Rihanna set to break her 3-year music hiatus. Here’s when she will release new song

Friend of Mine marks Rihanna's first new music since Lift Me Up in 2022, which was featured on the Black Panther: Wakanda Forever soundtrack.

RiRi's musical magic will be back! After a three-year music hiatus, Rihanna is Smurfing her way back onto the scene. The singer will be releasing a song, Friend of Mine, which is a part of the upcoming Smurfs film.

Rihanna announced her third pregnancy before her appearance at the Met Gala on May 5. (Photo by Angela WEISS / AFP) (AFP)

Rihanna to drop new song after 3-year wait

On Wednesday, the singer shared the news along with a trailer for the film, which also features snippets of the song.

Based on what can be heard in the clip, Friend of Mine finds the musician singing over an Afrobeats-sounding dance track, “You’re looking like a friend of mine”. The new teaser begins with the superstar grooving in the studio as she records the track.

Friend of Mine marks Rihanna's first new music since Lift Me Up in 2022, which was featured on the Black Panther: Wakanda Forever soundtrack. It's also been eight years since she dropped her last studio album, Anti, in 2016.

Rihanna gave an update about her next album in February, where she expressed optimism about her ongoing music projects. Rihanna remains one of the biggest pop stars in the business despite not releasing an album since 2016.

Rihanna has lent her voice to the Smurfs film along with John Goodman, James Corden, Nick Offerman and Sandra Oh. Apart from being a voice talent, she is also serving as a producer on the project. Friend of Mine will be released on May 16, while Smurfs is scheduled to be released on July 18.

Rihanna to welcome baby number 3

Earlier this month, the Diamonds singer revealed her third pregnancy ahead of her appearance at the 2025 Met Gala. She debuted her baby bump while leaving The Carlyle Hotel in New York City en route to the Met. The singer was wearing a grey two-piece skirt set, paired with matching knee-high socks and grey heels. She used a brown fur scarf to subtly cover her baby bump.

Rihanna welcomed her first son, RZA, with A$AP Rocky in May 2022, followed by the birth of their second son, Riot Rose, in August 2023. She famously revealed her second pregnancy during the 2023 Super Bowl Halftime Show.

Back in 2023, in an interview with British Vogue, Rihanna spoke about the life-changing experience of becoming a mother for the first time. She said, “It was beautiful. I cannot believe it. Essentially, from one person I became two. You walk into the hospital as a couple and leave as a family of three. It’s nuts".