Watch: Rihanna’s ‘Right Now’ featured in commercial… is a new album due?

Rihanna’s song “Right Now” from her last album “Unapologetic” is the soundtrack to a Budweiser commercial. No, that in itself is not big news, but the hint of things to come may be.

If you’ll recall, Justin Timberlake made a very high-profile alliance with Budweiser, for their Platinum brew, which help amp up his and his single “Suit & Tie’s” visibility on television. Jay Z did, as well, as he and Timberlake promoted their Legends Of Summer tour together. These were part of Bud’s “Made for Music” campaign, which now includes a second spot from Rihanna since July.

“Right Now” is the seventh single off of Rihanna’s “Unapologetic,” but it was introduced as the single back in June. Right now (heh), we’re looking down the barrel of a particularly busy autumn-into-holiday album season, with Katy Perry, Jennifer Lopez, Lady Gaga, Drake, Timberlake and other chart-toppers having announced new releases leading up to Thanksgiving.

And if there’s one artist that loves the holiday shopping season, it’s Rihanna (and if there’s one label, it’s Def Jam): Ri-Ri’s last four albums have been released in either the third or fourth week of November, around those Black Friday sales, with 2009’s “Rated R,” 2010’s “Loud,” 2011’s “Talk That Talk” and 2012’s “Unapologetic” arriving at Nos. 4, 3, 3 and 1, respectively, on The Billboard 200 chart. See a trend?

MTV Italy wrote earlier this month that Rihanna was plotting a new album for November. MTV U.S. didn’t really run with that baton, though the rumor was strongly circulated. And there may be a good reason why the network didn’t pick up with it here: those MTV VMAs, Aug. 25, seemingly has every big name on board as performers. The Daft Punk “surprise” has been spoiled since the “Colbert” snafu, so maybe Rihanna may roll in, too. (Or maybe One Direction, because the boy band has a stop soon in New York to promote their forthcoming 3D film “1D: This Is Us.” Brooklyn is just a subway stop away…)

Rihanna’s Diamonds World Tour starts back up overseas in September and ends Oct. 8. She has no domestic dates listed in the in-betweens.

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