GloRilla says she was initially supposed to drop debut album in 2023

GloRilla‘s debut album, Glorious, comes out Friday, but according to the rapper it’s been ready and waiting in the vault for quite some time.

“Last year, I was supposed to drop my debut album, but I was still just getting used to stuff and working a lot,” she tells Billboard. “When the top of the year came, I had the project basically done. I was like, ‘OK, I gotta give them the mixtape before I give them the album,’ because I went the whole year without dropping anything.”

She continued, “That’s why I said I was gonna give them the mixtape first, get ’em back used to me first, give ’em a feel of me, and then that’s gonna prep me for the album. The mixtape did good and did what it was supposed to do, which prepped me for my album.”

Ehhthang, Ehhthang included single “Wanna Be” with Megan Thee Stallion, with whom Glo formed a friendship during the Hot Girl Summer tour.

“I don’t really have a lot of industry friends,” Glo shares. “I got associates and they’re cool, but me and Meg really got cool. I didn’t expect it. … We really gained a bond.”

The mixtape’s also the home of “TGIF,” which went viral with the help of a post from Rihanna.

“Riri [was] asking for the album and dancing to the song,” Glo says. “She don’t be dancing to people’s song. When she did that, I was like, ‘Wow,’ ’cause you know, people be saying that’s my twin. They be hatin’ on me. I love Rihanna. I’m a big fan.” 

She adds she’s also “the biggest fan of Beyoncé,” who she saw again over the summer. “This was my third time meeting her and she’s always so sweet every time. I love her,” she says.