The Barbadian pop star has become the first ever artist to top 100 million digital sales (including downloads and streams) in America.
Rihanna has been confirmed as the highest selling digital singles artist of all time in the US, and as the first artist to pass the 100 million mark in terms of downloaded and streamed singles.
The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) made the announcement on Wednesday (July 1st) that the 27 year old singer – who has been recording for a decade after her first single ‘Pon De Replay’ was released in June 2005 and has enjoyed ten US Number 1 singles since then – had become the only artist ever to pass the landmark.
Rihanna, the best-selling singles artist in America ever, in May 2015
Cary Sherman, the chairman of the RIAA, said that Rihanna “has not only surpassed RIAA's one-hundred million mark, but also is the first artist to do so. It's an historic feat and a testament to an extraordinary career.” The Barbadian-born pop star is closely trailed in the published list by Taylor Swift (with 88 million sales) and Katy Perry (79 million sales).
More: Rihanna’s ‘B***h Better Have My Money’ video trailer
She passed the landmark with the help of her brand new single ‘B***h Better Have My Money’, the first release from her upcoming eighth album, which is due to be released later this year. The graphically violent video for the single was unveiled to the world a matter of hours after its release, to divided opinion.
The seven minute video’s plot involves Rihanna kidnapping a rich woman and torturing her as part of a plan to get her money back. As with a lot RiRi’s recent stuff, it also features a lot of scenes explicitly designed to shock.
The video was co-directed by Megaforce and Rihanna herself, and also features ‘Hannibal’ star Mads Mikkelsen. Shortly before its launch yesterday, she took to Instagram to say: “Ya girl got director skillz!!! The concept for this piece came to me 8 months ago!!! So you can imagine how anxious I am right now!!!”
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