Rihanna Confirms New Album Sessions, No Tour Dates Announced for 2026
When A$AP Rocky revealed on the Jason Lee podcast that Rihanna is "in the studio right now" and "cooking" new songs, it was the first concrete confirmation that the Barbadian superstar has begun work on her long‑anticipated ninth studio album. The singer’s partner, speaking on August 6, 2026, offered a rare glimpse behind the curtain, giving fans a tangible sense of progress.
The BBC’s coverage of Rocky’s appearance highlighted that, while Rihanna is actively recording, Roc Nation has yet to disclose a track list, album title, or release date. The label’s silence has kept the project officially untitled and untimed, a situation mirrored in reports from TheGrio and other outlets. In the meantime, the music press and fan communities have continued to refer to the forthcoming record as R9, a shorthand that acknowledges the artist’s ninth full‑length effort without implying a formal name.
Since the release of Anti on January 28, 2016, Rihanna has issued a handful of singles and performed sporadically, but no new album has entered the market. The current studio sessions therefore represent the first full‑length project the singer has been working on in more than a decade, raising expectations across the industry.
Despite the studio activity, German audiences remain in the dark. A search of major ticketing platforms and the artist’s official website shows no scheduled shows in Germany for 2026, and her public‑relations team has not announced a headline tour or festival appearances in the country. The lack of dates aligns with the typical pattern of artists launching tours after an album announcement, suggesting that Rihanna’s tour plans will follow once a release strategy is set.
Rihanna’s career has traversed pop, R&B, dancehall, and alternative pop, with landmark albums such as Good Girl Gone Bad (2007), Loud (2010), and Unapologetic (2012). Her 2016 album Anti earned multiple platinum certifications and enjoyed an extended run on the Billboard 200. Yet, the new sessions have not yet yielded public track listings or promotional singles, leaving the industry to speculate about the direction of her upcoming work.
Industry observers note that a gap between recording and public announcements is common; artists often record material over extended periods before deciding on a release strategy. In Rihanna’s case, the absence of a release date or tour schedule indicates the project remains in an early or mid‑production phase.
As of early September 2026, the only confirmed detail about Rihanna’s ninth album is that she is in the studio crafting new songs. No official release date, album title, or tour dates—particularly in Germany—have surfaced. Fans and analysts will need to await a statement from Roc Nation or the artist herself before further information becomes available.
