The singer's last album was 2016's 'Anti.'
Rihanna is not stopping the music! In her new interview with British Vogue, the pregnant superstar shared that although it’s been seven years since the release of her last album, Anti, she's actually never taken a break from creating new music.
When it comes to a timeframe, the 35-year-old singer admits that it’s now or never.
"I want it to be this year," the Fenty Beauty founder tells the magazine. "Like, honestly, it’d be ridiculous if it’s not this year. But I just want to have fun. I just want to make music and make videos. And I need the right background music with the visuals. I can’t just go shoot a video to me talking."
While there has been chatter about the reason behind why Rihanna took a break from music, she finally shares that she didn’t believe she could top Anti, her chart-topping album from 2016.
"In hindsight, it really is my most brilliant album. I say that because in the moment, I didn’t realize it," she says. "But it always felt like the most cohesive album I’ve ever made. When you break it down and you realize this album goes from 'Work' to 'Kiss It Better' to 'Needed Me' to 'Love on the Brain' to 'Sex with Me' to 'Desperado.' And somehow it all fits and not for a second did you glitch?"
She continues, "But 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 is toxic. You’re right. It’s not the right way to look at music because music is an outlet and a space to create, and you can create whatever. It doesn’t have to even be on any scale. It just has to be something that feels good. It could just be a song that I like. It literally could be that simple."
Rihanna, who appears on the cover of the magazine with boyfriend A$AP Rocky, and their son, has been building up her return to music at her own pace. In October, she dropped her first two singles – in support of the Black Panther 2: Wakanda Forever soundtrack, "Born Again" and "Lift Me Up" -- the latter of which has been nominated for an Academy Award.
On Sunday, the "Take a Bow" singer made her official return to the stage when she headlined the Super Bowl halftime show. Not only did she use the opportunity to perform some of her biggest hits, she also revealed that she was expecting her second child.
Ahead of Sunday's big game, ET spoke with Rihanna -- following her halftime show press conference -- and she dished on her already big 2023.
"It really feels like a lot's happening all at once," she told ET. "Motherhood, Oscars, Super Bowl, I'm still pinching myself, really. I'm grateful. I'm grateful."
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