Rihanna is finally back in music with a new song – but fans aren't all happy

After an eight-year wait, Rihanna has finally announced a new song.

The 37-year-old singer, who last released her album Anti in 2016, sparked fans' excitement when she confirmed that her new song, "Friend of Mine," would be released this Friday, writes Dailymail.

But fans' joy didn't last long. After it was revealed that the song would be part of the soundtrack for the film "Smurfs 2" and not her long-awaited upcoming album project, disappointment erupted on social media.

One fan wrote: "Everyone got excited when they saw the news... then they saw it was about the Smurfs."

Another commented angrily: "I don't care about a song for a movie! Where is R9?! I'm losing my patience!"

Someone else made a comparison to her song from Black Panther: "I hope this doesn't make me cry like 'Lift Me Up'."

Meanwhile, another bluntly said: "Rihanna, you could have kept this song to yourself, just like Black Panther."

One disappointed fan added: "I want some music like 'na na, what's my name', not music about Smurfs!"

According to Billboard, "Friend of Mine" is a dance song with Afrobeat influences, and is part of the soundtrack of the new animation where Rihanna voices Smurfette, while John Goodman plays the role of Papa Smurf.

The cast also includes Sandra Oh, James Corden and Nick Offerman.

Although she is expecting her third child with partner A$AP Rocky, Rihanna has confirmed that pregnancy will not delay her musical comeback.

In an interview with Entertainment Tonight, when asked if the pregnancy would "put the album that fans call R9 on hold even longer," she replied with a smile: "No, maybe just a few music videos. I can still sing!"

Although details about the highly anticipated album are scarce, Rihanna gave a taste of what she's cooking during an interview with Harper's BAZAAR in February: "I've been in the studio for these whole eight years. But I didn't feel like it was the moment. I was searching. I went through different phases of what I wanted to do. An album like that, not that one. Now I know it's not going to be anything that people are expecting."

She emphasized that the album will not be commercial, and will not be adapted for radio: "It will be where my art deserves to be today. I finally felt like I had found my direction."

Rihanna also emphasized that the album does not have a defined genre: "After so long away from music, I felt that whatever I put out, it had to have value. I can't just throw something out there. After eight years of waiting, you better wait a little longer." /Telegraph/