Rihanna has given further details about what fans can expect from her next album, which is set to be influenced by Reggae.
Last year, the singer revealed that the follow-up to 2016’s ‘Anti’ will be influenced by Bob Marley and features the talents of producer Supa Dups; best known for his work with Beenie Man and Sean Paul.
While the album is yet to emerge, the singer says she’s still heading in the same direction, but it won’t be what fans might typically expect of the genre.
“It’s not gonna be typical of what you know as reggae. But you’re going to feel the elements in all of the tracks,” she told Vogue.
“Reggae always feels right to me. It’s in my blood. It doesn’t matter how far or long removed I am from that culture, or my environment that I grew up in; it never leaves. It’s always the same high. Even though I’ve explored other genres of music, it was time to go back to something that I haven’t really homed in on completely for a body of work.”
Despite the three-year wait, Rihanna also insists that music is still her first love.
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“Music is, like, speaking in code to the world, where they get it. It’s the weird language that connects me to them. Me the designer, me the woman who creates makeup and lingerie — it all started with music,” she explained.
“It was my first pen pal-ship to the world. To cut that off is to cut my communication off. All of these other things flourish on top of that foundation.”
In the same interview, Rihanna explained why she turned down the chance to perform at the 2019 Super Bowl Halftime Show, confirming that she made her choice in order to show solidarity with exiled NFL player Colin Kaepernick.
“For what? Who gains from that? Not my people,” she said. “I just couldn’t be a sellout. I couldn’t be an enabler.”
Earlier this week, Rihanna announced details of her first book, which is being described as a “visual autobiography”.