Rihanna Talks About ‘Really Experimenting’ on New Album

'R9,' as it's known among fans, has been teased for several years. In the latest update, the Fenty Beauty founder compared the creative process to fashion.

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With the Savage X Fenty Show Vol. 3 experience now just days away, Rihanna has provided fans with a stokedness-inducing update on her long-awaited follow-up to Anti. The confirmed classic dropped way back in January 2016.

Speaking with the Associated Press on the red carpet for her latest Amazon Prime-bound special, Rihanna urged listeners to ditch their expectations for the new album, often referred to by fans as R9. The years-long artistic process behind it, she explained, is similar to how she approaches her creations in the fashion space.

“You’re not gonna expect what you hear,” she said in a video released Wednesday. “Just put that in your mind. Whatever you know of Rihanna is not gonna be what you hear. I’m really experimenting and music is, like, it’s like fashion. You should be able to play. I should be able to wear whatever I want and I treat music the same way.”

At the moment, Rihanna added, she’s “having fun” ahead of an album she says will be “completely different.” As far as a release window, the red carpet clip included no such talk.

Still, the going-on-six years since Anti’s release have been riddled with small updates on the work-in-progress, all while Rihanna has continued to expand her multi-hyphenate empire into new and exciting territory

For Savage X Fenty Show Vol. 3, premiering Friday, Rihanna has once again assembled a bevy of talent. Set to perform are Nas, Daddy Yankee, BIA, Jazmine Sullivan, Ricky Martin, Normani, and Jade Novah. Asked about her favorite styles from the new collection during the AP chat, Rihanna mentioned crotchless and catsuit designs. She also said viewers can expect an embrace of body diversity, including for men.

“I think men have been left behind in the inclusion curve that’s been happening recently,” she said.

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