Rihanna Releases Track 'Friend Of Mine' for 'The Smurfs' Movie
Rihanna's Upcoming Masterpiece: A Decade-Long Awaited Album Unveiled
The wait is finally over, or so it seems! Grammy-winning sensation, billionaire beauty queen, and Smurfette-voiced actress Rihanna is gearing up to release her long-anticipated ninth studio album, R9. A decade has passed since her 2016 album Anti, and fans have anxiously anticipated every move she's made in the music industry since then.
These past years have been a whirlwind of success for Rihanna, with her diversifying her empire to venture into fashion, business, and occasional music releases. Tracks like her collaborations with PartyNextDoor, "Believe It," and her entry for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever soundtrack, "Lift Me UP," have provided tantalizing glimpses of her creative prowess.
Now, the wait continues, as Rihanna makes a return to the music scene with another film soundtrack release: "Friend of Mine" from the much-anticipated animated movie Smurfs. The track, which Rihanna herself voices as protagonist Smurfette in the film, strays from the pop and R&B sounds fans have come to love over the years, swapping them for an energetic club number.
"Just met you tonight, but you feel like a friend of mine / Feel like a friend of mine, feel like a friend of mine / Feel like a friend of mine, feel like a friend of mine / How can so familiar be so brand new?" she sings.
As for the future of her musical journey, Rihanna shared with Harper's Bazaar in February that she's discovered a breakthrough for R9.
"Music is my freedom," she said. "I just realized that. R9 is going to be something I'm extremely proud of and excited about. I think I've cracked the code on what I really want to do for my next body of work. I couldn't be more ecstatic about it."
"I'm feeling really optimistic," she added. "This feels right. It feels like it's digging right into where I need to be, and I want this. R9 needs to come out, and I'm ready to go there."
Rihanna confessed that she struggled to find the perfect sound for her next LP but resolved that it wouldn't resemble the radio-ready hits that dominated her run in the 2000s and 2010s. "I know it's not going to be anything that people expect," she said. "And it's not going to be commercial or radio-friendly. It's going to be where my artistry deserves to be right now."
Fans of the provocative superstar should expect Rihanna's upcoming album, R9, to continue her innovative and genre-blending style, with fresh, emotionally-charged material. The project is currently in the works, and the music industry awaits its release with bated breath. Rihanna's new single, "Friend Of Mine," serves as a compelling preview of her musical direction ahead of the full R9 release. Let's hope the wait won't be much longer!
Smurfs is set to hit theaters July 18.
Celebrities like Rihanna are known for their constant evolution in the entertainment industry, and her upcoming album, R9, promises to continue this trend. With a decade-long gap since her last pop-culture igniting album, Anti, her return to music marks an exciting chapter in Rihanna's journey through pop-culture.
