Anti | ||||
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Released | 28 January 2016 | |||
Recorded | April 2014 – January 2016 | |||
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Length | 43:36 | |||
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Singles from Anti | ||||
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Anti is the eighth studio album by Barbadian singer Rihanna. It was released on 28 January 2016 by Roc Nation and Westbury Road. Rihanna started recording in 2014 after departing from Def Jam Recordings, who had released all of her albums since her 2005 debut. 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 in the midst of creative struggles and emotional turmoil, Anti is characterized by atmospheric production incorporating lo-fi beats, distorted vocals and downtempo arrangements. The first half consists of bass-heavy tracks, while the second is characterised by textured minimalism. Compared to the radio-friendly dance songs which had characterised Rihanna's prior discography, Anti is more muted and soulful. Primarily a pop, dancehall, psychedelic soul and alternative R&B record, Anti also incorporates an array of eclectic influences spanning from hip hop, soul, industrial, psychedelic, doo-wop, country, synth-rock and trap. The lyrics are about the emotions 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 summer 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; it was certified six-times platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). The album topped charts in Canada and Norway, and it received multi-platinum certifications in Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, New Zealand, and Poland.
Upon its release, critics commended the album's emotional honesty but were divided on the production; praise mainly centered on Rihanna's newfound musical freedom. Some took issue with the lack of radio-friendly songs and the unfocused tracklist, but others noted the musical shift marked Rihanna's artistic maturity and regarded it as one of her best albums. 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 and 55th on Apple Music 100 Best Albums. As of March 2024, Anti is the fourth-longest charting female album in Billboard 200 history.
Rihanna's seventh studio album, Unapologetic , was released on 19 November 2012, by Def Jam Recordings. [1] Unapologetic combines urban and R&B with radio-friendly pop tunes and dubstep influences, and its lyrics are about Rihanna's sexual autonomy and emotional struggles. [2] [3] Critics likened the sound and themes of Unapologetic's to those of her previous albums, namely Rated R (2009), Loud (2010) and Talk that Talk (2011). [4] [5] She embarked on the Diamonds World Tour to promote the album in 2013, and co-headlined the Monster Tour with American rapper Eminem in 2014. [6] After touring, Rihanna intended to take a year off to "just do whatever [she wanted] artistically, creatively", but reportedly started recording new music as soon as October 2014. [7] [8]
Unapologetic was Rihanna's last album under Def Jam, who had released all of her discography since her first album, Music of the Sun (2005). [9] In March 2014, she signed with American rapper Jay-Z's Roc Nation after leaving Def Jam and gaining the right to her album masters; [9] Jay-Z was her mentor when she first moved from Barbados to the United States. [10] [11] Up to that point, Rihanna had released one studio album each year from 2005 to 2012 (with the exception of 2008), totalling seven. [12]
In an interview with MTV News in March 2015, Rihanna said she wanted her eighth album to be "soulful" and "timeless", having found the "really, really big songs" on her past albums had fallen out of her taste; "I wanted an album that I could perform in 15 years. ... Not any songs that were burnt out." [13] By January 2015, the album was to be executive-produced by rapper-producer Kanye West, who had produced and co-performed on its intended lead single, "FourFiveSeconds" alongside English musician Paul McCartney, however West stepped down from the project in January 2016. [14] [15] Although Rihanna wanted the record to represent her authentic self, feeling "numb" and disconnected from her emotions, she experienced an emotional turmoil. [16] Speaking with Sarah Paulson for the October 2019 issue of Interview , Rihanna talked about her spiritual wellbeing while making Anti: "I have been in a place where I felt like maybe I had disappointed god so much that we weren't as close." [17]
The album's recording sessions took place at various studios including the Jungle City Studios in New York City, Westlake Recording Studios, Sandra Gale Studios and Windmark Recording Studios in Los Angeles, SOTA Studios in Toronto and Twin Studios in Paris. [18] Most of the songs were recorded at the Westlake Recording Studios. [18] Songwriter Bibi Bourelly had been working with producer Paperboy Fabe, who arranged a session with West. The result was the song "Higher". Later, Rihanna and James Fauntleroy also contributed to the song writing. "Higher" was recorded in the early morning hours while Rihanna was under the influence of alcohol. "We just said, 'You know what? Let's just drink some whiskey and record this song.'" [19] The song was described by Rihanna as "a drunk voice mail". [16] Rihanna and Fauntleroy also collaborated on three other songs – "Desperado", "Close to You," and "James Joint". The latter was written with Rihanna and Shea Taylor, who wrote the song in less than 30 minutes, while "Close To You" was written after producer Brian Kennedy sent Fauntleroy a piano music sample. [20]
"Desperado" was written by Mick Shultz and Rook Monroe. After visiting Rihanna's home, Shultz was contacted a week later by the singer's team who stated that she really liked the record. Rihanna, Fauntleroy and Kuk Harrell, were all later involved in the song's development, production and recording. [21] In the summer of 2015, songwriter and producer Rupert Thomas together with Allen Ritter and Boi-1da among others, stayed at Canadian rapper's Drake house in Los Angeles for several days. During the time, the lead single, "Work" was conceived. [22] Thomas created the beat and played it for Boi-1da to which he positively responded. Boi-1da came up with the idea for sampling an "old school dancehall rhythm" after the chords were made. When the song's music was finished, Boi-1da sent it to PartyNextDoor who wrote the lyrics. [22]
Two songs each were recorded at Jungle City Studios in New York City and Windmark Recording Studios in Los Angeles. [18] The studio sessions at Jungle City produced the opening track "Consideration" and "Kiss It Better". Rihanna stated when recording "Consideration", she felt a connection to it, stating the song captured the sound and attitude she was aiming for. [16] The recording sessions at Windmark Recording Studios produced the songs "Never Ending" and "Love on the Brain". The former was written by Chad Sabo during his time in California, where Sabo was playing with the band Basic Vacation. Sabo was in the band's van and began to write the intro riff that would become "Never Ending". Shortly after, he took the song home and attempted to bring the song together using a digital 8-track studio. He later worked on the song's lyrics and posted it onto the internet. The writing process of "Never Ending" began in November 2013, and started again in April 2014 at which time Rihanna became interested in the track and wanted to record it. English singer-songwriter Dido is also credited as a writer on the track due to a similarity in the melody of "Never Ending" and Dido's 1999 song "Thank You." [23]
The only song which was recorded outside of the United States was "Same Ol' Mistakes"; the track was recorded at the Twin Studios in Paris. [18] Rihanna's team contacted Tame Impala's management and informed them that Rihanna loved the band's song "New Person, Same Old Mistakes" and asked if she could re-record the track for Anti. The song's writer, Kevin Parker, agreed and gave Rihanna permission to record the song. After hearing Rihanna's version, Parker stated, "We're all really happy with how the song turned out, love it!". [24]
