Rihanna is the cover star of Elle magazine’s September 2026 issue, arriving on newsstands August 25. Instead of a traditional interview, the issue features a piece by New York Times bestselling author Roxane Gay, who captures the unparalleled effect of being in the superstar’s orbit.
Gay writes of a moment she was in Rihanna’s presence at a Hollywood party. “Even in a room full of reasonably famous people, she commanded the attention of all those proud peacocks. She was…absolutely entrancing,” Gay recalls. “Her beauty, in person, cannot be overstated. Her eyes shine bright like a diamond. Her skin is dewy and clear. And she smells amazing”.
The cover story comes as Rihanna’s fans, the Navy, continue to wait for her ninth studio album, R9. The 38-year-old hasn’t released music since 2016’s Anti, and Gay notes in the piece that she has playfully dodged the question for years. “I like to antagonize my fans a little bit. Well, they antagonize me, too,” Rihanna has said in response. The piece concludes that only she knows when, or even if, she will return to music.
