After a number of false starts courtesy of singles ‘FourFiveSeconds,’ ‘B*tch Better Have My Money,’ and ‘American Oxygen,’ Grammy winning pop diva Rihanna saw her 8th era finally get an official kickoff with the Drake-assisted single ‘Work.’ Skyrocketing to the top of the Hot 100 shortly after its debut, the Caribbean-kissed tune would at long last lead her faithful fans on the path to unlocking her octonary opus ‘Anti.’
Yet, while ‘Work’ won week after week atop the singles charts thanks to some serious sales and streaming, its parent album wasn’t exactly singing the same tune. Living up to its apt titling by boasting a track list of some of her most sonically adventurous and daring work to date, initial critical and commercial reception almost seemed to reflect her fan base’s displeasure with the product and the long wait for its delivery. Evidenced by a less than impressive #27 debut on the Billboard 200, the project’s promotional campaign didn’t help matters and left many-a-head scratched (see: free downloads, “platinum status,” etc.).
But, as officially counted streaming figures helped float the island beauty’s 8th project to the upper rankings of Billboard 200, fans continued to whine their waists to ‘Work’ with hopes its follow-up, ‘Kiss It Better,’ would be just what the doctor ordered to remedy the era’s shortcomings.
However, time would prove the suggestion a misdiagnosis:
Forecasted by many to be a surefire hit, anticipation for ‘Better’s accompanying music video was only amplified after the songstress took to stage on her ‘Anti’ world tour to croon live renditions of it. However, upon its dual radio release with sister song, ‘Needed Me,’ ‘Better’ found itself left in the dust.
Ironically, the ultimate nail to the coffin may have been the very vehicle expected to hoist it to the Hot 100’s upper rankings – its music video. An uninspired, low budgeted collection of beauty shots, disappointment in the visual and song’s overall promotion appeared to echo across Billboard as ‘Better’ not only debuted at #88, but (to date) has peaked at #62 – a sure miss for the serial hitmaker.
What went wrong?
Since ‘Anti’s official release, the 80’s rock ballad/Prince-inspired ‘Kiss It Better’ immediately stood out as a critical frontrunner amongst its counterparts, with some even arguing it’s one of Rih’s best offerings ever. Did ‘Kiss’ get the short end of the stick on the promotional tip or was ‘Needed Me’ simply the better choice to follow ‘Work?’
In other words, you tell us:
Your thoughts?
![Miguel Announces New Single 'Always Time' / Unlocks Preview [Listen]](https://thatgrapejuice.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/miguel-new-music-2024-2025-tgj-464x260.jpg "Miguel Announces New Single 'Always Time' / Unlocks Preview [Listen].")
doesnt really matter… Needed me is slaying
Really… I think it boiled down to timing. Kiss it better had no chance being dropped in the summer with all these high-tempo BOPS. I feel had it dropped back in November it would have done much better.
Wheres the KIB remix with Miguel?
But KIB is #1 on the BB Dance Charts. Really Sam? Your hate for Rihanna is tired and boring at this point. Like your fave I see you are incapable of switching it up.
This is what I need people to understand….
Anti is charting higher than Lemonade currently
Rihanna had a #1 album & song at the same time
Anti has stayed at #1 longer than Lemonade
Lemonade got bodied by a singing ninja and never rebounded
Where’s all of Lemonades singles?
See ,shading KIB is nothing, I’m sad it didn’t pull in the GP , but hey , timing was a bit off. Why? Because she had a song that was ALREADY SLAYING the charts. Her competition is herself and she’s WINNING.
Rejoice tho Beyhive, I’m sure Dishwater will win countless grammys. In the meantime focus on getting Bey’s album out of #8 .
This post is about to get stupid. Anyway it wasn’t product nor promotion. She tried to make the video like the stay video or california king bed when in reality she shouldve used choreography. I dont think it was the breast showing cuz thats her thing honestly but she shouldve brought more visually.
It didn’t need a video this should’ve been one of her perfume ads
The most underappreciated song on Anti!
It’s bizarre, Needed Me sucks. Must be kids streaming it. Same reason behind Work’s weird success. Hopefully LOTB can be her first well-deserved/classic hit this era.