American vocal producer Kuk Harrell, who has been working with Rihanna since 2007, stated that for Anti, Rihanna was creatively more involved in the making process. Harrell stated that she aimed to push the album in the direction she envisioned. The producer stated his attempt to move away from mainstream pop music when producing the album's vocals, "Every record... is a record that somebody else could've done... It's so awesome that she... was courageous enough to... do that." [25]
Harrell noted that with the production of Anti Rihanna was far more meticulous about what she wanted each individual line to sound like. He stated that he attempted to work quickly when producing the album, however Rihanna wanted to constantly improve the album's quality stating, "let's up the quality level. Let's make sure... it's a masterpiece." Harrell stated that when he and Rihanna had previously worked together they aimed to make a great body of work, however on Anti they aimed to create a "masterpiece". [25]
Speaking of the album's production and style, Harrell stated that artists such as Rihanna have been taking a stance and stepping away from the popular music of the time and the expectations of her label, directors, and radio, stating, "I don't want to make what everybody else is making... I know my fans will love it... if everybody else loves it, great. If they don't, at least I know... I've done what I want to do." [25] Anti was engineered by Nathaniel Alford, Chris Godbey, Harrell, Blake Mares, Daniela Rivera and Marcos Tovar. The album was finally mastered by Chris Gehringer at Sterling Sound, in New York City. [18]
On Anti... the focus is on that voice and her... personality, singing... as if her life depends on it.... what she has come up with is atmospheric, sexy and strangely disturbed, tapping into the kind of distorted beats and chilled tempos that burble through progressive hip hop.
During the album's recording Rihanna aimed to create a record to have "soulful" and "aggressive" sounds in the musical, lyrical and vocal context. [27] During a press conference in early 2014, Rihanna told MTV News that she aimed to depart from the musical style of her previous releases, which she described as being "big songs". Rihanna continued to state that with Anti she wanted to focus on music that "felt real" and soulful and would be timeless. [28] She also stated that she wanted to record songs that are "timeless" and that she could perform 15 years later. "Not any songs that were burnt out. I find that when I get on stage now, I don't want to perform a lot of my songs. They don't feel like me." [28]
Anti abandons the radio-friendly dance-pop production of Rihanna's previous hit singles. [29] [30] It is a genre-spanning record [31] consisting of pop and dancehall tunes [32] [33] with elements of soul music. [34] Compared to Rihanna's previous catalogue, Anti is more muted and soulful. [35] [36] According to Billboard, the album belongs to "the weeded-out, hazy spectrum of rap and alt-R&B". [37] Rolling Stone described the album as psychedelic soul. [38] Lindsay Zoladz of Vulture coined the term "industrial dancehall" as the most appropriate to describe Anti. [31] Ben Rayner of The Toronto Star stated the album is divided into two halves; the first consisting of "futuristic robo-R&B", while the second half contains "a more organic breed of soul". [34] The album's production has been characterized as being dark, sparsely layered, [39] bouncy, with lo-fi bass, old school styles, [33] downtempo moodiness and electro-soul minimalism. [34] The bass-heavy production of Anti's midsection ("Needed Me", "Woo", "Yeah, I Said It") evokes popular hip hop and R&B genres. [30] The second half of the album is characterised by textual minimalism. [40] Analyzing its sound a year after its release, Da'Shan Smith of Billboard noted the album's present underscoring of trap. [41]
The album's lyrical content predominantly touches upon themes of relationships, exploring what it means to be in love, to get hurt, to need someone, and to be true to yourself. [39] The theme of relationships is picked up in numerous songs; "Kiss It Better" sees Rihanna questioning how far an ex-lover will go to get her back; in "Woo", Rihanna turns spiteful, stating she does not care for her ex-partner, while "Never Ending" features Rihanna admitting she would like to be in love again. [39] The album's themes were also noted as being unapologetic, with an uncaring attitude, and self-assurance. [33]
Anti opens with "Consideration", a dub-inspired song. The song contains a "glitchy" production and features guest vocals from singer-songwriter SZA. [42] Neil McCormick of The Telegraph , thought the song is Rihanna turning her back on record labels and their expectations, in the line "I got to do things my own way darling". [43] "James Joint" is a neo-soul song that contains "keyboards built over rising bass riffs that create a thickly textured groove." The song was compared to the work of Stevie Wonder, due to the use of a harmonica. [44] "Kiss It Better" is a pop power ballad inspired by the music of the '80s and '90s. [42] Built over deep synths the track features an electric guitar and lyrics that focus on a destructive relationship that the singer knows is wrong for her, but one she finds irresistible. [26] [45] "Work", which features Canadian rapper Drake, is a reggae-pop song [46] with a "percolating beat, sinuous synth lines, and vocal samples stretched and pulled in a way that recalls Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis 's production work on Janet Jackson's 1997 album The Velvet Rope ." [47] "Desperado" is a moody, trap-country song containing a "mid-tempo groove, bell ringing and shuddering drums, along with deep synths and vocal samples." [26]
The sixth track "Woo" opens with "two jarring, atonal guitar chords repeated along with small, trap-influenced percussion, over a basic riff." [45] It was compared to the work of Kanye West due to its slow stomping, distortion, and lack of melody and groove. [26] "Needed Me" is a downtempo song, with small elements of electro bubble, synthetic sounds, and a loose, casual vocal that discusses romantic rejection, while the following song "Yeah, I Said It" continues the trend of containing a slowed down groove. [26] "Same Ol' Mistakes" is a cover version of "New Person, Same Old Mistakes" (2015) performed by Tame Impala. The song contains the same production as the original, featuring a "fluid sound, with elements of psychedelic, hip-hop and pop-rock genres, along with a slow, dreamy, psychedelic synth groove." [26] "Never Ending" is a guitar-led song, with elements of country music, organic melodies and backing vocals. [48]
"Love on the Brain" is a mid-tempo '50s inspired doo-wop ballad "that features a guitar arpeggio, swirling organ, simple chord progression and backing vocals". [26] [45] Rihanna's vocals on the track were noted as being acrobatic and ranging from her "trademark snarl", to high notes, with dark lyrics that depict a destructive, yet addictive relationship. [45] [48] "Higher" is a love song that has a woozy production that contains lyrics about Rihanna's feelings towards her lover whilst she is under the influence of drugs and alcohol. [26] "Close to You" is a slow piano ballad, which is sung in a jazz style. [26] The deluxe version of Anti contains three more songs. The first is "Goodnight Gotham", which contains a sample of "Only If for a Night" (2011) performed by Florence and the Machine and hears Rihanna singing along with the "looping" sample. [49] The following track "Pose" features a grimy beat, along with the singer aggressively boasting about her riches. [49] "Sex with Me" contains dreamy production which hears Rihanna talking about her beauty, "before closing with a trippy blend of vocals." [49]
"I sometimes fear that I am misunderstood.
