Rihanna’s new album, “Anti,” was leaked last night, pulled back, then released again. For free. Or not for free, since it involves a link back to Jay Z’s Tidal streaming service. Once there, you’re asked to sign up for a Tidal subscription.
It’s not worth it. “Anti” is not that great, so this convoluted marketing plan was invented to attract interest. The first single, “Work,” is awful but it’s gone to number 1 on iTunes. I don’t know why anyone’s still paying for it since it’s now “free” on Tidal.
Rihanna has some kind of investment in Tidal, so there’s a pay off for her somewhere in here. The “Anti” release is also supposed to be free for Samsung mobile users. (I’ve exhausted my interest in trying to get the thing onto my phone.)
Going this route excludes “Anti” from going up against Adele and Justin Bieber on the album charts. It’s on purpose. “Anti” is just not thought out properly, and not very exciting. As I wrote yesterday, I don’t know why Rihanna can’t find a good production team. And some guidance. Meanwhile, Jay Z will be the beneficiary of whatever happens here. Score.
