Rihanna's Highly Anticipated Ninth Album Gets a Fresh Twist with Inspiration from British Music Legends

RIHANNA’S long-awaited ninth album has taken another dramatic turn.

A decade after she released her last record, Anti, sources say is looking to music ­legends for ­inspiration.

Rihanna’s long-awaited ninth album has taken another dramatic turn Credit: Instagram/Savagexfenty Rhi is looking to music ­legends Queen for ­inspiration Credit: Getty

An insider explained: “Over the past few months, a lot of meetings have been taking place about Rihanna’s new album. It’s changed so much over the years, both in terms of direction and sound, but the new brief is ‘Queen.’

“Execs have been told she’s been inspired by Freddie Mercury and has been listening to a lot of his and Queen’s old records.”

Teasing the project — which fans have dubbed R9 — A&R, Omar Grant, said: “It’s coming. It’s coming at some point. She’s put out some incredible music, but it’s also to the point where we have to outdo what we did in the past.

“When you build something like a ‘Rihanna record’, we have to continually beat what we did last time and be different from things we have done in the past.

“We are going to be criticised if we do something that’s not as good, or the same.

“Also, it doesn’t really fit if we go with too much of a departure from where it is — then it kind of gets into that weird zone.”

Queen’s Sheer Heart Attack Credit: Handout Queen’s 1989 album The Miracle Credit: Unknown

As well as being RiRi’s A&R, Grant is also right-hand man and co-president of his record label, Roc Nation.

Speaking in February 2025, Rihanna suggested she had finally “cracked it” when it came to R9 — but it is understood she has since gone back to the drawing board.

At the time, Rihanna said: “This feels right. It feels like it digs right into where I need to be, and I want this. This body needs to come out, and I’m ready to go there.

“This is becoming my new freedom, because when I’m in the studio I know that my time away from my kids is to blossom something that hasn’t been watered in eight years.

An insider said: ‘Execs have been told she’s been inspired by Freddie Mercury and has been listening to a lot of his and Queen’s old records’ Credit: Instagram/Savagexfenty Queen’s Freddie Mercury and Brian May performing on stage Credit: Redferns

“I’ve been in the studio the whole eight years. But it didn’t hit me. I was searching for it.”

The superstar added: “I went through phases of what I wanted to do. This kind of album, not that album.

“I know it’s not going to be anything that anybody expects.

“And it’s not going to be commercial or radio-digestible. It’s going to be where my artistry deserves to be right now. I feel like I’ve finally cracked it.”

I previously revealed how Rihanna had been offered a ten-night residency at East London’s Stadium venue, only for plans to fall through ahead of the arrival of her third child, Rocki, in 2025.

Last year, her touring agent, Live Nation, went as far as touting a global tour for the pop icon, only for it to collapse at the last minute.

Hopefully, good things come to those who wait.

Electric shock and Ora

Rita Ora was all dressed up at Gozo Festival, in northwest Spain, but ended up with nowhere to go Credit: Click News and Media Rita was forced to cancel her headline performance after a major thunderstorm Credit: Click News and Media An insider said: ‘Rita wanted to go out and perform despite the torrential rain but the organisers said no’ Credit: Click News and Media

was all dressed up at Gozo Festival, in northwest Spain, but ended up with nowhere to go.

was forced to cancel her headline performance after a major thunderstorm.

Rita went on social media to explain to fans that because organisers had issued a “code red” – meaning no one could access the stage during the storm – all of her kit was ruined.

“My monitors, my wires . . . they’re all fried,” Rita said. “I am so sorry to everyone – It’s not my fault.”

An insider added: “Rita wanted to go out and perform despite the torrential rain but the organisers said no.

“It then transpired that all of her equipment had been left out on stage in the rain and nothing could be used again.

“The risk of using any of their electrical kit that had been drenched by water was deemed too high. She was gutted.”

Emotional Sigrid performs at Mad Cool Credit: Supplied/Javier Bragado Halsey told the crowd: ‘I can’t wait to see Kings Of Leon’ Credit: Getty

delivered an emotional set at Madrid’s Mad Cool Festival because her sister and dad were in the crowd – and the weekend was just as special for Halsey.

The American singer also played at the event and said she was ecstatic to be on the same line-up as , after almost getting arrested while trying to get close to them 15 years ago.

Halsey told the crowd: “I can’t wait to see Kings Of Leon. I’ve had tickets to see them four times and every single time, something has gone terribly wrong, and I haven’t been able to make it to the show.

“Nothing’s going to go wrong tonight though. I’m gonna go down there and I’m gonna watch them with you. It’s going to be f***ing awesome.

“They’ve been one of my favourite bands since I was really, really, young. When I was living in New York, I snuck into the city and I forged a pass for Tribeca Film Festival so I could go to see their documentary Talihina Sky and I got in so much fing trouble. I almost got arrested.