It’s not the song. The song is really good. I think it was the promo.
Releasing needed me and KIB at the same time muddled the waters.
They are both good songs that should have been allowed to breathe as separate singles, rather than compete with each other.
Meh. Monday morning quarterbacking. Lol.
This song is better than needed me she make a horrible video that doesn’t make the justice to save that song but guess what s***** songs run the world. …..
Needed me video is reductive it’s the same video as bbhmm
She’s obsessed with being a bad b**** and it’s contrived
I’m not the biggest RiRi fan but it’s obvious that you get wet from trying to shade her in any way that you can. “Kiss It Better” may have not been the biggest single for her but that should’ve been expected. She released it at the same time that she released “Needed Me” and as history proves the general public prefer urban Rihanna if given a choice. It’s no doubt in my mind that if “Kiss It Better” was the ONLY single she released then it would’ve performed a lot better. But at the end of the day, radio can only play so much Rihanna and slow songs tend to take longer to take off. With 83 million video views and PLENTY of streams, I’m sure RiRi and her camp are not complaining.
It was definitely promotion because this song was and still is LIT! This was a very mature song for an artist like Rihanna, more for adults, like grown ass ppl. I don’t think her team really wanted to push her in that direction because then you leave the pop scene and that’s where most of her money is. Maybe when she hits 30 shell stop caring about charts and singles and well get her best all around body of work. Rihanna is not the best singer, but there are songs she can pull off. LOTB is f****** horrible on the album but live…SHE MURDERS IT, Idk why that is but that’s just my opinion.
#justice4KIB the best song on Anti & possibly the best song she’s released to date!
It’s better than any Ciara song
Now it’s Rashad? TGJ just stop it!… Y’all trying to create arguments it seems.
The better song won with this dual release.
.
“Needed Me” took off and “Kiss It Better” tanked.
.
End of.
meh either way rih slaying tf outta these singles charts so I’m content.
So surprising how needed me did better than KIB. KIB was a true gem sad to see it not shine as bright as I’d hoped. Its most definitely due to promotion. ughh i wish it was just re-released or something
Kiss It Better is the standout smash on ANTI. The only reason for it’s lack of commercial success was it’s rollout. Similar to the fate of Te Amo, Shut Up and Drive, and You Da One, KIB never took off due to being swallowed up my the preceding single that was a global smash. Another issue with the song’s performance was that it was serviced to pop radio while Needed Me was sent to urban and rhythmic. This was a huge mistake, because pop radio that services casual music listeners of suburban whites was not going to promote a sleek, 90’s influenced R&B track. Despite the lack of commercial success, the song is still well known and a staple in the club. Furthermore, Rihanna has had one of the most successful years of her career with currently 3 songs in the top 25 at once where one went #1 for 9 weeks total, so she has no problem sleeping at night
Her team DEF should of waited for work to cool down.
Yes this! When KIB Was released work was still ALL over the radio
Yes! Her team should’ve waited to this fall even to release it. Plus, it should’ve been sent straight to urban radio
I don’t think they released it too soon; they wanted to capitalize off of having multiple songs on the chart at the same time. I think that played an important role in the album’s success tbh. Waiting on “Work” to cool down would’ve took too long (hell it was #1 for 9 weeks). And let’s not forget that singles were NOT the main focus with this era.
what to post here? i seriously didn’t even know those were made ‘singles’. fallen of the radar.
.
does it matter? nah. xD
So Sam, when are you going to do a “product v promotion” article for ALL of Lemonade’s singles; that sh*t only equates to FAILURE… I mean you hate on Rih the same way Fox News hates on Obama, yet y’all wanna claim that you’re fair and unbiased. FOH
I was just fonting something very similar heh, or why is the sales queen falling out the top 10? On albums or why the gp didn’t take in sorry? Product or promotion?
