Following a cryptic hint to fans on Wednesday afternoon, Rihanna is expected to drop new music online Thursday.
A teasing Instagram message sent fans into a flurry as they debated whether the singer will be releasing her much-anticipated eighth album or a new single.
Clever sleuths, especially those who could read Braille, devised that the message on the side of the post read: “Bitch Better Have My Money.”
The acronym in the caption — “rihannaNOW.com #R8 #BBHMM #March26” — backed up the theory, along with a link to her website where the file name was “BBHMM-Single-Art_APPROVED,” indicating that the new release is a single and not an album.
The accompanying black-and-white photo showed Rihanna topless wearing just a leather jacket and tattoos with Frida Kahlo-inspired eyebrows.
If the speculation is true, the Barbados-born singer will follow in the footsteps of Beyonce and Drake, who both released unannounced albums on iTunes. Self-titled “Beyoncé,” immediately shot to No. 1 when it dropped unexpectedly in December of 2013 and held the Internet captive for days. It went on to be nominated for five Grammys, including Album of the Year.
Along with her new musical venture, Rihanna also voice stars in “Home,” the latest 3D computer-animated film from DreamWorks Animation, which opens on Friday.
Jim Parsons, Jennifer Lopez and Steve Martin also lend their voices to the tale about cute but inept purple aliens invading Earth, which is based on Adam Rex’s 2007 children’s book “The True Meaning of Smekday” and was adapted by Tom J. Astle and Matt Ember. Tim Johnson directs.
See her Instagram post below.