Rihanna’s Feelings About “Anti”
Rihanna expressed that “Anti” is the only album of hers that she can listen to without feeling “shame.”
Success of the Album
Last month, the album, which became her ninth, included major hits like “Kiss It Better” and “Work,” dominating the Billboard charts for two weeks. It impressively remained on the charts for a staggering 456 weeks.
Since then, Rihanna has not released a new album, although she has shared two singles, the most recent being “Lift Me Up” in 2022, written for the Black Panther: Wakanda Forever soundtrack as a tribute to the late actor Chadwick Boseman.
In a recent interview with Harper’s Bazaar, she mentioned that the 2014 record is her favorite from her discography.
“I listen to ‘Anti’ from top to bottom without shame. I always had shame. I really don’t enjoy listening to my music, but ‘Anti’ is different; I can listen to that album,” she shared with the magazine.
“It feels as if I’m not singing it when I just listen. This is the only album where I can have an out-of-body experience; it doesn’t feel like … you know, when you hear your voice on a voicemail and think, ‘ugh.’”
Shortly after the release of Anti, NME conducted an exclusive interview where she explained why three of her singles at that time – “American Oxygen,” “FourFiveSeconds,” and “Bitch Better Have My Money” – had such diverse sounds.
“I like what I love, and all these songs have their own character, and the videos reflect the nature of each song,” she stated. “I want every video to take you on a different journey. Another journey.”
This latest interview comes amid speculation that an album following Anti might be on the way. She also told the publication that the long-awaited album “will not be something that anyone expects,” and that she reports reggae will heavily influence the album.
“Right now, there’s no genre. That’s why I’ve been waiting,” she explained. “Every time I thought, ‘No, this isn’t me. This isn’t right. This doesn’t represent my height. This doesn’t represent my evolution. I can’t do this. I can’t support it. I can’t do this while touring.’”
Various insights Rihanna shared over the past year about R9 include her statement of “starting all over again” with a “new perspective” during the Fenty Hair event in June, and hinting that “God had other plans for me” besides music at the product launch in November.
Recently, rumors circulated tying Rihanna to a significant performance at London Stadium in early July, igniting speculation about a possible appearance at Glastonbury 2025.
There has been no confirmation yet, and Rihanna has not toured since her world tour for Anti in 2016.
However, she headlined the Super Bowl in 2023, marking her first performance in seven years. She followed that up with her first full show in eight years at a private billionaire wedding in India last year.
In other news, her partner A$AP Rocky was found not guilty last week in the court case regarding a shooting incident from 2021. The jury in Los Angeles acquitted him on all counts after he was accused of allegedly shooting his former friend A$AP Relli. He faced 24 years in prison and declined a plea deal that would have acknowledged guilt in exchange for 180 days in jail.
In response to the acquittal, Rihanna remarked: “Glory belongs to God and God. Grateful, humbled by His mercy! 🙏🏿”
https://www.nme.com/news/music/rihanna-says-anti-is-the-only-album-of-hers-she-can-listen-to-with-no-shame-3840522?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rihanna-says-anti-is-the-only-album-of-hers-she-can-listen-to-with-no-shame