Outside of Deshawns who at night dress up like Keishas, Lemon Sewage ain’t poppin NOWHERE. She keep buying awards trying to save face…
I agree to an extent. However. Lemonade is the highest selling female album this year, and the highest selling album worldwide this year. When you’re able to sell one million plus of a 17.99 album off pure sales, she pretty much made more money for the record label than Rihanna did with her singles and album combined. Singles doesn’t mean much and is not attributed to longevity. Case in point, Katy Perry, the single slayer, is currently expecting a demise after her single “Rise” failed to garner the appeal and success as her previous singles. What does this mean for album sales? We’ll have to see, because ultimately that is the main factor in success these days. I predict Rihanna and Katy Perry will hanging up on the same shelf with Lady Gaga and Christina Aguleira in the next year. Rihanna releasing singles from every angle and they’re flopping like Free Willy. Mike Will Made It single flopped, Star Trek single, flopped. Anti, flopped. The only reason she’s churning out these singles is because irrelevancy is knocking on her daughter… actually it’s whispering in her ear “time to hang it up Biotch.” Meanwhile Beyonce’s still going platinum off pure sales, selling out stadiums all the while sipping lemonade on the south of France with her beautifully nappy daughter. Not giving a care to these silly singles game because her legacy and success and permanently cemented. She is the best and most recognizable artist of the last century.
Actually Adele is the highest selling female this year but Lemonade is the highest selling album released in 2016 by a black female
This one is pretty obvious. Its promo. Releasing two singles at the same time never works out. Need Me blew up because its perfect for urban radio. Every kickback I’ve been to this summer has played it once. Its a song to vibe to. Kiss It Better is a better song but not as radio friendly. Plus she hasn’t promoted either song.
Kiss it better was a miscalculation, I think it was a fan favorite but just lacked the extra kick to garner it attention on radio.
‘
It, just like “what now” from the Unapologetic era, was the right single released at the wrong time. Maybe if it had been sent to urban radio instead of pop radio, it would have fared better.
‘
Oh and by the way Rashad, Anti is a successful album alluding to the Sam inspired article you have written above.
‘
Oh and FourFiveSeconds is far form a flop, it peaked at #3 and has sold over a million copies.
Exactly. Fourfiveseconds was very successful, it peaked higher than any of their favs and Anti is still in the top 5 after giving 1 million copies away!! Y’all need to drink some more lemonade, because you’re seriously thirsty!
I saw Mimi scalping Ayyseify for fikth on the last Rih post ???
My s**** didn’t do anything homegirl Kii was that one of your multiple accounts?
What s****?
.
You aren’t even relevant enough to be recognised by tgj commemters
.
Gravatarless methuselah yellow teethed lizard looking mitch
.
Now that ive gived yo lesser a$ s the highest form of attention you’ll ever get in TGJ
.
Back to irrelevancy and infinity and beyond you go –>
What’s the point of this article though?
.
Rihanna is a hit or miss. Nothing extraordinary about her and her music
Please…
“FourFiveSeconds” was a GLOBAL SMASH and a solid top-five hit in the U.S.A and “BBHMM” was the Urban hit of 2015.
.
The reason why “KIB” flopped is because “WORK”, “Needed Me” and the then hype surrounding “TIWYCF” were slaying the charts and had more interest specifically. “KIB” was far too slow for 2016 radio and it was released at the wrong time.
.
What’s more ironic in this is that the song that was actually released to non-Pop radio is now slaying Pop radio as we speak – Needed Me is up to #15 on the Mainstream Top 40 this week and is #7 on overall radio. Go figure!
Girl give it up. Last year was a total flop and the album had to be cancelled and re-recorded (more proof that she obviously doesn´t songwrite a damn thing obviously). Nobody takes Rihanna doing more mature stuff seriously. She hasn´t got the talent for that. So they made her go back to “Work” type of material and some more features with cute artists in 2016 🙂
@iStan
‘
What do you think the next single should be? Love on the brain or S** with me?
I think love on the brain because s** with me will be a hard sell on radio.
S*x With Me would SLLAAYYY urban radio! It’s like a Birthday Cake Pt. 2. However, Love On the Brain is the gem of the album; that’s the kind of song that’s played at weddings for years to come.
I really like it when she performs Love on the brain live, that Billboard Awards performance is still my favorite of hers.
