Rihanna - Anti (2LP, Deluxe Edition, Unofficial Release)

Description

Anti (stylized in all caps) is the eighth studio album by Rihanna, released on 28 January 2016 by Roc Nation and Westbury Road. Rihanna started recording in 2014 after ending her contract with Def Jam Recordings, who had released all of her albums since her debut in 2005. As executive producer, Rihanna recorded Anti with producers including Jeff Bhasker, Boi-1da, DJ Mustard, Hit-Boy, Brian Kennedy, Timbaland, and No I.D., at studios in Canada, the United States, and France. SZA and Drake contribute guest vocals.

Conceived when Rihanna was experiencing creative struggles and emotional turmoil, Anti features an atmospheric production characterized by lo-fi beats, distorted vocals, and downtempo arrangements. The first half consists of bass-heavy tracks, and the second is characterized by textured minimalism. Compared to the radio-friendly dance tunes of her previous albums, Anti is an alternative R&B, pop, and dancehall record, more muted and soulful. Its songs explore eclectic styles spanning hip-hop, soul, psychedelic, doo-wop, country, synth-rock, and trap. Their lyrics are about the emotions that ensued from love and relationships, from endearment and desire to betrayal and liberation, with references to sex, drugs, and alcohol.

The promotional campaign for Anti from the summer of 2014 comprised prolonged release delays and a $25 million deal with Samsung. Rihanna announced the cover art and title at the MAMA Gallery on 7 October 2015. The Anti World Tour ran from March to November 2016, and four songs were released as singles, including the US Billboard Hot 100 number one "Work". In the United States, Anti is Rihanna's second number-one album and the first album by a black woman to spend 300 weeks on the Billboard 200. The album topped charts in Canada and Norway and peaked in the top five on charts in such European countries as Denmark, Germany, Ireland, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland.

In contemporary publications, critics commended the album's emotional honesty but were divided on the production, praise centering on Rihanna's newfound musical freedom and criticism on the unfocused tracklist. Some took issue with the lack of radio-friendly songs, but others noted the musical shift marked Rihanna's artistic maturity as an album artist beyond her status as a pop star. At the 2017 Grammy Awards, the album and its singles received six nominations, including one for Best Urban Contemporary Album. Anti featured on 2010s decade-end lists by such publications as Billboard, NME, and Pitchfork. It ranked 230th on Rolling Stone's 2020 edition of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.

Release Info

Artist: Rihanna
Label: Not On Label (Rihanna)
Format: LP, Album, Deluxe Edition, Unofficial Release
Country: US
Label: Not On Label (Rihanna)
Released: 2021-09-00
Genre: Hip Hop, Funk / Soul
Style: Contemporary R&B, Doo Wop, Soul

Tracklist

A1 Consideration
A2 James Joint
A3 Kiss It Better
A4 Work
B5 Desperado
B6 Woo
B7 Needed Me
B8 Yeah, I Said It
C9 Same Ol Mistakes
C10 Never Ending
C11 Love On The Brain
D12 Higher
D13 Close To You
D14 Goodnight Gotham
D15 Pose
D16 Sex With Me