Rihanna’s ‘Anti’ Arriving In January? New Release Date Rumors Emerge After False Christmas Claims


Rihanna may be keeping mum regarding news of her highly anticipated eighth studio album, Anti, but it appears the latest round of rumors surrounding Anti‘s mysterious promotional campaign is pointing towards an early January release date for the project.

Just days after failed rumors suggested that Rihanna would drop Anti on either Christmas Day or Christmas Eve, fans have already begun taking to social media to speculate over an early January release for Rihanna’s Anti album.

Rihanna reportedly to release "Anti" in January 2016.
[Photo by Christopher Polk/Getty Images for WESTBURY ROAD ENTERTAINMENT LLC]
The speculation stems from Rihanna’s promotional campaign with Samsung for her “ANTIdiaRy” experience, which unveils a new portion of Rihanna’s mysterious Anti-themed website in the form of a cryptic video each week.

On Rihanna’s website dedicated to the new album, fans are prompted to access her “ANTIdiaRy” experience via their mobile device in order to unlock clues regarding Anti‘s release.

As of today, Rihanna has released six out of a total of eight “rooms” from her “ANTIdiaRy” website that appear to reflect her musical transformation from each of her previous seven albums. With the remaining two rooms are rumored to be unveiled over the next two weeks, fans are heavily speculating that Rihanna may drop Anti on either the first or second weekend in January.

Similarly, some fans are also suggesting that Rihanna may drop her eighth studio album on January 1 in order to make Anti one of the first new album releases of 2016.

One fan took to Twitter to write, “Guys January 1, 2016 is a Friday what if Rihanna releases ANTi on the first of 2016 it would be perfect omg #ANTIdiaRy,” while another adds, “‘Anti’ by Rihanna will be out January 1st. MARK MY WORDS.”

While Rihanna has yet to confirm the January release rumors, speculation regarding a release date for Rihanna’s new album previously suggested that Anti would drop on Thanksgiving Day, Black Friday, Christmas Eve, or Christmas Day.

On Thursday, rumors of a Christmas Eve release for Anti went into overdrive after a tweet posted by a verified account of The Today Show in Australia hinted at a not-so-subtle holiday release for Rih’s new project.

“@Rihanna has an extra special Christmas present for her fans, releasing her 8th studio album ‘Anti’ tomorrow. #Today9,” the tweet read before being promptly deleted.

Despite the rumors, no new Rihanna album appeared in retail locations, iTunes, or Jay Z’s TIDAL streaming service much to the dismay of hopeful fans.

Sia also seemingly shut down hopes of a 2015 release for Rihanna’s Anti after she revealed to BBC Radio 2‘s Jo Whiley that Rihanna had recently approached her about penning some new songs for the album, NME reports.

“The other night [Rihanna] came over and listened to half of 25 songs I played her because she’s still looking for songs for her new album,” Sia explained.

Sia, who wrote Rihanna’s 2012 chart-topping hit “Diamonds,” also explained that while Rihanna “took four [songs]” from their business meeting together, she wasn’t entirely sure if the songs would appear on Anti or not.

“She was there to listen to songs and see if there was anything she was into,” Sia revealed, “It was a business meeting for sure. She took four [songs] but I don’t know if they’ll end up [on the album].”

Rihanna's "Anti" album sparks rumors of an early January release.
[Photo by Christopher Polk/Getty Images for CBS Radio Inc.]
While it’s still unclear whether or not Rihanna will release Anti in the coming weeks, Rihanna is set to embark on the U.S. portion of her “Anti World Tour” on February 26th, providing hope for eager fans who fear there won’t be enough time to learn the album’s new music prior to seeing Rihanna perform next year.

The North American portion of Rihanna’s “Anti World Tour” begins in late February and lasts three months before the songstress will jet to Europe to embark on a two-month trek.

What do you think of the new release date rumors for Rihanna’s Anti album?

[Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images]

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