YESSS! That Billboard performance is every damn thing! I keep re-watching it as it was a career defining moment. I just wish she performed it the exact same way at the Grammys especially since Adele was all the way off key. I would love for it to show that Ri is becoming this low-key powerhouse vocalist that no one expected.
LOB was performed in front of 8 million viewers on the BBAwards
.
And it decided to pay homage to Pretty Hurts
.
Byeee with your flop mind!!!
Who are you?
Lol im being held hostage in the comments section of tgj simply cos I asked the relevancy of this article?
.
Byeee
It’s not the song. I’m 26 and I can honestly say I like needed me better. It’s the summer Im out at the pool or out playing sports with friends or having game nights on the ps4. The last thing I’m gonna play while doing any of those is kiss it better. She should have waited to put that out after needed me.
You’re not even grateful that The Legendary Career Ender is gracing your comments section after a series of flop posts????
.
Booooooyyyy!!!!!
Can’t wait for this digital pop queen to release “Desperado” as a single. It’ll smash on radio and be another #1 no doubt!
I LOVE Desparado, but I don’t see it being a smash hit. Now, I wish that Love On the Brain and S** With Me were released as singles as I would love to see them become smash hits. Plus, I would love a video for Same Ol’ Mistakes.
You think so? I think “Pose” and “S** with Me” would be another great double release too, though.
Oh basic chile!!!
.
I can’t even comment on this foolishness
.
Out of her 10 singles and features since 2015, only one went #1
.
Fugg off witcho delusions and section 8 mentality!!!!!!
LOL Yes that´s her pretty low rate at #1s (remember it is the only thing she can brag about, and looks like she´s not even taht strong on that front). I´ve always said it, she releases like 7 singles per era on average, and only one does it (again, remember tit is the only thing she is supposed to be good, at getting forgettable #1s in nowadays laughable singles charts).
You spoke the truth John!
.
Once she can’t get them, the Navi is over!
Who cares?
You girl! That’s why you’re here.
Furthermore, I’m going to need y’all to stop dissing the video for Kiss It Better as doing show only shows how banal and mundane your artistic taste is. Shot in black and white, the video is a moving, glossy portrait that evokes emotion while it adds texture to the song which is the video’s highlight. If one would use a brain and look at the meaning and purpose behind the artistic direction, and the name alone, of ANTI, it becomes evident that she didn’t want some over the top pop video. She has made it clear that she was not chasing radio whatsoever with this album. The video alone is one of my favorites from her.
@Ayyseify
.
You aren’t even relevant enough to bhave a s**** in tgj
.
Gravatarless methuselah yellow teethed lizard looking mitch
.
Now that ive given yo lesser a$s the highest form of attention you’ll ever get in TGJ.Back to irrelevancy and infinity and beyond you go –>
@Ayyseify
.
You aren’t even relevant enough to have even an opinion in the comments section. Bye irrelevant!
Yet you’re RESPONDING TO ME! B@&ch! Kii tell me which one of your accounts you feel is relevant? With yo multiple personality disorder having @ss.
The Legendary Career Ender does not troll, that’s why i mentioned you with This account!!!!!
.
Hairline busy starting behind your cabbage leaves ears from Mimi’s lashingssssss ?????
Yea F**, you mention me on it today but what about tomorrow? which account will it be? you no life having C@&t?! Keep mentioning my name homegirl, for someone who is “Irrelevant” on here you sure are responding pretty frequently to him. Kiii the self clocks! I should have been done with you when you said I was read for “fikth” DUMMY lol just like your fav is see 🙂
Lol your drags are like a soft pe.nis trying to fuggg
.
You are my bxcht from today!!!
.
Plus you talk so much xit about the Queen!
.
?????????
So much “xit”? Girl I’m done with your dumb @ss today, respond when you learn to spell correctly.
@Mimi
.
Please come and uproot the remaining 5 yaki braids on this ho’s scalp -> Ayyseify
.
You did a good yanking job today im am still laughing!!!!
.
??
The irrelevant gravatarless food stamp grant assisted thug was dragges into oblivion it was so flipin funny ?????
