The Real Reason Rihanna Hasn't Been A Part Of The Music Industry For So Long

Rihanna is considered one of the most beloved singers in showbiz history, releasing hits like "Umbrella," We Found Love," "Love on the Brain," and "Work." But while the nine-time Grammy Award winner has maintained her superstar status in the entertainment industry, it's been quite some time since the singer released new music.

Throughout the years, Rihanna has created eight studio albums, including her debut record Music of the Sun in 2005, followed by A Girl Like Me in 2006, Good Girl Gone Bad in 2007, and Rated R in 2009, among others. Her latest, Anti, was released more than five years ago in February 2016 (via Official Charts).

In addition to holding off from her music, it's been a few years since Rihanna has performed in general. The last time she took the stage at the Grammys was in 2018 when she performed "Wild Thoughts" alongside DJ Khaled and Bryson Tiller (via Rolling Stone). The 60th annual ceremony that year also marked her most recent win, which she garnered in the Best Rap/Sung Performance category for "Loyalty" with Kendrick Lamar (via IMDb).

Though Rihanna has seemingly stepped back from her work as a singer and songwriter, she has morphed into a successful business owner and fashion guru. Keep scrolling to find out the real reason Rihanna hasn't been a part of the music industry for so long now. 

Rihanna is putting her time and energy toward her gig as a business owner

Fans have been dying to hear some new music from Rihanna as it's been more than five years since she gave us a taste of her pop, R&B, and reggae hip-hop style. Though she's kept a tight lip about the status of her journey in music, she reportedly has been working on an album titled R9 since the summer of 2018 (via Page Six).

Besides teasing the album on a few rare occasions, Rihanna has held off from offering an idea of when she'll release the new record. According to Skyy Hook, an on-air personality on Shade45/SiriusXM's The Wake Up Show with Sway & King Tech show, Rihanna's job as a business owner is the reason she's disappeared from the music industry.

"Fenty... is why the album is taking so long to drop," Hook proclaimed, Page Six reported on March 13, 2021, noting the Fenty founder is focused on growing her high-profile brand — which is worth $1 billion, according to Forbes. "That's Rihanna. She's become bigger than the music," Hook added.

While Rihanna has kept mum about the status of her record, she teased her Instagram followers in December 2019 when she posted a clip of a puppy hopping around in a cardboard box as "Jump Around" by House of Pain blasted in the background. "Update: me listening to R9 by myself and refusing to release it," she wrote in the caption. Do you, girl!