Why Rihanna's Fans Think She's Never Going to Release a New Album: 'Teasing Everything Except Music'

When Rihanna said Don't Stop the Music, fans believed her. However, that doesn't seem to be the case anymore. RiRi released an album in 2016, and since then, her admirers have eagerly awaited a new surprise from the R&B singer. However, hawk-eyed social media users are now speculating the Barbadian pop star is hinting towards a 'no new album' approach through a subtle hint in her Instagram bio.

Previously, the 36-year-old had a stick figure doodle as her Instagram profile picture. But recently, she updated it with a stick figure hand holding a product from her makeup line, Fenty Beauty, against the setting sun background. As per The Sun, this sudden change prompted her fans to assume they'd have to wait longer than anticipated for a new album. 

A fan @Official__Jem, on X, formerly Twitter, lamented, "Rihanna has changed her IG display pic to a Fenty Beauty product. We are NEVAHHHH getting new music ." In a subsequent post, the same user added, "I've listened to her songs & watched her live performances so much that I even know the choreo. Imma believe she's putting out music when the Statue of Liberty puts down her hand." 

@MarkOke5 complained, "She's teasing everything except music." Meanwhile, a desperate fan, @King_theBest, asked, "Don't care where the tunes at?" @ebukathefirst_ speculated, "After Ten years she's finally changed her Instagram DP including every other platform. Which means She strictly means business with #FentyBeauty Music is now a side hustle." 

Another fan, @RIHANNARAGE, declared, "Just here to remind u that Rihanna isn't dropping the album this year." A disappointed fan, @Jenkins91M, responded, "Oh we know." @JahBoyDey4U demanded, "Boycott Fenty so she runs out of money and comes out with an album instead." @NahlaSth replied, "Too late it's a big monster now." 

Her die-hard fans couldn't wait any longer for RiRi to drop her ninth album but it seems the singer is in her entrepreneurial era. In 2023 for a British Vogue interview, the Umbrella singer admitted, "In hindsight, it really is my most brilliant album," referring to her last drop in 2016 Anti. 

"It always felt like the most cohesive album I've ever made," she continued, gushing over her best-produced work so far. Her songs, Work, Needed Me, and Love on the Brain, all earned Grammy nominations, while the album itself was up for Best Urban Contemporary Album and Best Recording Package in 2017.

But the singer herself admitted the pressure looms on her head to create a follow-up of Anti: "There's this pressure that I put on myself. That if it's not better than that then it is not even worth it." It appears as though perfectionism got the best of RiRi and led to delays in releasing a new album for her fans waiting with bated breath. 

"I realized that if I keep waiting until this feels right and perfect and better, maybe it's going to keep taking forever and maybe it'll never come out and no, I'm not down for that," said Rihanna. Meanwhile, she released her entrepreneurial venture Fenty Beauty in 2017 and since the time of its launch, the brand is now worth approximately $2.8 billion with its largest distributors like Sephora, Ulta, and Target.