Aww you liking your own comments now? TRAGIC. Know yourself, know your worth. Kii
The song was cute. Honestly, i’m not feeling her album at all. Rated R will forever be my favorite Rihanna album.
This song is basically a Skin part 2. That song did well on urban radio way after loud era ending and I honestly don’t think they sent it to radio. Kiss it better is just one of those songs that’s a part of the culture but not to the point where white people will tell their children about it ten years from now.
How do you get dragged like a mentally sick individual on a blog like that
.
Your mom and your dad must be really really ashamed of you
.
Worthless trash!!!!!
.
Ahahahahaha
You put the capital letter B in Basic ???
Your stan base should banish you to the land of the living damned… go jlin Molly and Keri Qween
Kii yet it’s here keeping us company the self clocks! Kii at certain girls seeking validation on TGJ. Like its life or death.. As I said before some girls need some air. Kii take a walk go play Pokemon go or something it seem popular amongst Beyoncé stans
Yesss release that angerr and heart palpitations
.
Im the only thing your existence is holding onto now
.
Riddle me why I can see them red veins in your eyes lemming!!!!
.
Fumee some moreeeeee
Girl you still here?
Yes I am pretty much still here unlike your hairline
You’re such a disgraceeeeee Ayyseify!!!!!!!
.
Never ever and I mean ever appear on the same post as I
.
God bless your hairline!!!!
.
?????
I like this song. A lot of good songs tank, like this one, and a lot of bad songs succeed(she has a few). That’s life. I enjoy the songs regardless of performance, as I do not get a check from her or her team, so.
“So Sam, when are you going to do a “product v promotion” article for ALL of Lemonade’s singles; that sh*t only equates to FAILURE… ”
______
This TEA. ?☕
Or how about Selena’s career? Still hasn’t been able to sell 500k of any album in her career
Idk you
SCREAMSNDBDJDKFNDJD that’s what the public says to your 183848 faves
BLOOP! And in that order lol #BlackLivesMatter
Girl why do you try it whit Selena when I already dragged you up and down this blog?
.
US sales:
Kiss & Tell: 930k
A Year Without Rain:760k
When the Sun Goes Down: 694k
.
Worldwide sales:
Kiss & Tell: over 2 million
A Year Without Rain: 1.3 million
When the Sun Goes Down: 1.6 million
Stars Dance: 1 million
Revival: over 700k
.
Does your scalp ever get tired of being removed? What do Cheryl’s numbers look like? I demand receipts
Not you clinging to her band! ???? I thought Kim ended the knock off Selena weeks ago and exposed her for the all lives matter trash that she is. You’ll forever be an L stanning for garbage like that sis
Kii @ Molly
Lol why these hoeeees so mad!
And anybody who wish to defend this bald creature can get the lashings too
So sad you should be the face of alopecia from today onwards
No shade No tea
New Frank Ocean album coming Friday as Apple Music exclusive
Honestly, we all know how double single releases usually never work out. But in Rih’s case, I think she did pretty well with this one. “Kiss it Better” just needed a little more promotion and attention, but it did what it was supposed to do, so I’m sure she’s fine with how everything turned out. Rih doesn’t cry over spilled milk heavyset she has too many hits waiting for her.
*because
Hihihi
.
Not your basic self getting zero likes/dislikeds.
.
Rethink your life flop bxcht
At least she was able to get it off of her snapchat story ☕️☕️
How’s sterile’s visa coming along?
Is Keri still having trouble getting her single from snapchat to iTunes?
Does sterile have a U.S release?
Her music has been released in the us ????. Does Keri? It’s been half a decade
Sterile is a judge who makes music in her off time stop it. Sterile could never outsell Keri in the states Kii
Keri doesn’t have a record deal, can’t release music on anything other than YouTube and her snapchat story, can’t even get her local news to book her, hasn’t seen a check in years and is literally the most local ATL flop.
I’ve never seen STERILE ON ANYTHING OVER HERE. Kii isn’t she like stalled at like 60k?
Check their net worth a boo. That’s tells you EVERYTHING ☕️☕️☕️☕️☕️
Lol this f** is seeking validation from its H/I/V+ Stan base lol I’m done! Wasn’t it leaving as it said. Perhaps if I pay it like her own favs stans did it would go away ??
