youtube Screenshot
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