Maps of Music

Anti (2016)

Where the lyrics of Anti take you, and where it was really made.

Critics were divided on the production, yet the album was later certified six-times platinum in the United States.

Key places

Most songs recorded at Westlake (2016)

Recording site Westlake Recording Studios — Most of the album's songs were recorded at Westlake Recording Studios in Los Angeles. The point is shown at the level of the studio's listed location, so it is approximate. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Opening track sessions at Jungle City (2016)

Recording site Jungle City Studios — Two songs were recorded at Jungle City Studios in New York City, and these sessions produced the opening track Consideration and Kiss It Better. The point is shown at the level of the studio's listed location. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Toronto studio in the session list (2016)

Recording site Phase One Audio Group — SOTA Studios in Toronto is listed among the studios used for the album's recording sessions. This point shows the city centre only, not the studio building. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

The only song recorded outside the US (2016)

Recording site Mega Studio — Same Ol' Mistakes was the only song recorded outside the United States, at Twin Studios in Paris. The point is shown at the level of the studio's listed location. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Album story

Overview

• Eighth studio album by Barbadian singer Rihanna
• Released 28 January 2016 by Roc Nation and Westbury Road
• Recording started in 2013 after Rihanna left Def Jam Recordings
• Rihanna served as executive producer
• Guest vocals from SZA and Drake
• Mainly a pop, dancehall, psychedelic soul and R&B album with hip hop, soul, industrial, doo-wop, country and trap influences
• Lyrics cover love, relationships, betrayal and liberation

Background

• Follows Unapologetic, released by Def Jam in November 2012
• Rihanna signed with Roc Nation in March 2014 after leaving Def Jam and gaining the rights to her album masters
• Promotion began in summer 2014 with the hashtag #R8
• Samsung signed a $25 million deal in November 2015
• The Anti World Tour ran from March to November 2016

Recording

• Sessions took place at studios in Canada, the United States and France
• Most songs were recorded at Westlake Recording Studios in Los Angeles
• Jungle City Studios in New York City produced the opening track Consideration and Kiss It Better
• The only song recorded outside the United States was Same Ol' Mistakes, at Twin Studios in Paris
• Kanye West was set to executive-produce by January 2015 but stepped down in January 2016

Cover

• Artwork designed by Israeli artist Roy Nachum
• Front cover shows a younger Rihanna holding a black balloon, with a gold crown covering her eyes
• A Braille poem by poet Chloe Mitchell appears over the artwork
• Official title and cover revealed on 7 October 2015 at the MAMA Gallery in Los Angeles

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Tracklist

Sources: musicbrainz.org

Artist

Career beginnings

• Robyn Rihanna Fenty, born February 20, 1988 in Saint Michael, Barbados
• Signed with Def Jam Recordings in 2005 after an audition for Jay-Z and Antonio "L.A." Reid
• Debut album Music of the Sun (2005) and A Girl Like Me (2006) both reached the US Billboard 200 top ten
• "SOS" became her first US Billboard Hot 100 number-one single

Peak pop era

• Good Girl Gone Bad (2007) marked a shift to dance-pop and R&B and is her best-selling album, with about nine million copies sold
• "Umbrella", "Take a Bow" and "Disturbia" each topped the Billboard Hot 100
• Rated R (2009), Loud (2010), Talk That Talk (2011) and Unapologetic (2012) followed
• Unapologetic was her first US Billboard 200 number-one album

Later career

• Moved from Def Jam to Roc Nation; Anti (2016) became her second US number-one album
• Headlined the Super Bowl LVII halftime show in February 2023, the most-watched halftime show in history
• Has released sporadic singles since 2016 and acted in films including Battleship (2012), Ocean's 8 (2018) and Smurfs (2025)
• Sales estimated above 250 million records

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Reception

At release

• Critics praised the album's emotional honesty but were divided on the production
• Praise centered on Rihanna's newfound musical freedom
• Metacritic average 73 out of 100 from 31 reviews, a generally favorable rating
• Robert Christgau at Vice praised the catchy production
• Alexis Petridis at The Guardian and Jon Caramanica at The New York Times called it a frustrating record without a clear artistic vision
• Some critics faulted the lack of radio-friendly songs and the unfocused tracklist

Reappraisal

• Some critics saw the album as a sign of Rihanna's artistic maturity and one of her best albums
• Included on 2010s decade-end lists from Billboard, NME and Pitchfork
• Ranked 230th on Rolling Stone's 2020 500 Greatest Albums of All Time
• Ranked 55th on Apple Music 100 Best Albums

Records

• Debuted at number 27 on the Billboard 200 in February 2016
• Peaked atop the Billboard 200 for two non-consecutive weeks, including the week ending 2 April 2016
• Topped the album charts in Canada and Norway
• Certified six times platinum by the RIAA, equal to six million album-equivalent units
• Certified double platinum by the BPI in 2025
• Six Grammy nominations in 2017, including Best Urban Contemporary Album

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Trivia

• Before the title was announced, the album was thought to have been titled R8
• Samsung made one million copies available as a free download, open to listeners with or without a Tidal subscription
• The album track Higher inspired the song Liability by New Zealand singer Lorde
• Goodnight Gotham, then called A Night, appeared in a May 2015 advertising campaign for Dior

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Maps of Ages ↗ (mapsofages.com)

Privacy · Contact