The Legendary One seeks no attention im am the one and only
.
Weak sentences, weak drags, weak existance, weak nazi member
.
Delete your gravar account!
One and only F** who thinks that this site is life.. Kii #lifegoals continue seeking validation here girl as you have nothing else to live for. prove my point even further h**.
Yet YOURE the one clinging to gravatarless troll accounts. The tea is HOT today!
I don’t have a picture up, So what’s your point? Sweetheart I have one account. Which is this. I don’t need multiple accounts for self value and like my own sh*t like certain girls.
She a joke ya´ll 🙂
Yup, a joke that nobody wants to laugh at
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K68qpEmBiQk
Bxtch get F- in dragging ????
.
Ho is Weaker than Molly’s loyalty
Walls*. That’s how he makes his “coins,” in the hooters back alley
Lol. Drag ha!!!
how original F**. You use the same s*** over and over. Time to write some new material hon!
And you cling to 2010 drags that aren’t even true ?????
Finish him.
Kii point proven “Bxtch get F- in dragging” gurl what?
With a name like Ayyseify, your highest life aspirations has to be to die up by self blowing with a bomb
It’s either Keri queen or the hairy maid from Las Vegas
It definitely has to be
.
Thet have no lives besides trolling
No ma’am how about neither lol those girls stay on y’all mind clearly! Kii
“I’m only human. Can’t you see? I made, I made a mistake. Please just look me in my face. Tell me everything’s okay ’cause I got it. Ooh! Never be like you.”
And this comment will flop harder than ANTI’s singles
MIMI please show up now!!!!!!!
What happened and what did MIMI say? LOL
Does “ispeaktruthnofallacy (AS IF)” still show his/her ass in this blog after saying Rihanna is bigger than Madonna has ever been (aka the most successful female artist in pop music history)? Blimey some people really have no mercy on their own damn selves 🙂 🙂 🙂
She had lost all credibility
.
She’s as delusional as centurion
.
The nazi is full of retards and degenerates
What’s good muhfucka? I you dog ass the most annoying random street prostitute looking for business.
@JohnVidal
.
http://thatgrapejuice.net/2016/08/rihanna-covers-magazine/
.
Read the comments here amd see how MIMI came for blood!
Mimi reading Ayyseify
Mimi reading Ayyseify for filth below:
.
http://thatgrapejuice.net/2016/08/rihanna-covers-magazine/
Great song. LAZY video…and that’s what killed it.
Kii it’s still seething ??
More staple anti-Rihanna fascist bias. Its what keeps this blog going really. Makes perfect sense anyway since this blog is run by fanatics of a rival female performer. At first is was funny and entertaining now its just predictable, boring and desperate.
Once again this all boils down to one thing: the TIDAL-only exclusive stream nonsense. After b**** better have my money and 4Five seconds, anticipation for ANTi was palpable. Like the Life of Pablo, had ANTi been released TRADITIONALLY Rihanna could have saved herself the whole Samsung embarrassment.
As far as the tour…its doing way better than MOST live solo female tours so the whole “Empti tour” view is silly. She’s getting paid A LOT relative (again) to other artists.
As for the single’s performance, worse could be said about the performance of another female performer’s singles.
I don’t get why all these artist are dropping albums and then releasing singles after…
If you really want to get people to listen to your album, drop a few singles. If Rih would have dropped
1. Work, followed up with
2. Kiss It Better, then
3. a teaser for next video with “Higher” or “Goodnight Gotham”
and releasing a video for each single. As she’s done in the past.
then dropped Needed me right before the Album dropped.
Every single would have hit HOT 200. Plus the album would have sold and streamed, just because the buzz created from those singles would have built Crazy ANTICIPATION.
SO DEF PROMO!
IDC if it tanked as long as it exists this song slays best dem thang honestly the guitar riffs, the vocal delivery & echo chile
Nice music video
The Gag is… KIB is #1 on the Dance club Play charts.. Check it, h***! And bow down!! The girls are getting their lives to the remixes.