Rihanna‘s ‘ANTI’ era may have got off to a rocky start, but the project has finally found its footing.
Full story below…
In a monumental development, the LP has just cleared the 100 week mark on the Billboard 200 – becoming RiRi’s longest reign with an album on the tally.
The achievement helps erase some of the many missteps that plagued the project early in its cycle.
Released in January 2016 (after months of delays and endless “lead” singles), the LP was an immediate source of controversy.
For, it arrived as part of a Samsung deal that saw the tech giant “buy” a million copies and redistribute them for “free” as part of a promotion that somehow earned Ms. Fenty a Platinum plaque.
Complicating matters, Nielsen Soundscan refused to recognize those “sales” – thus leaving ‘ANTI’ to open at #27 based on what was actually “sold.”
The album would go on to rebound the following week, hitting #1 based on 166,000 sold units (124,000 of which were pure sales).
And while it’s never enjoyed a blockbuster run as a body of work, the industry’s new streaming rules are proving particularly advantageous for the album. For, now that singles count towards an LP’s “sales,” the success of hits such as ‘Work,’ ‘Needed Me,’ and ‘Love On The Brain’ have helped elongate ‘ANTI’s presence on the Billboard 200.
To date (excluding the free Samsung units), the project has sold 603,000 physical copies in the US and 1,966,000 with streaming factored in.
Love on the Brain should have been HUGE. It was played on Rnb/Pop and Adult stations. Her label dropped the ball, that song is grammy worthy, its no “Diamonds” but its a bop
Yeah I was weird how they just stopped promoting the project. That song should have gotten a video.
When will that other birch ?
Seethe
Yo she looks amazing in that pic
this entire article was written as a backhanded “compliment” and it’s not appropriate. Rihanna’s ANTI album is actually one of the best and most cohesive of her career. the project has enjoyed critical acclaim across the globe and helped to elevate Rihanna to a higher caliber of artistry. ANTI, despite all of the promo & distribution rollout, is still an incredible project. STOP slighting her efforts!
You better preach. The album is a masterpiece. The music is so good, that we shouldn’t even be worried sales. (Even tho it performed well). We sit up here and praise Taylor sales but disregard her horrible music.
No RIHANNA album LOL is a pcuking masterpiece. You need to get out in the real world more.
Sam stop with the bias nonsense because had this been one of your favorites there would be praise and worship no matter the outcome. Let Rihanna live!!!
Samantha the album is actually 10k away from hitting 700k, What is you doing sis? can you fact check the drivel you write before posting. Also lets rem Work was #1 for 10 weeks Anti 2 weeks and 3 top 10 singles. Less we forget sweetie.
also samantha its funny youre shading anti when billboard has ranked it the best performing female album of 2017.
The music industry is a joke nowadays, even with a #1 single, this album would have been considered a big flop 4 years ago, I can only imagine what it will be like in 10 years.
Completely different times. Move right along sis. Also 5 years ago people used iPods and still bought CDs, those are both obsolete now.
Anti was a success on all fronts IMO. Nearly 2x platinum, multiple hit singles, 8 Grammy nominations, and respectable tour numbers. Rihanna has definitely proven she’s a force in music and a true entrepreneur. I’m still bumping Anti till this day! ?
We’ve seen this exact same shady post for almost 2 years now. How many times are we going to hear about Antis bad rollout, and this and that. Let it go Sam.
Why don’t we make a post about Lemonade and how it had so an elaborate roll out, HBO special, video for each song, and still under perform. Singles ALL flopped and album disappeared from existence after 2 months. Let’s make that shady post. But you never write fair articles. Always omitting your favs failures.
Meme you need to stop that type of comparison. Lemonade sold way more than Rihanna once again. Seriously why do some Rihanna fans do this to themselves? I don´t even care about Beyonce vs Rihanna, too basic for my taste. But come on. Beyonce sells more and based on pure sales, she actually convinces the people that like her to buy her albums. I remember her selling more for several weeks than Drake too 8a bigger seller than Rihanna) but was almost always behind in the Billboard 200 because of streaming. That´s a joke. She sold more. End of story.
Right. Still to this day Lemonade is only on Tidal (streaming wise) imagine her releasing it on all streaming platforms. She’s in the top 5 women with most streams on spotify this yr with old music. Lemonade sold over 5,000 copies last week.
This is probably the MOST bias s*** I’ve ever read. It’s actually at about 700k and it’s DEFINITELY a success. Do u realize that albums aren’t selling in general like they used to? Ur trying to s*** on this OBVIOUS success but name 5 females that outsold Rihanna in 2017. Her selling 700k (after giving away a million copies btw) is on the higher end of the album sales spectrum. Stop being a miserable hater
And whether u like it or not, streams are a big part of how music is consumed now, grandpa. She dominated stream wise as well. It’s hilarious that you’ll sit on here and applaud these other people who have sold WELL under 700k but manage to pull a plaque essentially on streams ALONE but scoff at Rihanna doing the same with streams+sales. How mad are u that Rihanna was named the top black female in 2017 by billboard with no album out? LMAO
The thing I get from this is that she has sold 600k real copies and that a big amount of thsoe weeks she was able to saty on the chart based on other things that were not sales. Cheers! 🙂
For the record, FourFiveSeconds, American Oxygen, and B*tch Better Have My Money were NOT lead singles for ANTI; rather, they were singles for a joint project with Kanye. All three songs came from Kanye’s camp. This may be corroborated as there was a planned joint tour between the two that was documented. It is suspected that the joint project would serve as an official mixtape before both the Life of Pablo and ANTI would be released. The project never materialized (Like ALL joint projects involving Ye – waiting on Watch the Throne II) because of his mania lack of ability to stay focused on one project.
