As we're sure you must all know by now, Rihanna is reportedly set to release a new single, entitled Only Girl, on Tuesday 31st August, followed by a new album 2nd November. This will be less than a year after the release of the moderately successful Rated R, which despite heavy promotion and a big budget tour, is rumoured to be failing to recoup its losses.
In this 'articglet' - a term we've coined for the mini articles we shall do every now and then - we intend to explain just why we fear this new era is going to backfire horrendously and take the career of L.A Reid down the toilet with it.
First off, Rated R, while admittedly being one of the best albums of last year (both lyrically and production-wise), has received a very lukewarm reception from the general public. With sales of a little over 2.37 million worldwide and only one major hit single, Def Jam were practically forced into sending Rihanna on tour - one that anyone can see must have a considerable budget. However, despite having been successful overseas in Europe, many of the US dates have notoriously failed to sell out, with some tickets being touted for just $10.
Now, we are in no way blaming Rihanna herself. This entire era has admittedly been horribly mismanaged; with Reid releasing wrong single after wrong single and marketing the Bajan beauty remarkably ineffectively. If we had been at the helm, our single choices would have been the following:
- Rude Boy & Cold Case Love
- Hard & Photographs
- Rockstar 101 & Te Amo
Instead we had L.A Reid releasing Russian Roulette as the first single - a song which was pretty decent at best. At the most, it could have replaced Te Amo in the above, but it was most definitely not strong enough to start off a new era.
Then came the horrid mismanagement of Rockstar 101 which could have been this summer's anthem. The big chorus, strumming guitars, Rih's strong vocals could have been blaring out of every car's speakers this June/July. Instead, the video was delayed from going to TV for weeks after its internet debut, then there was little to no airplay, and virtually no performances. Fair enough, Rihanna was on tour. But she was on tour in the States... where the song was released.... yeah. You get the point.
And, now, this news that Rihanna has a new single from a whole new era out on Tuesday. Our immediate thoughts were; 'already?' and 'we could have sworn she just had a new single out'. To be completely honest, with the exception of the understandable excitement of Rihanna's fans and stans, there is little to no hype around this single's release. In fact, we wouldn't be surprised if those that operate outside of the internet community aren't aware of it at all.
And to release a new Rihanna album in November? Less than a year after her last and while she's still on tour for her last record? Really? Isn't it enough that, similarly to last year, this November is set to see some big releases from the likes of Kanye West, Taylor Swift, Susan Boyle, Mariah Carey and Nicki Minaj; all artists that have considerably more hype surrounding their upcoming projects than Rihanna? It's going to be a bloodbath. Reid, do you really want to debut Rihanna's new album then when she has no hope of getting that essential #1 album - something that, for all her hits, she has never managed to attain?
We understand that, after those November releases, you can't afford to wait until December for fear of being locked out of the top ten completely. But the last week of October is still free (with the exception of Ciara, but God only knows when her record's coming out). Rihanna would have practically been given the #1 spot.
Conclusively, we're not feeling too great about Rihanna's upcoming era. This will just be yet another example of the poor decision-making taking place in the hallowed boardrooms of Def Jam headquarters.
What do you think? Should Def Jam have waited to release some new Rihanna music? And will her upcoming era suffer like Rated R's did due to poor management?
www.twitter.com/tha_phoenix
LOL at this article. I just showed it to all the employees her at Def Jam/SRP and we all just got a great laugh.
ReplyDeleteThere are so many inaccuracies in this article.
To start with: Rihanna's tickets were not $10. There was $10-ticket special for her concert in Mansfield for lawn seats only. The rest of the tour dates were sold at regular full price.
Secondly, Rihanna wasn't "forced" to go on tour to recuperate the "losses" you speak of. All the money Rihanna makes from tour goes towards the production, the dancers, and so forth. Not towards the label. To HER.
Thirdly, there is no loss from "Rated R". The album has scanned approximately 2.7 million units as of last month. Which is an approximate profit of over $28 million from album sales alone. Added with the digital sales of Hard, RR, Rude Boy, and the monster radio success of Rude Boy take into account another $12 million in profit.
That ALONE is $40-$45m just from album/digital sales.
Lastly, Rihanna and Def Jam are not worried about getting a #1 album. The focus is the album sales. Rated R held up on its on against Gaga, Adam, Susan Boyle, Andrea, and many others.
The only major release in her way is Taylor Swift. Nicki Minaj will DEFINITELY NOT pull those numbers in, Susan Boyle wont be out until late December as well as Mariah.
Of course there isn't any BUZZ, the album/single have only been known amongst twitter. The promotion hasn't started.
The tour will be REVAMPED with the new songs, which was planned LONG LONG AGO.
My god, its so funny how people like you claim to know so much when you know so little.
GOOD DAY AND IM POSITIVE YOU WILL ENJOY THE NEW SINGLE
I feel you on much of what you wrote. It's too soon and she is also riding Em's song so it's possible that radio and folks will be tired of her and want to hear someone else.
ReplyDeleteI mean a week doesn't go by without seeing a pic snapped of her- it's overload. I dont thinkher US tour made much due to what u said although in Europe she did well.
I don't see Mariah as competition for her nor Ciara but definitely the others.
She needs to take a break. She deserves it but for some reason the people stateside haven't really been feeling her the way her promo and airplay would lead you to believe.
Actually he is right. Some dates did sell for $10. I went to a concert in West Florida for $10 and they were upgrading from lawn area to seats under the pavilion for an additional $5. They were also selling the Jonas Bros upcoming date for $10
ReplyDeleteBoth tours have been said to have spotty sales.
I don't appreciate the Ciara shade lol .........& that yodeling skank better not get in Ciara's way
ReplyDeletefirst person who commented "LOL" i think it was:
ReplyDeletewhat is so funny is the fact that you would make up a such a sad little story about being from DefJam and showing this article to all other employees there when cleaarly you are just a rihrih stan so back off.. if you were from defjam you wouldnt have the time to go round on blog sites defending rihanna, you would be busy with other stuff, so dont even try to bullshit me or anyone else thankyou love its not really gonna work. i wasnt born yeasterday thanks. loool weirdo :D
anyway moving on from such foolishness i think this article is true.
rihanna should give us a break then i would actually miss her because i do like rihanna :) and her music and i think i would appreciate her A LOT more if she were gone for a while you know..
i dunno about you guys but i'm just sayin.. lol