It is simply because what I want to say,
what I need to say, won't be heard.
Heard in a way I so rightfully deserve.
What I choose to say is of so much substance
That people just won't understand the depth of my message.
So my voice is not my weakness,
It is the opposite of what others are afraid of.
My voice is my suit and armor,
My shield, and all that I am.
I will comfortably breathe in it, until I find the moment to be silent.
I live loudly in my mind, so many hours of the day.
The world is pin drop sound compared to the boom
That thumps and bumps against the walls of my cranium.
I live it and love it and despise it and I am entrapped in it.
So being misunderstood, I am not offended by the gesture, but honored.
If they let us..."
On 7 October 2015, Rihanna held a private viewing for fans and press at Los Angeles' MAMA Gallery, where she debuted the album's official artwork and title. Initially thought to have been entitled R8, Rihanna announced the official title during the album's cover art release, revealing the album would be called ANTI. The exhibition included a piece of art which defined the album's title, stating that anti is "a person opposed to a particular policy, activity or idea." [51] Following the exhibition, Rihanna took to social media to confirm the album's title along with an explanation of its meaning. The explanation stated, "By continuing to follow her own instincts, her work strives to make an impact by doing the very antithesis of what the public expects." [52]
The artwork was designed by Israeli artist Roy Nachum, and was described by Rihanna as her "favorite album cover". [53] The album's front cover shows an image of Rihanna, which was taken on her first day of day care, [54] holding a black balloon, with a gold crown covering her eyes; the majority of the artwork is black and white with a "smattering" of red paint. [53] Speaking about the cover art's concept, Nachum stated that he painted a young Rihanna to represent her "bringing something new" to music. [55]
Over the red, black, and white canvas, there is a poem written in Braille by poet Chloe Mitchell. Speaking on her choice to use the script, Rihanna commented, "Sometimes the ones who have sight are the blindest." [53] During the cover's designing stage, Rihanna met with Mitchell, in which they "drank" and came up with a poem that would be used for the artwork and liner notes entitled If They Let Us. [50] Mitchell explained the poem and its meaning to Rolling Stone magazine, stating it was about being misunderstood, but still being able to stand out while doing what is right for you. She further said that the poem speaks about not conforming to society and being a leader as well as accepting that being misunderstood is a positive thing. [55]
At the gallery, the album's back cover, along with multiple inside album artworks were revealed. The album's back cover features the same image this time from behind. [56] The seven pieces of artwork were all named and featured a poem written by Mitchell or Nachum, the front and back covers were titled "If They Let Us Part I" and "If They Let Us Part II" and featured a poem that was split over the front and back. Another piece entitled "If They Let Us" was commissioned and featured the full reading of the poem. [57] The inside booklet contains a further five pieces entitled "Fire Part I", "Fire Part II", "Fire Part III" and "R". [57] Billboard ranked the artwork as one of the best covers of the albums released in 2016 and wrote, "What's black and white and red all over? One of the most intoxicating albums of any genre in 2016, with an equally indelible lead image to match." [58]
"Work" featuring Canadian rapper Drake was released on 27 January 2016, hours before the Tidal release of Anti. Rihanna stated on Twitter that the song is the "first single" from her album. [59] "Work" debuted at number nine on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart. It became Rihanna's 27th top ten hit. With this feat, Rihanna tied Mariah Carey, Janet Jackson and Elton John as the artists with fifth-most top ten songs on the chart. [60] The singer reached 27 top ten singles on the Hot 100 in a span of 10 years and eight months between her first song, "Pon de Replay" and "Work" and became the fastest solo artist to reach the plateau. [61] In its fourth week, "Work" peaked at number one on the Hot 100 chart and became Rihanna's fourteenth number-one song in the United States and the 1,052nd number-one single on the chart overall. Subsequently, she became the artist with the fourth-most number-one songs on the chart following the Beatles with 20 and Carey with 19, and Elvis Presley with 17. She broke a tie with Michael Jackson, who had reached 13 chart-toppers on the Billboard Hot 100. [62]
On 29 March 2016, Rihanna announced that "Needed Me" and "Kiss It Better" would both be serviced to radio the following day as the album's second and third singles. [63] "Needed Me" saw far greater success becoming Rihanna's 28th top ten single on the Hot 100, tying her with Stevie Wonder for fourth place as the acts with the most top tens in Billboard history. [64] It notably became her longest charting Hot 100 hit, surpassing the 41-week run of "We Found Love". [65] "Kiss It Better" was a moderate success charting at the lower end of the US Billboard Hot 100, initially released as the promotional focus at pop radio, "Kiss It Better" reached as far as number twenty-four on the Pop Songs chart, leading Roc Nation to release "Needed Me"—an initially "urban radio priority"—to pop radio as well, due to its success. [66]
On 21 August 2016, Rihanna announced via her Instagram account that "Love on the Brain" will be the next single. Prior to being announced as a single, "Love on the Brain" debuted on the US Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs at number 30 and charted on the Billboard Hot 100, debuting at number 83. [67] After being released as a single, the song re-entered the Billboard Hot 100 chart at number 80. [68] The song peaked at number five, becoming the third top ten single from Anti, as well as her twenty-second top five hit. [69]
