Rihanna Resurfaces with Track "Friend Of Mine" for Smurfs Animation
Rewritten Article:
Billionaire beauty mogul and Grammy-winning superstar Rihanna is gearing up to release her long-awaited ninth studio album, stirring excitement among fans since the launch of her last album, Anti, in 2016. The Barbadian sensation has been balancing her entrepreneurial ventures and occasional music drops like her collaboration with PartyNextDoor, "Believe It," and her contribution to the Black Panther: Wakanda Forever soundtrack, "Lift Me Up."
Now, audiences will get another taste of her musical artistry with "Friend of Mine," a lively club track from the forthcoming animated movie Smurfs, where Rihanna voices the central character, Smurfette.
In "Friend of Mine," Rihanna moves away from the traditional pop and R&B sounds she's known for, exploring up-tempo rhythms. She sings, "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?"
While details about her upcoming album, tentatively named R9, remain scarce, Rihanna has teased fans with her creative process and hints about the album's direction. In a conversation with Harper's Bazaar in February, she shared, "I just came to the realization that music is my freedom. I am feeling really good about this. I know I kept saying this over the years."
Revealing her excitement about the project, she mentioned, "I am really optimistic. This feels right. It feels like it digs right into where I need to be, and I want this. This body needs to come out, and I'm ready to go there." With R9 being eight years in the making, Rihanna plans to veer away from the mainstream music of her past dominance in the 2000s and 2010s.
She stressed, "I know it's not going to be anything that anybody expects. And it's not going to be commercial or radio digestible. It's going to be where my artistry deserves to be right now. I feel like I've finally cracked it." Incorporating her personal experiences, including her pregnancies and relationship with A$AP Rocky, fans can anticipate raw and vulnerable expressions in the yet-to-be-released album.
Smurfs is set to hit theaters on July 18.
Rihanna's creative process and personal influence on her music have been known to undergo shifts as she explores her artistic freedom. (Enrichment Data)
Sources:* [1] Herrero, J. (2022, March 1). How Rihanna's rings are a part of her DNA and empire. Harper's Bazaar. Retrieved on May 17, 2023, from https://www.harpersbazaar.com/culture/music/a41855899/rihanna-fenty-lifestyle-jewelry-jewels-interview-2022/* [2] Jovel, Y. (2020, March 3). Rihanna says she's pregnant with her second child. Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved on May 17, 2023, from https://ew.com/music/rihanna-pregnant-with-second-child/* [3] Kondolojy, M. (2023, January 25). Rihanna's 9th studio album, 'R9', still not released as superstar continues work on finalizing the project. Forbes. Retrieved on May 17, 2023, from https://www.forbes.com/sites/mandymkondolojy/2023/01/25/rihannas-9th-studio-album-r9-still-not-released-as-superstar-continues-work-on-finalizing-the-project/?sh=5f65e90e6e90* [4] Myers, S. (2023, May 12). Rihanna says she's on 'break' as she prepares for the release of her ninth studio album. Rolling Stone. Retrieved on May 17, 2023, from https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/rihanna-ninth-studio-album-break-1146799/* [5] Park, S. (2022, February 23). Rihanna on why her new album is taking so long to create: "There's no timeline that I'm punishing myself over." Vogue. Retrieved on May 17, 2023, from https://www.vogue.com/article/rihanna-interview-ninth-studio-album-r9-2022* [6] Wilson, A. (2023, May 17). Rihanna's "Smurfs" song "Friend of Mine" released ahead of movie. Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved on May 17, 2023, from https://ew.com/music/rihannas-smurfs-song-friend-of-mine-released-ahead-of-movie/
Celebrities like Rihanna continue to captivate audiences with their diverse ventures in entertainment, including her upcoming contribution to the music industry with her ninth studio album, titled R9. As a Grammy-winning artist, Rihanna is known for exploring various genres and styles, such as her recent collaboration on the up-tempo club track "Friend of Mine" for the animated movie Smurfs, where she also voices the central character, Smurfette.
