A$AP Rocky officially confirmed in a podcast interview on August 5, 2026, that Rihanna is actively in the studio working on new music. Speaking on The Joe Budden Podcast, Rocky said “she’s cooking, for real” but joked he would “get in trouble” for leaking any details. The clip immediately went viral across hip-hop and pop pages after Rihanna’s 4-year hiatus from solo releases.
Rihanna’s last full album was 2016’s ANTI, with only sporadic singles like “Lift Me Up” in 2022 since. Rocky hinted the new material leans “experimental” and that she’s been pulling late nights at Electric Lady Studios in NYC. Sources tell Billboard that Pharrell and James Fauntleroy have both been spotted at recent sessions, fueling speculation about direction.
Fans flooded social media with #R9IsComing, crashing Genius and X trends within an hour of the podcast drop. No release date was given, but Rocky’s confirmation marks the first on-record update from her inner circle since 2023. With Rocky also prepping Don’t Be Dumb, 2026 could finally be the year for a Fenty music return.
