“Now that she is pregnant again, we never get it.” That single comment by a fan on social media —drenched in equal parts humour and frustration—went viral within minutes of Rihanna’s stunning appearance at the 2025 Met Gala, where she and A$AP Rocky revealed they are expecting their third child. Clad in a bold pinstripe ensemble and dramatic hat, Rihanna’s baby bump was on full display, confirming what many had speculated after earlier sightings in New York. A$AP Rocky, co-chair of the event, beamed as he told reporters, “It feels amazing, you know… We’ve been seeing love for the most part. And we real receptive to that and appreciate that.”
But amid the celebration, fans couldn’t help circling back to a familiar question: Where is Rihanna’s long-awaited ninth studio album? It’s been nearly a decade since the genre-bending ANTI debuted at No. 1 and earned triple platinum status. Speaking to Harper’s Bazaar in April, Rihanna made it clear her next project won’t be made for the charts. “It’s not going to be commercial or radio digestible,” she said. “It’s going to be where my artistry deserves to be right now.” While her words signaled creative liberation, her pregnancy announcement sparked renewed skepticism among fans—especially those who have waited years for R9.
Since stepping back from music, Rihanna has built a billion-dollar empire with Fenty Beauty and Savage X Fenty, led a Super Bowl halftime show worth of buzz, and become the mother of two sons, RZA and Riot. Her cultural presence remains unshakable. In fact, she recently became one of only a few artists to earn six diamond-certified singles, with “We Found Love” reaching 11x platinum and crossing 1.1 billion views on YouTube. She holds 14 No. 1 Billboard hits—the most of any artist in the 21st century—and 32 Top 10 singles, making her one of the most chart-dominant performers in music history.
Still, the appetite for her return to music remains ravenous. Fans respect the mogul, the mother, and the icon—but they crave the artist. While another pregnancy may extend the album’s timeline, Rihanna’s words leave little doubt that when it finally arrives, it won’t sound like anything—or anyone—else. “This much time away from music needs to count,” she said. And when Rihanna decides it’s time, it almost certainly will.
