Rihanna Returns to the Spotlight With Fenty Beauty TikTok Live—and Fans Think She Has 170 Unreleased Songs
October 12, 2026
Rihanna is back in the spotlight, but this time, she is not promoting a new single or teasing a music video. Instead, the superstar surprised fans by going live on TikTok to sell and promote products from her beauty brand, Fenty Beauty.
During the TikTok Shop livestream on October 6 in the United States, Rihanna took on a role fans do not get to see from her very often. She hosted the session herself, introduced different Fenty Beauty products, demonstrated them, read comments from viewers, and even encouraged people watching to check out their favorite products.
The livestream reportedly attracted more than 1.5 million viewers, showing just how powerful Rihanna’s presence remains—even when she is simply talking about makeup.
But, as expected, fans eventually managed to turn a beauty livestream into another discussion about music.
Rihanna Takes Over TikTok Shop
The appearance was particularly interesting because Rihanna rarely interacts with audiences through a traditional live-shopping format.
Instead of appearing in a highly produced music performance or major entertainment event, she was essentially acting as a beauty host. She talked directly to viewers, answered comments, introduced products, and encouraged fans to make purchases.
It was a surprisingly casual way to see one of the world’s biggest pop stars.
The livestream also demonstrated the enormous audience Rihanna can attract outside of music. More than 1.5 million people reportedly tuned in, turning what could have been a standard product livestream into a major celebrity moment.
Of course, once Rihanna appeared live, fans had plenty of questions.
And one topic was almost impossible to avoid.
Fans Still Want New Rihanna Music
Rihanna has not released a studio album since ANTI in 2016.
That means fans have spent years waiting for the next chapter of her music career. Her upcoming album has become widely known among fans as “R9,” although there is still no official release date.
So when Rihanna appeared in a livestream where viewers could directly interact with her, it was only natural that someone would ask about the music.
And Rihanna’s answer immediately got fans talking.
Rather than giving a straightforward number, she used an analogy involving one of Fenty Beauty’s products: the Gloss Bomb Vault.
The “17 Vaults” Comment Gets Fans Calculating
During the livestream, Rihanna was asked about her unreleased music.
Her response involved the Gloss Bomb Vault. She explained that if one vault contains 10 products, she has “at least 17 vaults.”
Fans quickly did the math.
Ten products multiplied by 17 vaults equals 170.
That led to speculation online that Rihanna could potentially have around 170 unreleased songs sitting somewhere in her musical vault.
But there is an important detail here: Rihanna did not explicitly say that she has exactly 170 unreleased songs.
The number came from fans interpreting her analogy.
So, while “Rihanna has 170 unreleased songs” makes for a very attention-grabbing headline, it should not be treated as a confirmed fact.
What Rihanna actually said was the “17 vaults” comparison, leaving fans to do the rest of the calculation.
Could Rihanna Really Have That Much Unreleased Music?
The idea of Rihanna having a huge collection of unreleased songs is certainly exciting for fans.
After all, she has spent years recording music throughout her career, releasing eight studio albums between 2005 and 2016. During that time, she worked with countless producers, songwriters, and artists.
It would not be surprising for a major recording artist to have songs that never made it onto an album.
However, that does not mean every unreleased recording is necessarily a completed song waiting to be released. Demos, unfinished tracks, alternate versions, songs written for other projects, rejected album tracks, and recordings that simply never fit an album can all exist in an artist’s archive.
That is why the estimated 170 songs should remain a fan calculation rather than a confirmed figure.
Still, the thought is enough to send the Rihanna fandom into overdrive.
ANTI Was Released Nearly a Decade Ago
The excitement around Rihanna’s comment is also understandable because her last studio album, ANTI, arrived in 2016.
The album became a major moment in her career and included tracks such as “Work,” “Needed Me,” and “Love on the Brain.”
Since then, Rihanna has remained highly visible in pop culture, but not primarily through new albums.
Instead, she has expanded her career through business ventures, fashion, beauty, and other projects. Fenty Beauty has become one of the biggest parts of that story, while Rihanna has also continued making occasional musical appearances.
For fans waiting specifically for a new Rihanna album, however, the wait continues.
What About R9?
For years, fans have referred to Rihanna’s anticipated next album as R9.
The nickname comes from the fact that it would be her ninth studio album, following ANTI.
The project has been the subject of countless rumors, theories, hints, and fan discussions. Yet despite all the speculation, there is still no official release date.
That uncertainty has made almost every Rihanna-related music comment feel significant.
A single sentence during a livestream can suddenly become the basis for hundreds of fan theories.
The latest “17 vaults” comment is a perfect example.
Rihanna’s Beauty Era Is Still Going Strong
While fans continue waiting for R9, Rihanna is clearly keeping herself busy.
Fenty Beauty remains an important part of her career, and the TikTok Shop livestream showed just how naturally she can move between entertainment and business.
She was not simply appearing as the face of the brand. She actively participated in the shopping experience, demonstrating products and communicating directly with consumers.
That kind of interaction is relatively unusual for a superstar of her level.
And judging by the huge number of viewers, people were definitely interested in watching.
Some may have joined to shop for makeup. Others probably came because Rihanna herself was on the livestream.
And then there were the fans hoping for even the smallest update about R9.
Why the Livestream Became a Big Deal
The TikTok appearance is a reminder that Rihanna does not necessarily need to release music to dominate the conversation.
She can appear in a beauty livestream, make one playful comparison, and suddenly fans are calculating the possible number of songs in her musical archive.
That is the level of attention surrounding her.
It also shows why expectations around R9 remain so high. After nearly a decade without a studio album, fans are hungry for any indication that new music might eventually arrive.
Whether the “17 vaults” comment was simply an analogy or a genuine hint at the size of her unreleased catalog, one thing is certain: fans noticed.
Final Thoughts
Rihanna may have returned to the spotlight through Fenty Beauty rather than music, but her TikTok Shop livestream still managed to create a major music conversation.
With more than 1.5 million viewers tuning in, the superstar hosted the session, demonstrated beauty products, interacted with comments, and encouraged viewers to shop.
Then came the question about her unreleased music.
Her Gloss Bomb Vault analogy, involving “at least 17 vaults,” led fans to calculate a potential 170 songs. But to be clear, Rihanna never confirmed that she actually has exactly 170 unreleased songs.
For now, R9 remains without an official release date, while ANTI remains her most recent studio album from 2016.
So, are there really 170 songs hiding somewhere in Rihanna’s vault?
We don’t know.
But after this livestream, fans are definitely going to keep counting.
Follow D-Muse to stay current with fashion trends, lifestyle tips, and exciting events. DM us @dmusemagz now to get all the information you need!