Rihanna started a social media promotional campaign with the hashtag "#R8" as soon as summer 2014; her social media posts included pictures taken with record producers in studios. [7] From January to April 2015, Rihanna released three singles—"FourFiveSeconds" featuring Kanye West and Paul McCartney, "Bitch Better Have My Money", and "American Oxygen"—none of which made the track listing of Anti. [70] Rihanna also posted an interlude entitled "James Joint" in its entirety from the upcoming album on her website on 21 April 2015, as a "celebration of 420". [71] In May 2015, "Goodnight Gotham", then referred to as "A Night", [72] was included in an advertisement campaign for Dior. [73] In October 2015, it was revealed that Rihanna had acquired the masters to all her recordings and would be releasing Anti jointly through her own record label Westbury Road and Roc Nation. [74]
In November 2015, it was announced that Rihanna had signed a $25 million contract with Samsung to not only promote the Galaxy line of products, but to also sponsor the release of Anti and its supporting tour. [75] On 19 November 2015, Rihanna and Samsung released a 16-second cryptic video for Anti, launching a website for Rihanna's forthcoming album entitled "ANTIdiaRy". Upon launch, the mobile-only site gave messages, such as "She's waiting for you. Are you in?" and "Be patient and keep your eyes open". [76] The website then proceeded to launch eight "rooms" over the following 9 weeks, each loosely corresponding to her previous albums, detailing her personal life over the course of her career and including clues from Anti. [77] In the same month, she canceled her performance at the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show to finish work on Anti. [78]
The Anti World Tour was announced on 23 November 2015. [79] The Samsung-sponsored tour started in March 2016 and ended in November 2016, with Travis Scott supporting in North America, and Big Sean supporting at selected European dates. [75] [80] The album leaked onto the internet in its entirety on 27 January 2016, after it was released prematurely on music streaming service Tidal. [81] Also through Tidal, one million copies of the album were made available for free download via Samsung, regardless of whether a listener is a Tidal subscriber or not. [82] [83] The album was released officially worldwide on online stores, like iTunes, two days later. [84]
Aggregate scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
AnyDecentMusic? | 6.7/10 [85] |
Metacritic | 73/100 [86] |
Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [87] |
The Daily Telegraph | [88] |
Entertainment Weekly | A− [89] [90] |
The Guardian | [91] |
The Independent | [33] |
NME | [92] |
Pitchfork | 7.7/10 [32] |
Rolling Stone | [35] |
Spin | 7/10 [93] |
Vice | A [94] |
Anti received generally positive reviews from music critics, but critics were more mixed over its sound and Rihanna's artistic direction. [95] [96] At Metacritic, which assigns a normalised rating out of 100 to reviews from professional publications, Anti received an average score of 73 out of 100, indicating "generally favorable reviews", based on 31 reviews. [86] The aggregate site AnyDecentMusic? assigned it a score of 6.7 out of 10, based on their assessment of the critical consensus. [85]
Many critics noted Anti as an experimental record compared to Rihanna's previous market-oriented pop albums. [97] [98] Those unimpressed took issue with the absence of radio-friendly songs and deemed the album half-hearted and disorienting, [92] [99] [100] but those complimentary said it represented Rihanna's artistic maturity as an album artist, transcending her previous image as a pop star with serial hit singles. [87] [35] [36] Alexis Petridis in The Guardian and Jon Caramanica in The New York Times described Anti as a frustrating record without a clear artistic vision. [91] [101] Writing for Vice , Robert Christgau lauded the album's catchy production despite its rejection of the formulaic pop song structure. [94] In Spin , Jia Tolentino was somewhat disappointed by the unfocused track list, but welcomed Anti as a sign of artistic evolution: "For once, Rihanna is drawing on whims rather than characters, uncertainties rather than pronouncements, her own desires rather than the desires of her audience." [93]
Critics highlighted the diverse musical styles and honest emotional sentiments as a testament to Rihanna's newfound artistic freedom. [35] [96] Some, including Neil McCormick of The Daily Telegraph , deemed the experimentation proved Rihanna no longer expected to monetise her music. [87] [88] [96] In Rolling Stone , Brittany Spanos remarked that with Anti, after a decade of releasing chart hits, Rihanna was finally "in charge of her own sound, remaking pop on her own terms". [35] Though some remarked that the album was self-assured and confident, [33] [102] [103] Amanda Petrusich writing for Pitchfork appreciated Rihanna's newfound introspection and vulnerability, calling it "a fun and conflicted pop record, at its most interesting when it's at its smallest and most idiosyncratic". [32] The Los Angeles Times critic Mikael Wood similarly commended her inward vision, specifically through the second half's balladry, for "pushing back against her established image" as a flippant pop star. [104] Writing for The Independent , Emily Jupp found the record abundant with Rihanna's self-confidence and underrated singing, disproving "anyone who ever said her voice could only do certain things and showing them she can do anything she wants to." [33]
Anti won the award for Favorite Soul/R&B Album at the 2016 American Music Awards. [105] The record received a nomination for Top R&B Album at the 2016 and 2017 Billboard Music Awards [106] and was also nominated for Best Urban Contemporary Album and Best Recording Package at the 59th Annual Grammy Awards. [107] Prior to the Grammy nominations announcement, media outlets predicted that Anti would be nominated for Album of the Year; following the announcement reporters were surprised and felt that the album had been "snubbed". [108] [109] Fellow musicians also believed that the album should have been nominated, with Chance the Rapper stating that the album was "underrated". [110] Apart from Anti's nominations, several songs from it were also nominated including "Work" for Record of the Year and Best Pop Duo/Group Performance, "Needed Me" for Best R&B Performance and "Kiss It Better" for Best R&B Song. [111] At the 2017 iHeartRadio Music Awards Anti received the award for 'R&B Album of the Year'. [112]
