Rihanna finally popped her head out of the musical abyss. Our elusive island queen and global Fenty overlord just dropped her first dance track in eight years. But wait... plot twist: it's for the "Smurfs" movie.
On May 16, Rihanna gave us "Friend of Mine," a thumping, synth-heavy club track that feels like a blast from her EDM past. It's her first time singing lead on a dance banger since 2017's "Wild Thoughts," and fans were understandably hopeful that this could signal the beginning of the long-awaited R9 era.
"Friend of Mine" clocks in at just under three minutes and features exactly 29 words sung by Rihanna. The beat hits, the synths swirl, and for a moment, it feels like Rihanna never left. It's sultry, minimal, and destined for every rooftop DJ set and summer playlist worth its salt. Whether you're shaking it with strangers or just reminiscing about the golden age of pop, this one delivers.
The music video starts with Rihanna wandering through a field of candy-colored, fake plants while holding a giant flower. She strolls to a door, opens it, and we're in Smurfville.
Smurfette, voiced by Rihanna herself, leads the charge as the tiny creatures dance, twirl, and vogue through trippy landscapes. We're talking about Aurora borealis skies, turbine-filled rivers, and neon rainbows—the full Smurf rave fantasy. It's absurd, adorable, and very much not the visual return to Bad Gal RiRi dominance we were dreaming of. But it'll do.
The Internet's Verdict: "U Know What, We'll Take It"
The Navy, bless their patient souls, had mixed but mostly resigned reactions. After nearly a decade of waiting for R9, expectations have become… flexible.
"You know what, it'll do," one fan wrote.
"U know what we will take it," said another, summing up the energy of a fandom that's been through it.
Others leaned into the comedy: "Rihanna said one line, y'all getting, do whatever y'all want with it."
So, about R9, let's be clear: this is not the comeback. "Friend of Mine" is a fun, flirty little appetizer, but it's not the main course. Rihanna's last "serious" music drop was in 2022, when she gave us the emotional "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever" ballads "Lift Me Up" and "Born Again." Since then, she's been busy having babies, building beauty empires, slaying Super Bowl stages, and voicing Smurfette.
Do we wish this song came with an R9 announcement, a world tour, and a feature from Shakira? Yes. But we'll take a three-minute dance bop and some voguing Smurfs over radio silence.