Rihanna says ‘Anti’ is the only album of hers she can listen to “with no shame”

Rihanna has revealed that ‘Anti’ is the only album of hers that she can listen to without “shame”.

• READ MORE: Rihanna: every album ranked and rated

The record, which turned nine last month, featured huge hits like ‘Kiss It Better’ and ‘Work’, and topped the Billboard charts for two weeks. It went on to remain on the charts for an impressive 456 weeks.

Since then, Rihanna hasn’t released another album, though she has shared two songs – the last being 2022’s ‘Lift Me Up’, which was written for the Black Panther: Wakanda Forever soundtrack and a tribute to late actor Chadwick Boseman.

Now, in a new interview with Harper’s BAZAAR, she revealed that the 2014 record is her favourite from her discography.

“I listen to ‘Anti’ from top to bottom with no shame. I used to always have shame. I actually don’t like listening to my music, but ‘Anti’ — I can listen to the album,” she told the magazine.

“It’s like it’s not me singing it, if I’m just listening to it. That’s the one album that I can have an out-of-body experience where it’s not like … You know when you hear your voice in a voicemail, and it’s like, ‘Ugh.’ ”

Shortly after ‘Anti’s release, Rihanna spoke to NME in an exclusive interview and explained why three of her singles at the time – ‘American Oxygen’, ‘Four Five Seconds’, ‘Bitch Better Have My Money’ – had such different sounds.

“I love what I love, and these songs each have their own demeanour, and the videos reflect the character of each song,” she said. “I want every video to take you on a different journey. A different ride.”

The new interview comes amid speculation that a follow-up to ‘Anti’ is coming soon. She also told the publication that the much-anticipated album is “not going to be anything that anybody expects”, and that reports in 2018 and 2019 that the album would be highly influenced by reggae are “way off”.

“There’s no genre now. That’s why I waited,” she said. “Every time, I was just like, ‘No, it’s not me. It’s not right. It’s not matching my growth. It’s not matching my evolution. I can’t do this. I can’t stand by this. I can’t perform this for a year on tour.’”

The few scraps of information Rihanna has shared in the last 12 months about ‘R9’ include her saying she was “starting over” with a “new perspective” at a Fenty Hair event in June, and enigmatically suggesting that “God had other plans for me” than music at a product launch in November.

Rumours emerged on Friday (February 21) that linked Rihanna to a string of huge headline shows at the London Stadium in early July, which also triggered speculation of a possible headline appearance at Glastonbury 2025 for the ‘Umbrella’ singer.

There has been no confirmation on either count so far, and Rihanna has not toured at all since the ‘Anti’ World Tour in 2016.

She did however headline the 2023 Super Bowl Halftime Show – which was her first performance in seven years. She then followed that up last year when she played her first full show in eight years for a billionaire’s private wedding in India.

In other news, her partner A$AP Rocky was found not guilty last week in his trial for a 2021 shooting incident. The Los Angeles jury acquitted him on all counts, after he had been charged for allegedly firing a gun at his former friend A$AP Relli. He had faced 24 years in prison and had turned down a plea deal for 180 days in jail.

Responding to the acquittal, Rihanna wrote: “The glory belongs to God and God alone! Thankful, humbled by his mercy! 🙏🏿”