Rihanna was seen at a recording studio, sparking a wave of fan theories as she has not dropped a new album since 2016.
Rihanna, who hasn’t released an album since 2016’s *Anti*, was seen entering a recording studio in New York City on Saturday, January 18.
This sighting has sparked a flurry of speculation among her fans, many of whom are eagerly anticipating her next album, while others question if her studio visit is for something entirely different.
The 36-year-old singer arrived at the studio early in the morning dressed in a tan floor-length coat with fur accents, workout attire, and carrying a Louis Vuitton handbag.
Fans on X couldn’t contain their excitement, with some declaring that «R9» — her highly anticipated ninth studio album — might finally be on the way.
«R9 IS COMING! GET UP NAVYS WE ARE GETTING NEW ALBUM,» one enthusiastic fan wrote, while another simply posted, «WHATTTTTT.»
However, not everyone is convinced this means new music.
Some fans were more skeptical, with one commenter writing, “She’s not fooling me,” and another speculating, “She’s recording a voice over for her Fenty ads.”
Others suggested the sighting could relate to her involvement in the upcoming *Smurfs* animated movie, where Rihanna voices Smurfette.
Rihanna has been open about balancing her career with motherhood since the births of her sons, RZA (2) and Riot (17 months), with partner A$AP Rocky. “It’s very different,” she said of working post-children before her 2023 Super Bowl Halftime Show.
“Work is always something that’s going to rob you of time with your child. That’s the currency now, that’s where it goes.”
In a June 2024 interview with *Entertainment Tonight*, Rihanna reassured fans that her ninth studio album is on the way but emphasized that she wants to approach it from a new perspective based on where she is in life.
“I think that music, for me, is a new discovery,” she shared.
“I’ve been working on the album for so long that I kinda put all that stuff aside, and now I’m prepared to go back in the studio.”
