Rihanna has made history by becoming the first female artist to have 10 songs reach one billion streams on Spotify.
In recent years, the Barbados-born singer has been focused on her clothing and beauty companies under her Fenty brand. She also became a mother after giving birth to her son, RZA in May 2022 and is expecting another child sometime this year.
Despite not releasing an album since 2016’s ‘ANTI’, Rihanna posted a graphic to her Instagram, showing fans that she had made Spotify history on July 1. In the caption, she wrote:”Bad Gal billi … wit no new album… lemme talk my shit!”
The streaming platform then confirmed the news afterwards.
Nicki Minaj commented under Rihanna’s original post, praising her fellow collaborator in a creative rhyme. “Not bad gal Billi, poppin’ shit like a wheelie,” she wrote. “I mean poppin’ like a pilly, like really. Man down ’cause she making a killy!!! SILLY! Bout to be pushin’ out a new kid like Gillie. Caribbean girls run it & AWWLLL these bitches know da dilly.”
The 10 songs from Rihanna’s catalogue to hit a billion streams are ‘Diamonds’, ‘We Found Love’, ‘Love on the Brain’, ‘Stay’, ‘This Is What You Came For’, ‘Needed Me’, ‘Four Five Seconds’, ‘Work’, ‘Umbrella’ and ‘Love the Way You Lie’.
The most recent music the Grammy Award winner dropped came on the Black Panther: Wakanda Forever soundtrack. The lead single was ‘Lift Me Up’, released in October 2022. Last February, Rihanna acknowledged that it would be “ridiculous” if she didn’t release her ninth studio album in the coming year.
Last week, the 35-year-old stepped down from being CEO of her popular clothing company Savage X Fenty. She will be the executive chair of the lingerie brand she founded in 2018, but the former Anthropologie group CEO Hillary Super will replace her as CEO.
Since the 2024 Glastonbury dates have been released, rumours are circulating that Rihanna will be one of next year’s headliners. Glasto co-creator Emily Davis revealed that they’ve already confirmed one of two of the women headliners and another is “close” to being booked. Another is Madonna, while Taylor Swift was recently ruled out with tour dates in Dublin coinciding with the weekend.
Last month, Rihanna made Forbes‘ Richest Self-Made Women list alongside Taylor Swift, Beyoncé and Barbra Streisand.