Rihanna Says She Is 'Starting Over' With New Album Amid Retirement Rumours

Days after creating a stir among fans with her “I’m Retired” T-shirt, Rihanna has finally cleared the air by explaining that she has no plans to quit. Notably, rumours have been making the rounds for a while now about the pop star’s possible plans to retire from music, while fans still want to hear more albums from her. Catching up with Entertainment Tonight on the red carpet for her Fenty Hair launch event, Rihanna said that her T-shirt was more about just dressing up and not retirement.

“People got triggered by that retired word. They were like, ‘We’re never getting an album now.’ It was the other line that read, ‘This is as dressed up as I get’,” she said.

Rihanna also shared that she is “starting over” and kind of rediscovering things. “I am here, clocked in. I have been working on the album for so long that I kind of just put all that stuff aside. Now that I’m prepared, I’m going to start over. But I don’t want to neglect the songs that I have. So I want to actually go back and listen to stuff with new ears and then see what applies and what I’m still in love with,” she clarified.

On the other hand, the nine-time Grammy winner also spoke to Extra at the launch event and reiterated similar lines. Stating that she was “looking into the future,” Rihanna added, “I’m not retired. I just like that dress. I got it as a gift, and I loved it. They didn’t read the second line, which means I’m not retired; I’m just retired from dressing up — it’s a lot of effort.

With these statements now, fans desperate for positive developments on Riri’s front can finally find peace as the singer revealed that she is indeed starting over with a new album and is prepared to be back in the studio.

Rihanna’s Retirement Rumours

It has been nearly eight years since the singer released a new album, while she released a couple of singles, including Lift Me Up from Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Her last release, Anti, came out in 2016 and fans have been waiting ever since. Considering the large gap in her career trajectory, rumours have been rife that Rihanna is planning to retire from music.

These speculations were further fueled after the 36-year-old recently stepped out in an interesting piece from her wardrobe. She wore a blue, short-sleeved T-shirt that read, “I’m Retired’. This is as dressed up as I get.” She paired the top with a maxi skirt and red sneakers.

In the meantime, the Umbrella singer has also shut down rumours about her third pregnancy. Stating that she hopes to have more kids in the future, Rihanna added, “I’m not pregnant if that’s what you’re asking.”