Rihanna joined in on the “2016” Instagram trend on Wednesday (Jan. 28) in a mic drop moment that commemorated the 10th anniversary of her acclaimed eighth studio album, “ANTI.”
The Bajan star captioned her reel, “my 2016 post wins,” marking the decade milestone of her greatest body of work before continuing, “happy ANTIversary 🙏🏿🎈⏳.”
The singer’s under-2-minute video montage featured a series of photos and snippets from era videos, along with several lists of notable achievements, including awards and RIAA certifications for the project. One of the standout moments from the clip came via a behind-the-scenes video of Rihanna in a recording studio, bathed in purple light as she spoke to her collaborators and inner circle before the project’s release:
“We all come from different parts of the world, different families, different backgrounds, different lives, different paths, and we somehow ended up here, and because of that, we were all able to make this thing called ‘ANTI,’ that the world is yet to receive and hear.”
“Thank you,” Rihanna continued. “Thank y’all for being here through the great, the smooth, the fucked up, the weird, you know like unknown. Y’all have been here, and I thank each and every one of y’all for not running away from me, ‘cuz this one was hard.”
“ANTI” was released on January 28, 2016, and has since become both a commercial and cultural milestone in Rihanna’s career. The album, known for hitting No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and spawning hits such as “Work,” “Needed Me,” and “Love on the Brain,” defied genre expectations and showcased Rihanna’s evolving artistry. As noted in Rihanna’s reel, “ANTI” is the longest charting album by a Black female artist in music history, spending more than 508 weeks (and counting) on the Billboard 200.
Currently certified sextuple Platinum, according to the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), multiple songs from the album earned updated Platinum and Diamond certifications, with “Love on the Brain” now Diamond-certified and “Needed Me” reaching 12x Platinum status.
The anniversary comes amid ongoing interest and anticipation for Rihanna’s next full studio album, often referred to by fans as ‘R9.’ Although the pop star has not announced a release date, she has spoken in past interviews about seeking an authentic artistic path before unveiling new music.
As “ANTI” turns 10, the album remains one of the most influential projects of its time.
Source: theGrio
