Rihanna is celebrating a decade of ANTI, and the internet is applauding the boundary-breaking body of work that had us bowing then and still saluting now.
On Jan. 28, the Bajan superstar marked the 10th anniversary of her genre-bending eighth studio album with a nostalgic Instagram reel that had the Navy reliving the era as if it were 2016 all over again.
According to the Grio, Rihanna leaned into the popular “2016” social media trend and captioned her post, “my 2016 post wins. happy ANTIversary.” It instantly sent fans into a frenzy over the project’s lasting impact.
The under two-minute video montage featured behind-the-scenes studio footage, visuals from the ANTI era, and a highlight reel of accolades that reminded everyone just how monumental the album has become.
One standout moment showed Rihanna in the studio, bathed in purple light, speaking candidly to her collaborators before the album’s release. She reflected on how people from different backgrounds came together to create something the world had not yet experienced, while thanking her team for sticking with her through what she admitted was a challenging creative process.
Released on Jan. 28, 2016, ANTI debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 and delivered hits like “Kiss It Better,” “Work,” “Needed Me,” and “Love on the Brain.” The album pushed against expectations, blending pop, R&B, dancehall, and soul in a way that redefined Rihanna’s artistry. As noted in her anniversary post and confirmed by Billboard, ANTI is now the longest charting album by a Black female artist in history, with more than 508 weeks on the Billboard 200 and counting.
The celebration came with even more wins. The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) revealed new certifications for nine ANTI tracks, including an eighth Diamond certification for Rihanna thanks to “Love on the Brain.”
According to Billboard, this further cemented her status as the female artist with the most Diamond singles in RIAA history. “Needed Me” reached 12 times Platinum, while “Work” earned 11 times Platinum, alongside new plaques for fan favorites like “Kiss It Better” and “Sex with Me.”
Just today (Jan. 29), Rihanna posted a clip from her iconic “Sex With Me” video. She simply captioned the post as, “It’s good.”
Check out the post below:
While fans continue to wait for her long-teased R9 album, often referred to as R9, Rihanna’s ANTI anniversary is a reminder that her last full-length project still sets the bar. Ten years later, the album is a living work of art.
