Rihanna has revealed she has “at least” 170 unreleased songs in the vault, giving fans a number to obsess over in the middle of the decade-long wait for her ninth studio album, widely known as R9. The revelation came during a Fenty Beauty livestream on TikTok in early October 2026.
On the livestream, the singer responded to a fan question asking her to estimate the number of unreleased songs she currently has under lock. She then guessed that she has “at least” 170 songs in the vault, according to Paste Magazine’s report.
“At least 17 vaults”
“If there are 10 products in a vault, then I have at least 17 vaults,” she said, cryptically, while discussing her unreleased music. The maths points to about 170 finished or in-progress songs, a staggering reserve for an artist who has not released a solo studio album in years.
According to a Billboard report quoted by Mandatory, Rihanna did not explicitly confirm that she had 170 completed tracks, but her use of the word “at least” suggested that her music vault could contain even more material. Fans initially reacted with excitement, but many quickly shifted to frustration over repeated teases without concrete timelines, according to Particle’s report.
Her partner A$AP Rocky told The Jason Lee Podcast in August that she was “in the studio right now,” and in February 2026 she herself claimed that ANTI’s follow-up album was going to defy fans’ expectations.
A decade since ANTI
It may have been over a decade since Rihanna last released an album, but that does not mean she has not been in the studio, according to Paste. Her last studio album, ANTI, was released in 2016, and spent two weeks at number one on the Billboard 200.
Though she has shared one-off singles for films recently, including “Lift Me Up” from Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and “Friend of Mine” for Smurfs in 2025, Rihanna is now known more for her business acumen than music, with Fenty Beauty estimated to be worth between 1 billion and 2 billion dollars.
She also returned to the stage in July for Jay-Z’s Extra Innings show at Yankee Stadium, where she performed “Run This Town” and “B*tch Better Have My Money,” according to Mandatory, though neither appearance resulted in a formal announcement about her next album.
What fans are waiting for
None of Rihanna’s comments confirm how many songs are finished, mastered or intended for public release, and no release date, tracklist or album title has been announced, according to Particle. Observers say the next clear sign to watch for is an official label or artist announcement, or a single release.
For now, fans have a number to dream about: at least 170 songs, at least 17 vaults, and a decade of waiting that, Rihanna insists, will be worth it. As she herself has said, the next thing everyone hears has to count, has to matter, and has to show them the worth in the wait.
