Rihanna Offers Update On Next Album

Is 'R9' brewing? Anticipation about Rihanna's long-awaited ninth studio album, (which RiRi's Navy refers to as "R9") came up when the singer announced that she would be the 2023 Super Bowl Halftime Show performer. However, the Savage X Fenty founder mentions in a new interview that her previous announcement does not mean that "R9" is ready yet.

"That’s not true," she said when asked in an Associated Press interview if her Super Bowl performance meant that her next album was finished. "Super Bowl is one thing. New music is another thing. Do you hear that, fans?"

The singer understood that fans would expect new music after her announcement since it was her first live appearance in six years. "The second that I announced this, I said, 'Oh, my God, they’re going to think my album is coming. I need to get to work.'"

Rihanna infamously turned down the halftime gig in 2019 to show solidarity with former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick who began kneeling during the National Anthem in 2016 to protest injustice, police brutality, and systemic oppression. In the latest AP interview when asked why she chose to do it now, she said that the timing and circumstances this time worked out better for her.

"If I’m going to leave my baby, I’m going to leave my baby for something special," she said. Adding: "It was now or never for me. It was a challenge that I welcomed. It was a stage bigger than anything I’ve ever done,” she said.

To be fair, Rihanna did make a triumphant return to music with the release of "Lift Me Up," the lead single for the Black Panther: Wakanda Forever soundtrack.

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever hits theaters on Nov. 11 and Rihanna's Savage X Fenty: Vol. 4 is available to stream exclusively on Amazon Prime Video on Wednesday (Nov. 9).

Rihanna has been announced as the 2023 Apple Music Super Bowl Halftime performer. The Super Bowl will be held on February 12, 2023, at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona.

The singer and beauty mogul broke the internet when she teased fans on Sunday (Sept. 25) before the NFL made the official announcement that she would be the Halftime performer.  She posted her hand holding an NFL-branded football against a white backdrop. The superstar captioned the photo with a simple period, "."

After the NFL confirmed that Rihanna would be 2023 Super Bowl Halftime Show performer, they changed their bio to "national fenty league" and tagged her Instagram account. RiRi also got a shoutout from Jay-Z who signed the Bajan singer in 2005 when he was the president of Def Jam.

"Rihanna is a generational talent, a woman of humble beginnings who has surpassed expectations at every turn," Jay-Z, who previously signed a deal with the NFL to head the league's musical entertainment, said in a statement. "A person born on the small island of Barbados who became one of the most prominent artists ever. Self-made in business and entertainment."

However, what has yet to be announced is if the "We Found Love" singer will be joined on stage by any fellow artists. Last year, Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Mary J. Blige, and Kendrick Lamar performed during the Super Bowl Halftime show with a special appearance from 50 Cent. Dr. Dre also brought out Anderson .Paak who performed on the drums. 50 and .Paak were great additions to the originally billed artists' performances.

When asked about advice he has for Rihanna ahead of the gig, Dre told PEOPLE, "Put the right people around you, and have fun."

"That's basically what it is, making sure you have the right creative people around you," he continued, adding, "She might want to look into some of the people that we used to do our show."

So, with that being said, we conjured up a list of some potential guests that RiRi should consider bringing on stage with her.

Take a look at some potential artists RiRi could perform with below: