Rihanna Finally Drops 'Anti' And It's Not The Album Everyone Was Expecting

Rihanna has finally released her eighth studio album, Anti, just hours after releasing new single, Drake-collaboration ‘Work’. Anti’s release came as a surprise to fans, with the album initially being accidentally leaked on Jay Z's Tidal, before being officially added to the service for free.

Tweeting after the album’s release Rihanna said, “You guys legit made me the happiest girl in the world!! I'm so grateful that you appreciate the #ANTI album! It's the most rewarding feeling.” Fans can only get the album via Tidal, but it’s absolutely free even if you're not already a member.

Reactions to the album has so far been mixed, as it sees the singer taking a departure from her usual style. Anti opens with track ‘Consideration’, which features SZA and contains the lyric “I got to do things my own way darling.”

More: Rihanna Unveils New Single 'Work' From Eagerly 'Anti'-Cipated Album

Her ‘own way’ seems to be exactly how Rihanna is doing things this time around, as the 27-year-old shares songwriting credits on every track. Anti also sees her borrowing from a range of influences including hip-hop, pop and dancehall.

The Telegraph described the album as “Rihanna without hits”, adding, “This, for better or worse, is clearly the music Rihanna likes: leftfield, stoned and strange.”

While The Guardian compared it to Beyoncé’s 2013 self-titled album, writing: “It feels like a very deliberate attempt at making a critic-pleasing, award-gobbling classic, perhaps at the expense of what makes Rihanna so good.”

More: Those Leonardo Dicaprio And Rihanna Dating Rumours Are Back

Anti is Rihanna’s eight studio album and her first release since 2012’s Unapologetic. Many fans were expecting it to drop in November, the month when Rihanna traditionally releases records, but it was only this week that the singer confirmed Anti was officially on its way.

The album features 13 tracks, with guest appearances from artists including Drake, SZA, The-Dream, Travis Scott and Timbaland. It does not however include recent releases ‘BHMM’, ‘FourFiveSeconds’ (featuring Paul McCartney and Kanye West) and ‘American Oxygen.’