Rihanna, an iconic music star has hinted at upcoming music either this year or next. Photo used with permission from Natasha Kendall via Pexels.

Rihanna, an industry icon of the 2010s, has recently hinted at her revival. How concrete is that revival? We are unsure, but we know that Rihanna’s fans are on the edge of their seat, awaiting any assurance that the artist is back for good.

Debuting in 2005 with “Pon de Replay,” the Barbadian singer and songwriter has quickly climbed the ranks of the music industry. Since her debut, Rihanna has released nine studio albums with the last one being in 2016. It’s no wonder that fans are picking up on any clues she may be leaving, hinting towards another studio album. 

Placing the music industry in a chokehold,  her sound is captivating, influential and loud. Emotional yet party-like. Rowdy yet slow. In your face yet supple. Rihanna’s sounds have breadth and depth; she can be listened to in any situation. Her versatility is evident from the rebellious and Barbadian tone of “Anti,” to the pop party vibe of “Loud” to even the against-everything moods of “Good Girl Gone Bad: Reloaded,” some of her biggest studio albums. 

Though these albums are here to stay, the world hasn’t heard from the icon in quite a while. Rihanna’s last studio album “Anti” was released in 2016, seven years ago and her world tour happened in the same year. The artist’s most recent performance was earlier this year at one of the nation’s biggest performances: Super Bowl 2023 Halftime Show. Her success at the event, the most-watched Super Bowl halftime show according to Billboard, was a testament to the fans who had long awaited her return. That particular performance showcased hit after hit of her extensive career and excited viewers about the future. Prior to that, Rihanna helped produce music for “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,” but the slow ballads weren’t featured for long and strayed far from her typical style. 

Rihanna has wanted to return to music for a long time, and in all honesty she never truly stopped making music, she only stopped releasing music. After her success in 2016, Rihanna said she wanted to focus on other things in her life, and that she did. In September of the following year, the artist now entrepreneur, launched Fenty Beauty. Focusing on her company, relationships and family, the artist had her first son in May of 2022 and her second in August of 2023.

Much of the delay in her production of music can be attributed to the busyness of her day-to-day endeavors as well as the fact that she feels she could not possibly overcome the success of “Anti.” That eighth album was a culmination of sounds, themes and hard work; the artist felt that was her very best. Out of fear of failure, she withheld the production of personal music. 

She struggled with combatting the mental blocks that kept her from producing music, but the focus on her family and passions helped give her the strength she needed to continue. 

Ready to take on the industry, again, and the success of “Anti,” the entrepreneur is ready to release new titles. Entertainment Today, reported that a deal between Rihanna and Live Nation is present and the deal brings a glimpse of a musical future. Rihanna plans new music, a potential ninth studio album and to display those songs on a world tour. Other sources, though, claim that the world tour statement couldn’t be further from the truth. Billboard, reports that these contracts with Live Nation aren’t concrete and a world tour is blasphemous, but new music is still on the way. 

With a definitive drive to produce more and do better, Rihanna seems to be in a place where new music and sounds can flow to her easily. Fans can expect new music sometime within the next year and a half, but as with everything, there are no guarantees.