Rihanna’s recent Instagram video showcasing her late-night studio session has sparked renewed excitement among fans for her long-awaited album, commonly referred to as R9, which has been anticipated since the release of her last album, Anti, in 2016.

In her post, Rihanna shared clips of her working from approximately 2 am to 5 am, which fans interpreted as a sign of her return to music, although some expressed skepticism, suggesting it could be for a movie soundtrack rather than her album.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by The Shade Room (@theshaderoom)

Since Anti, Rihanna has not only built a successful business empire with Fenty Beauty and Savage X Fenty but has also embraced motherhood, welcoming three children with partner A$AP Rocky.

During various interviews over the years, Rihanna has alluded to her challenges in defining the direction of R9, acknowledging that her artistry has evolved, and she is aiming for a sound that is less commercial and more reflective of her current creative desires.

Notably, in a 2025 interview with Harper’s Bazaar, she claimed to have “cracked the code” for her new music, emphasizing a departure from what fans might expect and expressing optimism about her artistic freedom.

Despite the long wait for a new album, Rihanna has released songs for movie soundtracks, including “Lift Me Up” for *Black Panther: Wakanda Forever* in 2022 and “Friend of Mine” for the *Smurfs* movie in 2025, indicating her ongoing involvement in music, albeit not in album format.

Reactions on social media to her studio video were mixed; while many fans were ecstatic about the prospect of new music, others questioned whether it was a genuine sign of an album release or merely promotional material for other projects.

As of February 26, 2026, Rihanna celebrated her 38th birthday, further fueling interest in her potential musical comeback while balancing her personal and professional commitments.