Rihanna hits rare milestone amid long music hiatus

Rihanna has reached a historic career milestone as she becomes the first woman to surpass 200 million RIAA singles certifications, even as she continues her long running hiatus from releasing a full studio album.

As of Wednesday, April 15, the artist is now third on the all time list with 200.5 million units, following only Drake, who leads with 277.5 million, and Morgan Wallen with 215 million.

Her last studio album, ANTI, dropped in 2016. Since then, she has released select tracks including Lift Me Up for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and Friends of Mine for Smurfs, while continuing to tease her long awaited ninth album.

Speaking in a 2025 interview with Harper's Bazaar , she said, “There’s no genre now. That’s why I waited,” adding that the long gap must “count” and prove its worth.

She further teased that the upcoming record will not be “commercial or radio digestible,” hinting at a more unconventional direction.

In March, Rihanna was reportedly distressed after a woman allegedly shot at her Beverly Hills home. 

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