A few things we want, no NEED, from RiRi’s new album

After a two year recording hiatus, Rihanna appears to be back in the studio. Last week, the songstress posted a video to her Instagram that seems to foreshadow a forthcoming album. (eeeeee!) Although there are no visuals to accompany the mysterious upload, you can hear Rihanna singing over a deep bassline. Oh RiRi, why must you tease us so?

Unsurprisingly, the video caused the Internet to explode with rumors about an album and its anticipated release date. Rihanna had already taken to her Twitter to address the rumors, saying that “ANY news about #R8 will be delivered directly from me!!!!!” PS the album’s name is R8. 

So basically, a new Rihanna album is coming. It’s happening soon, and it’s called R8. We will be watching Rihanna’s social media with hawk eyes to see what info she drops next. But before we put on our dancing shoes, let’s talk about a few things we want to see (or is it, hear?) on Rihanna’s latest. C’mon Bad Girl Ri Ri, we’re counting on you.

A creative album release

Creative album releases seem to be a dime a dozen these days, but that wouldn’t make this experience any less special. I say, go! Pull a fast one on us! There’s already been a ton of speculation about the release, so doing something FULLY unexpected would be a plus one for team Ri. And, considering Rihanna’s industry stature, she is totally capable of pulling a Beyoncé. Just sayin’!

Gorgeous music videos

Rihanna is certainly no stranger to artful music videos. She’s has already worked with acclaimed directors like Anthony Mandler, Vincent Haycock, and Melina Matsoukas. In addition to these directorial big wigs, we’d love to see her enter some uncharted territory with other creative directors on the come-up (Khalil Joseph, Ian Pons Jewell, and Jesse Kanda are a few who come to mind). I can already taste it: mini-narratives, three-part short stories, amazing art direction — the possibilities are endless.

Empowering lyrics

Rihanna is one of the most prominent female artists in pop music. Her no-nonsense attitude has been echoed in her more empowering songs like “G4L” and “Take A Bow.” Needless to say, her two-year hiatus has us craving more. Although her last album was hotly debated (many called it masochistic), we’d love to see Rihanna come back this year with a few power anthems.

Unexpected collaborations

The Instagram teaser video left us no indication on who she’s working with, which leaves room for surprise. Seeing as Rihanna has collaborated with everyone from Mikky Ekko to Eminem, we’re thinking her new album will be chock full of features and collaborations. The more unexpected, the better!

A world tour (duh)

Every big album deserves an even bigger world tour. It’s been a while since we’ve seen Rihanna tour with new material, and the thought of it warms our hearts something powerful.

Now, back to speculating on this album’s release date . . .

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