Instagram/@badgalriri
Rihanna, the superstar, knew that her post about J’Adore, the fragrance by Dior, which she declared an essential item for the holiday season, would attract the attention of everybody without any suggestions. It were the comments on the diva’s thousand-dollar outfit that kindled a debate in her comment section but just for a brief moment it was about the unquenchable need of the whole world: new music please!
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It was really a joyous moment for her, nevertheless, one of her fans totally altered the ambiance of the post with a remark that read, “R9 would be the best travel and airport essentials.”, and thus a whole discussion of new music was kicked off around that one comment. As usual things went from bad to worse very quickly; the followers began to voice their opinions on the topic ‘Where is the album?’ The pose transformed into a virtual support group for music lovers in withdrawal. “You know what else fits in your purse? The R9,” one clever user quipped, referring to the mythical, never-released ninth studio album. That one comment alone triggered a cascade of replies ranging from hopeful to utterly defeated with a person sighing, ‘I’m waiting for it but I can’t see it seems like she will never come back.’
A comment about her apparently blocking someone’s view at a Mariah Carey concert got tied back to music as a witty reply noted she ‘has more career sitting down than releasing songs.’ It is all in good fun, mostly. The tone isn’t angry; it’s longing, laced with the kind of inside-joke exhaustion that comes from years of waiting. They adore her, they support her businesses, they think she’s a goddess. They just also really, really want her to sing.
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What did we get from it? Rihanna could easily promote other musicians’ works. She is a live advertisement. But the strength of her musical heritage is even greater. It produces this intriguing situation where every sponsored post becomes a gathering for music lovers who can’t wait. They will buy the fragrance, they will love the lipstick. But in every comment section, in every language, the message is unmistakable: the ultimate holiday essential they are waiting for is R9. Until then, they will keep asking, politely but insistently, every time she logs on. Her recent Cyber Week video and festive Savage X Fenty clip show her continuing to focus on her business ventures.