Those singles did not come from no joint project with Kanye. Kanye was originally suppose to executive produce the entire R8 era but after rihanna caught her sense and realize no was into the direction Kanye was stearing her in, she scratch the project all together. But those were all singles for her album.
There indeed was a joint project that never manifested. Peep the interviews with CyHi the Prince, where he talks about working with Kanye and Rihanna on 45S and the other singles. He said that Ye had a couple of joint projects that were supposed to be released including one he had with him. You are correct, Ye was executive producing R8. However, there was a joint project that was completely different from ANTI and Pablo. Again, I stated that there are numerous reports of a planned joint summer tour between the two that never manifested. Furthermore, it makes sense as none of the singles sonically fit within ANTI, but they do with Ye’s Only One and All Day.
Congrats Rih, although I’m still salty about the lack of a video and promotion of Love On the Brain. Also, Sam may try to diminish ANTI’s success through shade; nevertheless, the feat is done by Rihanna, not the other who released a full-length motion picture album through a primetime HBO premier before Game of Thrones. #WhereSheAtDoe #NotAtThaTop #HAAANNN
You can’t be talking about Bey lets facts she is the only r&b artist that is selling albums at expensive price and that aint easy feature after what 16 years in the music industry.
WHAT?
The album has sold 690K+ physical units in the States and 2.6M+ in SPS units.
It was the best performing album of 2017 by a Female.
Jesus! Why do people still come tk this site? The bias and unprofessionalism is so pathetic.
Wow this album was an iconic masterpiece best of her career! She had everyone across the globe covering and singing her songs celebrities alike! The album still received 8 nominations which is still a huge achievement and made her the eighth most nominated female Grammy artist ever !!! The singles had huuggeeeee success with work and needed me both over 6x platinum! Kiss it better and Love on the brain nearing 3x platinum and several other platinum or nearing platinum singles! a record dance number ones for a female artist aswell and top female album on billboards year end charts for 2017 and wasn’t even released this year! This being after she gave away 1.4 million free albums aswell !!!! This album is legendary! End!
If she would have done a visual album instead of a regular album of great music I’m sure her album sales would be better…
First and foremost, congratulations are in order for Anti and BadGalRiri. This was an album worth the wait. I wish she did a mix of pop and embrace for the next album.
Secondly why are their a few Rihanna supporters on here so pressed by the slant of the article? Just read the article and don’t be so sensitive. Get the cool from Rihanna and either clapbacl hard or ignore it. Nobody has time for whiney children.
I LOVE the ANTI album. She didn’t lie when she said Timeless. I see why she hasn’t came out with a follow up just yet… I honestly think it’s her best album. And I don’t say that loosely because the Unapologetic album was a goodie too. But, ANTI is just SO damn versatile. I also agree that the album should have been a visual one. I wish she would have expounded more with the album.. the era flew by fast tbh..
Timeless ? Work is timeless? Needed me is timeless? Lol your fav just did what was IN just because Anti isnt pop dance generic like her previous music doesnt mean it isnt generic Yall dont know whats timeless lol
Based off you comments… I think you equate “numbers/trends” to the word timeless. SO you throw the word flop around which makes no sense. And you’re right.. ANTI is nothing like her past albums.. She stepped outside the box..especially singing the sampled “same ole mistakes. And the “original” in my opinion was resurrected after she covered it. And that’s a fire joint! So idk.. … people are obviously still playing the “body of work” today.. … So whatever.
ANTI is a flop period!!! Dont come with the “Streams are the new thing” line because thats bullsh!t. Yall claim Rih is this huge Popstar so why isnt she pulling in numbers like Adele ? Taylor? Kendrick ? Etc they all sold a million without streams. Anti had multiple flop first singles and then struck lucky with Work but it couldnt sell an album .she promoted her music on huge platforms. Her star power is declining. What i dont like about Rih is she does whats IN at the moment look at Rated R it wasnt doing well so she jumped on the Dance to train LOUD and that sound was in thats one example. The model with the mic a singles artist and streams artist. Last big SOLO hit was Work.
ANTi was so good though <3 I still love KIB
Let’s just say Beyonce and Rihanna never have to worry about sales… they will outsell and outperform, any rb female under the table, and that’s all we need to represent our culture… all the other leaders, take a seat
That isnt something to proud of R&B doesnt sell……….sis Beyonce is RnB not Rih
IMO her music sucks I don’t get what her fans get from her sound it’s always been off key!!
It’s not just the fans, but the general public as well. There are many people who do not like her but support her music hence her success.
STILL, she has had an AMAZING 2017, check the Rihport here:
http://rihannadaily.com/2017/12/30/rihanna-rihport-year-2017-rihview/
It’s a good thing the boss lady doesn’t “depend” on music alone. She is doing the damn thing!