Def Jam must still be reeling from the whopping losses suffered on Rihanna‘s ‘Rated R’ LP. So much so that they are set to release an entirely new album from the nasal sensation this November. Less than a year after its predecessor.
Full story after the jump…
Reputable French site Evous report (translated):
It’s now official: Rihanna is back with a new album before the end of 2010! In an official statement sent by the Barclay label (Universal Music) drafted to Musique Evous, this album is set for November 2nd, barely a year after ‘Rated R’. Her fifth album is expected to return to themes that is more optimistic with brighter moods.
I would bet my house on Rihanna’s record deal being one of the 360 persuasion. What else could justify her cranking out yet another LP (which will no doubt be accompanied by a huge promo push) when she:
a) is unable to “sell-sell” albums (stans, don’t delude yourselves, ‘Rated R’ was supposed to sell by the bucket-load. It didn’t. The end)
b) can only spawn one truly successful single from the above (see: ‘Rude Boy’)…
c) is cancelling dates and playing to half-empty arena’s on her ‘Last Goat On Earth Tour’
I could on and on. In any case, it’ll be interesting to see how this all pans out. For, the record-buying public are becoming increasingly selective with who they’ll spend on (singles) and who they’ll “spend-spend” on (albums). One need not look further than the clear disconnect between those enjoying success on the singles charts (Derulo, Ke$ha, Jay Sean, Ms. Fenty) and those with longevity on the album charts (none of the mentioned).
What’s more, with RiRi ‘ditching the dark’ (which of course was entirely her call and not that of the label…), don’t be surprised if come November many are left scratching their heads at her being one way one minute and being something else the next. Something which certainly won’t help solidify her heaps of artistic credibility.
Then again, with Def Jam clearly playing a game of Milk The Goat, I doubt the words ‘artistic’ or ‘credibility’ mattered all that much to begin with. Eh Eh…