“I was 15, so I’m going to be down there tonight as 15-year-old me.”

Nick Cave, David Byrne and Pulp closed Mad Cool’s tenth edition on Saturday night – topping off one of Europe’s best festivals.

SIX years after The Vamps released any music, frontman has said he is sure the band will come together again.

Speaking backstage at BST Hyde Park, he said: “We are still together and we will do more stuff.

“Everyone’s been able to explore who they are outside the band and everyone’s doing amazing projects. I feel so proud of the other three lads.

“But when we do catch up, we take the mantra of friends first. I saw James [Brittain-McVey] two nights ago – we went for a drink.”

For now, Brad is busy working on new solo tunes and said: “I want to release a load of music to give people a feel of what the next album will be like and then maybe put out the album early next year.

“I want fans to feel the positivity coming out of it, that’s what I’ve tried to reflect.”

LIL JON has admitted there’s only one thing he wants to do when he comes to the UK – grab dinner at Nando’s.

After performing at BST Hyde Park, the US rapper said: “When I come here, pretty much the only thing I want to do is go to Nando’s. I need my fill of that chicken.”

Don’t we all.

Gracie Abrams releases her third album, Daughter From Hell, on Friday Credit: Instagram

releases her third album, Daughter From Hell, on Friday.

And in a refreshing change from nepo babies like , who moan and whinge about their privileged backgrounds, Gracie is proud to own the title.

Speaking frankly about the tag, Gracie – the daughter of Hollywood heavyweight J.J. Abrams and film CEO Katie McGrath – said: “Both my parents have worked in the entertainment industry since before I was born.

“There is no ­question there are a million visible and invisible ways I have benefited as a result.

“I’m the luckiest person in the world to have grown up learning from the two of them. It’s been everything, of course.”

Nepo or not, she’s certainly killing it when it comes to her career.

Gracie will play four nights at London’s O2 next April and May as part of a huge world tour.

Her fans are wishing away time until the record drops, and so are we.

LES’ BOOK A CUT ABOVE

For years, Leslie Cavendish was the man in charge of The Beatles’ famous barnets Credit: Supplied From left: Paul McCartney, George Harrison, Ringo Starr and John Lennon Credit: Getty

FOR years, Leslie Cavendish was the man in charge of famous barnets.

Now the veteran hairdresser is set to pull back the curtain on his time as music’s most in-demand barber in his second book, Beatles Locations Across The Universe, out this summer.

Opening up about the current batch of male stars storming the charts,

Leslie said: “It’s a new generation of haircuts with electric razors.

“I think going bald is the latest fashion.

“Today’s stars also have access to hair transplants, Botox and every cosmetic treatment imaginable to help maintain their image.

“But can you imagine a Beatle or one of The Rolling Stones worrying about looking a few years older? I can’t.”

Over the last few years, more and more male stars have gone under the knife to stop their hairlines receding.

And Leslie reckons Ed Sheeran could be the next celeb to splash out on a hair transplant.

Giving his take on the Shape Of You singer’s locks, he said: “Ed has fine hair and wears it in a deliberately messy style, brushing it forward to soften his high forehead.

“He’s recently shaved it, and I wouldn’t be surprised if he keeps it shorter for a while.

“Like many people, he may even hope it grows back thicker.

“He’s probably the one I’d expect to lose more hair over time – unless he decides to have a hair transplant, which wouldn’t surprise me.”

His comments come after bald rapper for the most bald heads in one place during his sold-out show in London’s Hyde Park on Friday.

Bizarre’s Jack was backstage at the gig, where BBC Radio 1 host Greg James presented the Time Of Our Lives singer with a plaque to mark the achievement before he took to the stage.

CHEM’S ARTY PARTY

★★★★☆

Gerard Way of My Chemical Romance Credit: Instagram

I’LL be honest, my most played tracks on Spotify are all pop and dance hits but I’m now converted to My Chemical Romance.

From the moment frontman Gerard Way stepped on stage, he never broke character – giving fans a Freddie Mercury-style performance of ultimate showmanship.

The first half saw the band perform their third album, The Black Parade, in full – to ­celebrate the record’s 20th anniversary.

At times, it felt more like performance art than a rock show, with a loose plotline about a ­dystopian dictatorship, mock firing squad and clown suicide bombers, plus a man on fire sprinting across the stage ­during their hit, Mama.

Minutes later, during Famous Last Words, the whole stage was set ablaze with fireworks shooting horizontally over the crowd.

Taking place from a B-stage in the centre of the stadium, the ­second half was much more what you would expect from a rock concert – with mosh pits popping up all over the place in Wembley.

While I won’t be adding some of the songs to my gym playlist ­any time soon, I was certainly entertained – and I challenge anyone not to be otherwise.

JACK HARDWICK