According to Metacritic, it was the 12th most prominently ranked album of 2016. [113] NME considered it the 40th best album of the year. [114] On their list of 50 Best Albums of 2016, Rolling Stone placed the album at number 25 and wrote, "Rihanna's long-simmering eighth album brought together stinging songs that showcased the pop provocateur's ever-widening range, both stylistically and vocally." [115] The Independent's Roisin O'Connor ranked the album at number 15 out of 20 music releases of 2016 and wrote, "Anti was the moment Rihanna finally asserted herself as an album artist, after reigning as queen of the singles charts for so many years." [116] The Billboard Staff placed the album at number 11 on their list 50 Best Albums of 2016. [117] Jamieson Cox of Time ranked the record at number seven on their list The Top 10 Best Albums for 2016 and wrote, "Rihanna might be the most charismatic person on the planet, and Anti is her first album to recognize that said charisma is her greatest strength." [118] Christgau ranked its deluxe version as the second best album of the year in his ballot for The Village Voice 's annual Pazz & Jop critics poll. [119]
Lewis Corner of Digital Spy ranked the album at number seven on his list of 20 best albums of 2016. [120] Same as Corner, Harriet Gibsone of The Guardian also ranked the album at number seven deeming it as one of the "messiest album releases", but also a record that show that Rihanna is one of the greatest music rock stars. [121] In their mid-year report, Entertainment Weekly placed Anti at number four on the list of The 25 best albums of 2016. For the publication, Leah Greenblatt wrote, "Anti's wild, woozy R&B easily earned 24-karat status all on its own." [122] On their final Best Albums of 2016 list, the publication ranked the album at number three and called it "The Emancipation of RiRi", a reference to Mariah Carey's tenth studio album, The Emancipation of Mimi . [123] Rap-Up additionally placed it at number three on their list of 20 Best Albums of 2016. Fuse ranked Anti at number one on their list The 20 Best Albums of 2016, highlighting the sounds of the album, Rihanna's vocals and the celebration of womanhood. [124] The Fader recognized the release as one of the 24 Albums That Made Albums Matter Again in 2016 and included four songs of the album in their "The Best Songs of 2016" list: "Sex with Me" at number one, "Work" at number 16, "Higher" at number 36 and "Needed Me" at 51. [125] [126] According to Metacritic, Anti was the eighth most mentioned album on the Best of the Decade Top 10 Album lists. [127] Some of the publications ranking the album as one of the best of the 2010s decade are:
Publication | List | Rank | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|
The A.V. Club | The 50 Best Albums of the 2010s | 48 | |
Billboard | The 100 Greatest Albums of the 2010s | 7 | |
Consequence of Sound | The 100 Top Albums of the 2010s | 81 | |
The Guardian | The 100 Best Albums of the 21st Century (2000–2019) | 99 | |
The Independent | The 50 Best Albums of the Decade | 20 | |
NME | The 100 Best Albums of the 2010s | 7 | |
Paste | The 100 Best Albums of the 2010s | 35 | |
Pitchfork | The 200 Best Albums of the 2010s | 12 | |
Rolling Stone | The 100 Best Albums of the 2010s | 25 | |
SPIN | The 101 Best Albums of the 2010s | 1 |
In the United States, the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) certified Anti platinum denoting one million copies sold two days after its release, brought by Samsung purchasing one million copies and giving them away as a free download, as part of the November 2015 deal. [138] The album debuted at number 27 on the Billboard 200 chart with 460 album-equivalent units first week dated 13 February 2016. [139] Despite its first-week sales of 1.4 million downloads, Billboard did not recognize free album sales via promotions. [140] [141] According to data provider Nielsen SoundScan for Billboard, recognized first-week of Anti included 4.7 million streams and 126,000 digital songs. [139] The following week, the album topped the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart and the Billboard 200, marking Rihanna's second number one on the latter. [142]
Anti peaked atop the Billboard 200 for two non-consecutive weeks, claiming the top spot on the chart week ending 2 April 2016. [143] The same week, its lead single "Work" topped the Billboard Hot 100, marking Rihanna's second time topping both the Billboard 200 and Hot 100 charts simultaneously; Unapologetic and "Diamonds" topped the charts in December 2012. [144] According to Nielsen SoundScan, Anti was the ninth-best-selling album and the fourth-most-consumed album of 2016 in the United States, amassing 603,000 pure sales, 4.195 million song downloads, and over 1.4 billion streams. [145]
On the issue dated February 25, 2023, the album returned to the top ten of the Billboard 200 at number 8 with 36,000 units, following her Super Bowl LVII halftime performance. [146] Later that year, the RIAA certified Anti six times platinum, marking six million album-equivalent units based on sales and streaming. [147] By January 2024, Anti became the first album by a black female artist to spend 400 weeks on the Billboard 200, and become the fourth longest charting female album in Billboard 200 history. [148] [149]
Anti topped the albums charts in Canada and Norway. [150] [151] In the United Kingdom, the album peaked at number seven on the UK Albums Chart and number one on the UK R&B Chart; [152] In 2019, the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) certified Anti platinum for surpassing 300,000 units. [153] The album peaked within the top five of albums charts in many European countries, reaching number two in Ireland, [154] Sweden [155] and Switzerland; [156] number three in Denmark, [157] Germany [158] and the Netherlands; [159] number four in Greece [160] and Spain; [161] and number five in the Czech Republic [162] and Finland. [163] It received multi-platinum certifications in France (double platinum) [164] and Denmark (5× platinum). [165] Anti was the most-streamed album by a female artist on Spotify of 2016 worldwide. [166] According to the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI), it sold over one million copies worldwide in 2016. [167] According to Billboard, the album sold 11 million in album-equivalent units as of 2021. [168]
