It’s been literally nine years since Rihanna’s last album, ANTI, came out and raised the bar for pop stars all the way to heaven. “Lives were changed” is an understatement. The queen’s eighth studio album is a dynamic pop x R&B masterpiece that gave us hauntingly beautiful piano ballads like “Close to You,” addictive feeling-yourself anthems like “Sex With Me,” and iconic radio hits like “Work” and “Love on the Brain.” All these years later, I still stream and think about ANTI several times a day. And that’s not enough.

Although Rihanna’s released singles like “Lift Me Up” and “BELIEVE IT” since the ANTI era, she’s yet to release R9. Do I understand the hesitation to release another album after releasing the greatest album in the world? Of course. But the stans need more. We’re starving. We’re desperate. Thankfully, Rihanna just opened up about R9 in a new interview, and I think the wait is — dare I say — almost over? Maybe? Here’s everything to know about Rihanna’s next album, including the release date, genre, and tour details.

Rihanna’s New Album: R9 Release Date, Genre, Tour

When Is Rihanna’s New Album Coming Out?

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The queen has yet to provide a release date (no surprise there), but she does seem to be really happy with the music she’s made recently. “I just cracked the code on what I really want to do for my next body of work,” she told Harper’s Bazaar. This sounds promising!! But I fear she’s teased us before and then not released anything…

“I am actually feeling really good about this,” Rihanna added. She admitted, “I know I kept saying this over the years.” Although she’s not ready to share all the details or release date just yet, the singer claims she’s feeling “really optimistic” about the next album. “It feels like it digs right into where I need to be,” she shared. “This body needs to come out, and I’m ready to go there.” Personally, I 1,000 percent agree this body needs to come out. Preferably ASAP. Apparently, she really has been in the studio “the whole eight years.”

What Genre Is Rihanna’s New Album?

Rihanna told the magazine that there’s “no genre” for the new album and it’s “not going to be anything that anybody expects.” The icon explained, “It’s not going to be commercial or radio digestible. It’s going to be where my artistry deserves to be right now.”

So yeah, that 2018 reggae album rumor was really just a rumor. Rihanna clarified that this theory was “way off” and opened up about experimenting with different musical directions. “Every time, I was just like, ‘No, it’s not me. It’s not right. It’s not matching my growth. It’s not matching my evolution.'” (This is what you should say when your boss asks you to do something you don’t wanna do, BTW.)

Is Rihanna Going On Tour For R9?

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Obviously, Rihanna hasn’t made any announcements about an R9 tour yet. However, she did seem to hint at one during the interview. While explaining how her first attempts at new music didn’t feel right, the singer said she didn’t feel like she could “perform this for a year on tour.” That means she’s making music now that she is excited to sing on tour! Love. To. Hear. It.

Thinking about the price of those theoretical tickets gives me a panic attack, but I shall be on the Ticketmaster frontlines when the time comes.