Rihanna new album: Singer 'can't wait' to release R8 record after working on other projects

Rihanna has been teasing her elusive eighth studio album for several months. Getty

After teasing several tracks, Rihanna has hinted that her long-awaited next album could finally be on the way. Her fans, often known collectively as #RihannaNavy, have already been treated to tracks Bitch Better Have My Money, American Oxygen and FourFiveSeconds (the latter with Kanye West and Paul McCartney) from the album, rumoured to be titled R8.

Speaking at the launch of her fragrance, RiRi by Rihanna on Monday (31 August 2015), the singer said she couldn't wait to release the album, originally due for release this spring.

"It's always gonna reflect where I am, or who I am at that time. This one is going to do the same. It's not going to be different. I'm having a lot of fun making this. Every album its like a new era, a new story to tell. A new chapter of your life.

"I'm also working on a lot of other projects so there are a lot of babies now, not just the album. But we have never stopped working on it. I can't wait to put it out."

The Where Have You Been hitmaker released her last album, Unapologetic, in 2012 and subsequently embarked on a world tour before taking a year-long break from recording. She has since been focusing on other ventures, including the launch of her eighth fragrance. Chris Brown's 27-year-old ex – who is currently dating F1 racing driver Lewis Hamilton – launched the new line at Macy's in Brooklyn, New York City.

"When I smell it [the perfume], I go into the times where I was working on it because that was the very first memory I have. The time I finally got it right, I was actually on vacation in Europe, and I remember that trip. I remember the boat. I remember everything about exactly where the scent was in the bathroom."

In June, Grazia magazine reported that the chart-topper had pushed her album aside to focus on expanding her fashion empire. The article stated that RiRi had registered a new brand, $CHOOL KIlls, which will host a line of accessories.

"$CHOOL KIlls will be an accessories range covering everything from tote bags to purses, and later on, fashion," a source reportedly told the magazine. "She still loves the music, and it's what launched her, but this is her focus right now."