Harper’s Bazaar recently dropped off its upcoming March issue, with Rihanna as its cover star. Throughout the brief conversation, the singer reveals she finally found the sound she wants for her next project. Nearly nine years have passed since the Barbadian native released her last project, 2016’s ANTI. The singer considers music her “freedom,” and she’s finally “cracked the code” for the direction of her next project. “I am actually feeling really good about this. I know I kept saying this over the years,” she tells the outlet.
Regarding the album’s inspiration, many fans assumed it would follow in the steps of ANTI, tapping into her Caribbean roots. However, the singer says that theory is “way off.” Fans have guessed that her next album would lean into reggae, tapping into her Caribbean roots, but Rihanna says that theory is “way off!” According to the Fenty Beauty founder, there is no specific “genre” she’s going for yet.
“I went through phases of what I wanted to do,” Rihanna says

She continued, “That’s why I waited. Every time, I was just like, ‘No, it’s not me. It’s not matching my growth. It’s not matching my evolution. I can’t do this…I can’t stand by this. I can’t perform this for a year on tour.’” Rihanna says the time she spent away from music needs to “count” for the next project she releases. “It has to matter. I have to show them the worth in the wait. I cannot put up anything mediocre. After waiting eight years, you might as well just wait some more,” she said.
Rihanna said she’s ready to “go there” and knows that her time away from her children — Riot and RZA— gives her a chance to “blossom something that hasn’t been watered in eight years.” The singer admits while she has frequented the studio over the years, nothing “hit her.” She added, “I was searching for it. I went through phases of what I wanted to do. ‘This kind of album, not that album.’ I know it’s not going to be anything that anybody expects. And it’s not going to be commercial or radio-digestible. It’s going to be where my artistry deserves to be right now. I feel like I’ve finally cracked it, girl!”
Leave a Reply