She spent Valentine’s Day courtside, although not the kind of court we’re used to seeing Rihanna in. No beer, no Jumbotron – but certainly ecstatic cheering and looks that made the trail benches look like FROW at Fashion Week.

Her partner of six years, A$AP Rocky was on trial for just over two weeks for felony assault – accused of firing a gun at his former friend and member of hip-hop collective A$AP Mob. When he was found not guilty, he leapt from the defendants table right into a screaming Rihanna’s arms, going on to celebrate with a champagne reception at private members club Gravitas in Beverly Hills.

‘Rihanna is so relieved she can now move on and plan out the rest of her year without this nightmare hanging over their heads,’ an insider told Grazia. ‘So many things were put on hold or in limbo whilst she waited for the formal verdict of this trial, it was her and Rocky’s whole focus to get him acquitted and nothing came close to matching that as a priority.’

With the threat of 24-years jail time firmly in their rearview, Rihanna is now free to focus on her family’s fresh start – and boy has she kicked it off with a bang. After nine long years and incessant begging from fans, she’s officially gifting the world with new music.

‘It’s not going to be anything that anybody expects,’ Rihanna said in an interview with Harper’s Bazaar. ‘And it’s not going to be commercial or radio digestible. It’s going to be where my artistry deserves to be right now. ‘

The wait wasn’t due to distractions from music – although she has launched a billion-pound beauty empire, Fenty, in the meantime – she’s actually been in the studio for years but never found the right sound. ‘I feel like I’ve finally cracked it,’ she says. ‘This much time away from music needs to count for the next thing everyone hears. It has to matter. I have to show them the worth in the wait. I cannot put up anything mediocre.’

The confirmation of new music immediately led to excitement around a new tour. A six-night residency is rumoured for London Stadium (home to West Ham’s football club) in July, with a notable Glastonbury-shaped whole in Rihanna’s schedule.

The Telegraph reports that senior industry sources have confirmed that the London Stadium shows are in the advanced planning stage, with Glastonbury headliners likely to be confirmed imminently (they typically announce the first Friday in March). It makes sense for her to kick a tour off in London, the place she called home for four years before purchasing the £13million Beverly Hills mansion where she currently resides with Rocky and their two children, two-year-old RZA and 18-month-old Riot.

Despite 2025 shaping up to be Rihanna’s busiest year yet, sources close to the family say wedding bells are also ringing. ‘At the moment a wedding in Barbados later this year is the plan,’ the insider tells Grazia. ‘They are actively trying for another baby but saying that won’t get in the way. Rihanna has no qualms about walking down the aisle with a bump – there’s nothing she won’t wear so she doesn’t see any reason that should hold back a wedding.’

In the meantime, it’s a non-stop party celebrating Rocky’s freedom. ‘The relief they are all feeling is indescribable,’ the source says. ‘Rihanna was petrified it could have gone the other way, there were lots of sleepless nights because it wasn’t ultimately in their hands. Their biggest priority right now is taking care of their kids, enjoying the fact that this huge weight has been taken off their shoulders, and moving forward with each of their careers. Now, they are all free of that and closer than ever, planning for a very sweet future and big wedding.’