Rihanna's Most Recent Studio Album
Rihanna's last studio album is Anti, released on January 28, 2016. The album was issued through Westbury Road Entertainment and Roc Nation, with distribution handled by Def Jam Recordings. Anti marked her eighth studio effort and followed her 2012 album Unapologetic. The project was first announced in 2014 and underwent multiple delays before its official release. Anti was certified multi-platinum in the United States and several other countries, reflecting strong commercial demand. The album's rollout included a Samsung-exclusive streaming deal that preceded the global digital and physical launch.
The Anti World Tour, which supported the album, ran from March 2016 to November 2017. The tour visited arenas across North America, Europe, and Oceania, grossing over $140 million in reported ticket sales. Rihanna headlined major festivals and stadiums during the run, including dates at Wembley Arena and the Staples Center. The tour's production emphasized a minimalist stage design with heavy use of lighting and video elements. Setlists combined tracks from Anti with earlier hits from albums such as Talk That Talk and Loud. The tour's commercial success reinforced Anti's position as Rihanna's most recent full-length studio project.
Album Tracklist and Chart Performance
The standard edition of Anti contains 13 tracks, with deluxe and Japanese editions adding bonus songs. Lead single Work topped the Billboard Hot 100 and reached number one in multiple markets. Other singles from the album include Kiss It Better, Needed Me, and Love on the Brain. Needed Me reached the top ten on the Hot 100 and became one of Rihanna's longest-charting entries. Love on the Brain later became a top-five single, showcasing a retro soul style within the album's eclectic tracklist. The album itself peaked at number one on the Billboard 200 and remained on the chart for multiple years.
Anti debuted at number one on the UK Albums Chart and several other national charts. In its first week, the album earned over 160,000 equivalent units in the United States. Streaming numbers for the album were driven largely by platforms such as Spotify and Apple Music, where Rihanna commands a large follower base. The album's runtime is approximately 44 minutes, with a runtime slightly longer on deluxe versions. Critics noted the album's sparse production and departure from the dance-pop sound of earlier Rihanna releases. Anti is widely cited as a pivotal release in Rihanna's discography and a defining R&B project of the mid-2010s.
Label, Production, and Release Context
Anti was released under the Westbury Road imprint, which Rihanna co-founded, and Roc Nation, the label founded by Jay-Z. The album was distributed globally by Def Jam Recordings, a subsidiary of Universal Music Group. Production credits include contributions from producers such as Boi-1da, DJ Mustard, and Brian Kennedy. Rihanna served as an executive producer and collaborated with songwriters including Bibi Bourelly, SZA, and Ty Dolla $ign. The album's sonic palette blends pop, R&B, dancehall, and soul influences, with minimal use of EDM drops. The release strategy included a surprise drop on streaming platforms, a common practice among major artists in the 2010s.
As of the latest public data, Rihanna has not released a follow-up studio album to Anti. Several projects were teased in interviews and social media, but none materialized