Doreen St. Félix of MTV News stated that Anti was a "rock-star" album and was noted as a "banner for heterogeneity in R&B — the real range of it," continuing to state that in the early 2010s EDM was the popular genre. St. Félix stated in a more in-depth review that "Anti could even change with the seasons, depending on which tracks you chose to listen to." [169] Alexis Petridis of The Guardian stated that R&B was in a "golden age" and 2016 "was its most potent year yet". Petridis stated that artists such as Rihanna pushed the genre's "boundaries", noting that Anti was "sprawling, exploratory and opaque". [170] The album's commercial performance, especially its streaming performance, was noted as helping R&B "flourish" again, along with Drake and Kanye West. Rihanna was cited as the second most streamed artist of 2016 overall, earning 795 million streams by June and was named the most streamed female of 2016 and 2017 by Spotify. [171] [172] Anti produced eight songs that topped the Billboard Dance Club Songs chart — "Work", "Kiss It Better", "Needed Me", "Love on the Brain", "Sex with Me", "Pose", "Desperado" and "Consideration" — surpassing Katy Perry's Teenage Dream (2010) as the album with the most number-one songs on that chart. [173] [174]
Rolling Stone's journalist Brittany Spanos stated that Rihanna was one of three black women, alongside Beyoncé and Solange, who "radicalized Pop in 2016". In an in-depth review, Spanos stated "the album is a startlingly direct statement from a black female pop star, one that many are not afforded the opportunity to express. In the media, black women are often cast as either jezebels or mammies – oversexed or undersexed with no choice as to how they are received. Rihanna's resistance to typecasting and her positive affirmation of her sexual agency made her the year's slyest rebel, a maverick living life as she pleases." [175] Taj Rani of Billboard stated "Work" has brought the genre of dancehall to the forefront of American music, as it became the first dancehall song to top the Billboard Hot 100 since Sean Paul's "Temperature" reached the feat in 2006. She opined the song is a prime example of "an unapologetic black woman proudly showing her heritage at a time when our politics are dominated by #BlackLivesMatter and Donald Trump's racist, xenophobic and misogynistic tirades." [176] Da'Shan Smith of Billboard stated "Love on the Brain" became the most subtly influential pop single of 2017, as the music industry experienced "a prominent surge of retro-harkening balladry, across different musical genres", following the success of this song on pop radio; which he described as "a rare find today, because traditional R&B's presence on the format is an oddity." [177]
Marilyn Manson cited Anti as an influence on his band's album Heaven Upside Down , saying: "Strangely enough, one of the records that influenced this album strongly, and it can't be taken literally, is Rihanna, her last record. That one song, 'Love on the Brain', it really hit me because I saw her perform it and she just... meant it." [178] Album track "Higher" inspired the song "Liability" from New Zealand singer Lorde's second album Melodrama (2017), when Lorde was reportedly "moved to tears" listening to "Higher" and this helped her to write "Liability". [179] Contemporary artist Awol Erizku created a series of pieces inspired by musicians, one of the pieces was titled, "Same Ol' Mistakes," inspired by the song of the same name from the album Anti. Referencing one of Rihanna's logos, Erizku spoke of how the song inspired his artwork, stating: "I always thought that logo was really funny. It's one aspect of pop culture that I thought fit in my world, Rihanna is a voice of our generation, one of our ideals of beauty. You can see these two things co-existing in the same environment." [180] In 2020, Rolling Stone ranked Anti at number 230 on their The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time list. [181]
Credits adapted from Rihanna's official website. [18]
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
1. | "Consideration" (featuring SZA) | 2:41 | ||
2. | "James Joint" |
| 1:12 | |
3. | "Kiss It Better" |
| 4:13 | |
4. | "Work" (featuring Drake) |
| 3:39 | |
5. | "Desperado" |
|
| 3:06 |
6. | "Woo" |
|
| 3:55 |
7. | "Needed Me" |
|
| 3:11 |
8. | "Yeah, I Said It" |
| 2:13 | |
9. | "Same Ol' Mistakes" |
| 6:37 | |
10. | "Never Ending" |
|
| 3:22 |
11. | "Love on the Brain" |
|
| 3:44 |
12. | "Higher" |
| 2:00 | |
13. | "Close to You" |
|
| 3:43 |
Total length: | 43:36 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
14. | "Goodnight Gotham" |
|
| 1:28 |
15. | "Pose" |
| 2:24 | |
16. | "Sex with Me" |
| 3:26 | |
Total length: | 50:54 |
Notes
Sample credits
Credits are adapted from Rihanna's website. [183]
Performers and musicians
Production
Design and management
Weekly charts
Monthly charts
| Year-end charts
Decade-end charts
All-time chart
|
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
Australia (ARIA) [265] | Platinum | 70,000‡ |
Austria (IFPI Austria) [266] | Platinum | 15,000* |
Belgium (BEA) [267] | 2× Platinum | 60,000‡ |
Canada (Music Canada) [268] | 4× Platinum | 320,000‡ |
Denmark (IFPI Danmark) [165] | 5× Platinum | 100,000‡ |
France (SNEP) [164] | 3× Platinum | 300,000‡ |
Germany (BVMI) [269] | Gold | 100,000‡ |
Italy (FIMI) [270] | Platinum | 50,000‡ |
Mexico (AMPROFON) [271] | Platinum | 60,000^ |
New Zealand (RMNZ) [272] | 5× Platinum | 75,000‡ |
Poland (ZPAV) [273] | 3× Platinum | 60,000‡ |
Singapore (RIAS) [274] | Gold | 5,000* |
Sweden (GLF) [275] | Gold | 20,000‡ |
United Kingdom (BPI) [153] | Platinum | 300,000‡ |
United States (RIAA) [147] | 6× Platinum | 6,000,000‡ |
* Sales figures based on certification alone. |
Region | Date | Format(s) | Label(s) | Edition(s) | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Various | 28 January 2016 | (Tidal exclusive) |
| Standard | [276] |
29 January 2016 | Digital download | [277] | |||
Deluxe | [278] | ||||
Europe | 5 February 2016 | CD | [279] | ||
Japan | 10 February 2016 | Limited | [280] | ||
Turkey | 23 February 2016 |
| [281] [282] | ||
Brazil | 11 March 2016 | Universal Music Brazil | [283] [284] | ||
United States | 30 September 2016 | Vinyl |
| Limited | [285] |
Music of the Sun is the debut studio album by Barbadian singer Rihanna. It was released on August 29, 2005, by Def Jam Recordings. Prior to signing with Def Jam, Rihanna was discovered by record producer Evan Rogers in Barbados, who helped Rihanna record demo tapes to send out to several record labels. Jay-Z, the former chief executive officer (CEO) and president of Def Jam, was given Rihanna's demo by Jay Brown, his A&R at Def Jam, and invited her to audition for the label after hearing the song that would become her first single, "Pon de Replay". She auditioned for Jay-Z and L.A. Reid, the former CEO and president of record label group The Island Def Jam Music Group, and was signed on the spot to prevent her from signing with another record label.
