Rihanna Hints at Music Retirement: ‘God Had Other Plans for Me’

Rihanna might be ready to leave her music career behind.

That’s what some fans believe after the singer-turned-businesswoman spoke at the launch party for her Fenty Skin line of cosmetics in her home country of Barbados on Thursday.

“I would say music was the thing that got the attention. But God had other plans for me and I was able to create in ways … that were very sincere and genuine or organic and authentic to the things that I love,” Rihanna, 36, told the party’s attendees.

“So it doesn't even feel like a job. But when you bring it home, I cannot express to you guys what this day means for me to be able to celebrate with the people that deserve it the most, the community that has always propelled me to the next place and given me the strength and the grace and you guys have always inspired me,” she added.

Rih’s last album, Anti, was released in 2016 and featured hits like “Work” and “Love on the Brain.” She initially announced plans for a reggae-inspired album in 2018 in a Vogue cover story, with Jamaican producers reportedly submitting hundreds of tracks. The album, often referred to as R9 by fans, has yet to be released.

Since then, Rihanna set her sights on her business ventures, including Fenty Beauty and Savage X Fenty, and became a mother to sons RZA and Riot with ASAP Rocky.

Rihanna’s last singles, “Lift Me Up” and “Born Again,” were for the Black Panther: Wakanda Forever soundtrack.

"I'm in an era of discovery," she told Complex’s Jordan Rose last December when asked about her current creative chapter. "Maybe it's rediscovery because so much is changing, and some things are fleeting. And some things are yet to be discovered, right? And I'm in the center of all of that."