Rihanna says she wants her new album to come out "this year"

In a new feature for British Vogue, Rihanna was asked about the possibility of a new album arriving this year, despite just announcing that she's pregnant with her second child during her Super Bowl halftime performance last weekend. Rihanna responded, "I want it to be this year. Like, honestly, it’d be ridiculous if it’s not this year. But I just want to have fun. I just want to make music and make videos. And I need the right background music with the visuals. I can’t just go shoot a video to me talking."

Reflecting on following up an album like 2016's Anti, Rihanna said, "When you come off of an album like Anti... In hindsight, it really is my most brilliant album. I say that because in the moment, I didn’t realise it. But it always felt like the most cohesive album I’ve ever made. When you break it down and you realise this album goes from "Work" to "Kiss It Better" to "Needed Me" to "Love on the Brain" to "Sex with Me" to "Desperado". And somehow it all fits and not for a second did you glitch?"

She continued, "It’s like a DJ’s worst nightmare. But there’s this pressure that I put on myself. That if it’s not better than that then it is not even worth it."

On wanting to overcome that pressure, Rihanna said, "So I realised that if I keep waiting until this feels right and perfect and better, maybe it’s going to keep taking forever and maybe it’ll never come out and no, I’m not down to that. So I want to play. And by play, I mean I have my ideas in my head, but I can’t say them out loud yet."