"SOS" is a song by Barbadian singer Rihanna, and included in her second studio album, A Girl like Me (2006). It was released on February 14, 2006, through Def Jam Recordings as the lead single of the album. "SOS" was written by J. R. Rotem and E. Kidd Bogart, with additional credit assigned to Ed Cobb for inspiration built around a sample of Soft Cell's 1981 recording of "Tainted Love". This song was written by Cobb in 1965, later influencing the creation of "SOS". Production of the dance-pop, hip hop and R&B song was handled by Rotem. Critical reception of "SOS" was generally positive, with the majority of music critics praising the inclusion of the "Tainted Love" sample. Some critics compared "SOS" to Rihanna's debut single, "Pon de Replay".
"What's My Name?" is a song recorded by Barbadian singer Rihanna, for her fifth studio album Loud (2010). Featuring guest vocals from Canadian rapper Drake, the song was released as the second single from Loud on October 25, 2010, through Def Jam Recordings and in Germany on January 21, 2011, as a single through Universal Music Group. The dancehall-infused electro-R&B song was produced by the Norwegian production duo Stargate, and was written by the duo along with Ester Dean, Traci Hale, and Drake. Lyrically, it incorporates themes of romance and sex.
Good Girl Gone Bad is the third studio album by Barbadian singer, Rihanna. It was released on May 31, 2007, by Def Jam Recordings and SRP Records. Rihanna worked with various producers on the album, including Tricky Stewart, The-Dream, Neo da Matrix, Timbaland, Carl Sturken, Evan Rogers and Stargate. Inspired by Brandy's fourth studio album Afrodisiac (2004), Good Girl Gone Bad is a pop, dance-pop and R&B record with 1980s music influences. Described as a turning point in Rihanna's career, it represents a departure from the Caribbean sound of her previous releases, Music of the Sun (2005) and A Girl like Me (2006). Apart from the sound, she also endorsed a new image for the release going from an innocent young woman to an edgier, more mature look.
"Don't Stop the Music" is a song recorded by Barbadian singer Rihanna for her third studio album, Good Girl Gone Bad (2007). It was released worldwide on September 7, 2007, as the album's fourth single by Def Jam Recordings. The song was written by Tawanna Dabney and its producers StarGate. Michael Jackson also received a songwriting credit for the sampling of the line "Mama-say, mama-sa, ma-ma-koosa" from Jackson's 1983 single "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'". Both Rihanna and Jackson were sued by Cameroonian musician Manu Dibango, who asserted that the hook originated in his 1972 song "Soul Makossa". "Don't Stop the Music" is a dance track that features rhythmic devices used primarily in hip hop music.
"Take a Bow" is a song recorded by Barbadian singer Rihanna for Good Girl Gone Bad: Reloaded (2008), the re-release of her third studio album Good Girl Gone Bad (2007). The song was written and produced by Tor Erik Hermansen, Mikkel Eriksen, and Shaffer Smith under their stage names StarGate and Ne-Yo. "Take a Bow" was released as the first single on April 15, 2008 by Def Jam Recordings, from the re-release and the fifth single overall from the two releases. It is a pop and R&B song that contains elements of dance-pop. Critical reception of "Take a Bow" was mixed, with some critics praising the song's lyrics and powerful balladry, while others criticized StarGate's production as unoriginal.
Loud is the fifth studio album by Barbadian singer Rihanna. It was released on November 12, 2010, by Def Jam Recordings and SRP Records. The album was recorded between February and August 2010, during the singer's Last Girl on Earth tour (2010–2011) and the filming of her first feature film Battleship (2012). Rihanna and L.A. Reid were the executive producers of Loud and worked with various record producers, including Stargate, Sandy Vee, The Runners, Tricky Stewart and Alex da Kid. The album features several guest vocalists, including rappers Drake, Nicki Minaj, and Eminem, who is featured on the sequel to "Love the Way You Lie", titled "Love the Way You Lie ".
Talk That Talk is the sixth studio album by Barbadian singer Rihanna. It was released on November 18, 2011 by Def Jam Recordings and SRP Records. Talk That Talk was recorded during the Loud Tour between February and November 2011. It was originally planned to be a reissue of her previous studio album Loud (2010). As executive producer, Rihanna enlisted a wide range of producers including Alex da Kid, Calvin Harris, Chase & Status, No I.D., and Stargate to achieve her desired sound. Following in the same vein as Loud, Talk That Talk is a dance-oriented pop/R&B crossover album that incorporates elements of hip hop, dubstep, electronic and house music. The album also contains subtle dancehall influences while its lyrical content and themes revolve around a nihilistic, romantic, and lascivious lover.
"Diamonds" is a song recorded by Barbadian singer Rihanna for her seventh studio album, Unapologetic (2012). Sia wrote the track with its producers, Benny Blanco and Stargate. The song premiered on September 26, 2012, during the Elvis Duran and the Morning Show and was digitally released the following day as the lead single from Unapologetic. "Diamonds" is a mid-tempo pop, electronic and R&B ballad that features heavy synthesizers, orchestral sounds and electronic rhythms. The song's lyrics serve as a departure from the themes of unhealthy relationships that were on Rihanna's previous singles contrasted to the song's portrayal of lovers as "diamonds in the sky".
