'Believe It' and 'Murder Most Foul' come after lengthy absences of new original material from both artists

It's an unexpectedly busy day for releases as two major artists have surprised fans today by putting out new songs.

Rihanna spent much of last year teasing fans about her impending ninth album, but didn't disclose when it might be released - or even give fans a taster of what to expect.

However, her first appearance in three years - as a guest vocalists on PartyNextDoor's new song 'Believe It' - has been unveiled.

Her last new music was in 2017, when she provided vocals on N.E.R.D.'s song 'Lemon'.

Hear 'Believe It' below:

 

On the opposite end of the music scale, meanwhile, Bob Dylan has also made his first original song in eight years available online.

It's an epic 17-minute-long ballad about the assassination of JFK, and it's called 'Murder Most Foul'.

Dylan announced the release on Twitter with a note that read: "Greetings to my fans and followers with gratitude for all your support and loyalty across the years. This is an unreleased song we recorded a while back that you might find interesting. Stay safe, stay observant and may God be with you.”

Lyrics of the song include "Shot down like a dog in broad daylight / Was a matter of timin' and the timin' was right / You gotta pay debts we've come to collect / We're going to kill you with hatred, without any respect."

Hear 'Murder Most Foul' below: