Earlier this month, news broke that Rihanna is poised to make history as the first woman of color and female designer to have an original brand housed under LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton, the world’s largest luxury group.
In a new interview with the New York Times‘ T Magazine, published on Monday (May 20), the barrier-breaking singer and entrepreneur reflected on the subject, as well as gave fans a highly anticipated update regarding her upcoming-but-safeguarded new music.
In addition to gearing up to launch her new LVMH-partnered Fenty line, which is set to debut later this month, Rihanna also confirmed that she has a reggae project in the works, as well as dispelled rumors regarding collaborating with the likes of Lady Gaga and/or Drake.
After noting her new music project could qualify as a reggae album as previously rumored, she explained how she has no plans to collaborate with Drake anytime soon.
“Not anytime soon, I don’t see it happening,” she says. “Not on this album, that’s for sure.”
Additionally, as far as working with Lady Gaga goes, RiRi says that fans began speculating about the pair collaborating after the former followed her on Instagram, but nothing is currently in the works.
“It’s not in the books right now,” she confirms. “But I’m not against it.”
The conversation then shifts to whether or not she has a name or a release date for the project. While the short answer is “no, not yet,” Rihanna does explain how she, too, feels drawn to the fan-dubbed title of R9.
“It’s just been R9 thanks to the Navy. I’m about to call it that probably, ’cause they have haunted me with this ‘R9, R9, when is R9 coming out?’” she tells actor and playwright Jeremy O. Harris, who guided their conversation for the magazine profile. “How will I accept another name after that’s been burned into my skull?”
The 31-year-old also waxes poetic about the driving inspiration behind all the work she does, explaining how while she is making money, that is not what brings her the most happiness.
“The money means that I can take care of my family. The money means that I can facilitate the businesses that I want to. I can create jobs for other people. My money is not for me; it’s always the thought that I can help someone else or, in the future, for if I have kids,” Rihanna shares. “The world can really make you believe that the wrong things are priority, and it makes you really miss the core of life, what it means to be alive. It could literally be walking outside in the sun. That makes me happy. Like going to the grocery store — you know, there’s a cute little Jamaican market near where I live right now.”
Take a look at T Magazine‘s full profile on Rihanna here.