"Stay" is a song recorded by Barbadian singer Rihanna for her seventh studio album, Unapologetic (2012). It features guest vocals by Mikky Ekko and was released as the second single from the album on December 13, 2012. "Stay" was co-written by Ekko and Justin Parker. The song's lyrics speak of temptation and the inability to resist true love. Music critics were generally positive in their opinion regarding the balladry and most described it as a standout track on the album.
Good Girl Gone Bad: Reloaded is the reissue of Barbadian singer Rihanna's third studio album Good Girl Gone Bad (2007). It was first released digitally in selected countries on June 2, 2008, by Def Jam Recordings and SRP Records. Launched to mark the first anniversary of the original album, Good Girl Gone Bad: Reloaded features three newly recorded songs and a DVD showing exclusive behind-the-scenes footage of Rihanna's worldwide tour, the Good Girl Gone Bad Tour (2007–2009). For the new material, she worked with past collaborators Ne-Yo, Stargate, and C. "Tricky" Stewart, as well as Brian Kennedy, Mark Endert, Mike Elizondo, Mark "Spike" Stent and Maroon 5.
"FourFiveSeconds" is a song recorded by Barbadian singer Rihanna, American rapper Kanye West, and English musician Paul McCartney. It was written and produced by McCartney, West, Mike Dean, Dave Longstreth and Noah Goldstein with additional writing from Kirby Lauryen, Ty Dolla Sign, Dallas Austin, Elon Rutberg and Rihanna. Previewed by West at the iHeartMedia Music Summit on January 21, 2015, it was digitally released on January 24. "FourFiveSeconds" is a folk-pop and soul song with an instrumentation consisting of an acoustic guitar, organ and bass guitar.
"Love on the Brain" is a song by Barbadian singer Rihanna. It was released as on 27 September 2016 by Westbury Road and Roc Nation as the fourth single from her eighth studio album, Anti (2016). Written by Joseph Angel and producer Fred Ball, "Love on the Brain" is a 1950s-and-1960s-inspired doo-wop and soul ballad. The production incorporates an orchestra consisting of guitar arpeggio, organ, and syncopated strings. The lyrics are about the highs and lows of a toxic love.
"Work" is a song by Barbadian singer Rihanna featuring Canadian rapper Drake, from Rihanna's eighth studio album Anti (2016). It was released on January 27, 2016, by Westbury Road and Roc Nation as the lead single from the album. The song was written by Rihanna, Drake, Jahron Brathwaite, Monte Moir, Rupert Thomas, Allen Ritter, and Matthew "Boi-1da" Samuels, the latter of which produced the track while Kuk Harrell and Noah "40" Shebib were additional producers. Incorporating elements of dancehall, reggae, pop, and R&B, "Work" contains an interpolation of Alexander O'Neal's "If You Were Here Tonight" (1985). Written in the English-based creole languages of Jamaica and Barbados, its lyrics are about fragile relationships and yearning for intimacy.
"Consideration" is a song recorded by Barbadian singer Rihanna from her eighth studio album Anti (2016). It was co-written by featured artist SZA, with Rihanna and the song's producer, Tyran Donaldson. "Consideration" is a dub-inspired pop and hip hop song, with a "stuttering, distorted beat", "pounding percussion", "a crunchy groove", and a "throbbing bass line" in its instrumentation. Lyrically, the song is a declaration of independence, and a desire to seek peace of mind.
"Desperado" is a song recorded by Barbadian singer Rihanna for her eighth studio album, Anti (2016). It was written and produced by Mick Schultz with additional writing by Krystin "Rook Monroe" Watkins, Rihanna, Iman Jordan, James Fauntleroy and Derrus Rachel. During the recording process of Anti, Rihanna rented a house in Malibu over several months and started extensively writing and composing music with her team consisting of various musicians. One of the songwriters in the house was Krystin "Rook Monroe" Watkins. He together with American producer Mick Schultz worked on the song. Their efforts resulted in the mid-tempo indie rock song featuring deep synths and vocal samples.
"Needed Me" is a song by Barbadian singer Rihanna from her eighth studio album, Anti (2016). It was written by Rihanna, Brittany Hazard, Charles Hinshaw, Derrus Rachel, the producer DJ Mustard, and the co-producers Twice as Nice and Frank Dukes. Roc Nation and Westbury Road sent "Needed Me" to US urban contemporary radio on March 30, 2016, together with "Kiss It Better". Afterwards, Def Jam sent "Needed Me" to contemporary hit radio. "Needed Me" is a "mellow" dubstep-influenced electro-R&B song, that contains a downtempo and loose production with synthetic sounds and hard heavy trap beats. The song's lyrics discuss romantic rejection.
"Pose" is a song recorded by Barbadian singer Rihanna for her eighth studio album, Anti (2016); it is one of three bonus tracks included on the deluxe edition. She wrote the song in collaboration with Bibi Bourelly, Hit-Boy and Travis Scott, and it was produced by the latter two. Kuk Harrell was also enlisted as Rihanna's vocal producer. On April 14, 2017, Rihanna released a four-track EP which included remixes of "Pose" by the Far East Movement, Salva, Deadly Zoo and Eva Shaw.
"Sex with Me" is a song recorded by Barbadian singer Rihanna for her eighth studio album, Anti (2016); it is one of three bonus tracks included on the deluxe edition. She wrote the song in collaboration with PartyNextDoor, Chester Hansen, Boi-1da, Frank Dukes and Vinylz, and it was produced by the latter three. Kuk Harrell was also enlisted as Rihanna's vocal producer. On February 3, 2017, Rihanna released a five-track EP which included remixes of "Sex with Me" by MK, Salva, John Blake, Addal and DEVAULT.
"Kiss It Better" is a song by Barbadian singer Rihanna from her eighth studio album, Anti (2016). It was written and produced by Jeff Bhasker and Glass John, with additional writing by Teddy Sinclair and Rihanna. The song was serviced to radio stations in the United States on March 30, 2016, together with "Needed Me". "Kiss It Better" is a synth-rock and R&B ballad, which features influences from the 1980s and 1990s-music ballads. The song's lyrics focus on a destructive relationship that the singer finds irresistible. It also deals with themes of mending broken fences and getting back together with a lover.
"Work" is a straightforward, fairly minimal reggae-pop track
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