RIHANNA SCORES FIRST U.S. #1 ALBUM OF HER CAREER WITH UNAPOLOGETIC; TOPS CHARTS IN U.K. FOR 4TH U.K. #1

  (Nov. 28, 2012 – New York, NY) Worldwide superstar Rihanna continues to make pop music history as UNAPOLOGETIC, her 7^th studio album in seven years for Island Def Jam, debuts at #1 on the Billboard 200 Albums chart on first week sales of 238,000 copies, the first #1 Soundscan album of her career.  UNAPOLOGETIC (released worldwide on November 19^th) explodes on the success of “Diamonds,” the fastest-rising single of Rihanna’s career, which moves into its second consecutive week at #1 on the Hot 100 – her record-breaking 12^th Hot 100 #1 hit.

            “We are so proud and happy to deliver Rihanna her first #1 album in the U.S.,” said Steve Bartels, President and COO of the Island Def Jam Music Group. “The team here really pulled together and gave this project their all. Along with our partners at Roc Nation, the IDJ family has always fought to solidify Rihanna’s place atop the pop landscape. Taking an unusually short runway and turning it to an advantage – like the unprecedented 777 Tour - is a testament to the teamwork, ingenuity, ethic, and belief in the legacy of this artist that showed in every single hand that touched this project.”

            The rise of the chart-dominating #1 global hit “Diamonds” and last week’s arrival of UNAPOLOGETIC happened against the backdrop of Rihanna’s unprecedented “777 Tour,” in which she took a group of die-hard fans and a traveling international media corps of over 150 journalists representing 82 countries, aboard a chartered Boeing 777 twinjet to 7 concerts in 7 days in 7 countries, marching toward the UNAPOLOGETIC release day.  Embarking on November 14^th, the “777 Tour” touched down in Mexico City, Toronto, Stockholm, Paris, Berlin, London, and New York City. Unsurprisingly, this week Rihanna also notches her fourth #1 album in the U.K.

            With the #1 success of “Diamonds,” Rihanna overtook Whitney Houston (with 11 #1’s) – all the more incredible as Rihanna is only 24 years old!  Rihanna is now tied at 12 #1’s with Madonna and the Supremes, only behind the Beatles (20 #1’s), Mariah Carey (18 #1’s), and Michael Jackson (13 #1’s).  In addition to her 12 Hot 100 #1 singles and 23 Hot 100 Top 10 singles, Rihanna also has 18 #1 singles on the Billboard Dance Club Song Charts.

            Rihanna’s 12 #1 Hot 100 hits comprise: “S.O.S.” (her first #1, from her second album, A Girl Like Me, 2006); the Grammy Award®-winning “Umbrella” (featuring Jay-Z), “Take A Bow,” and “Disturbia” (all three from Good Girl Gone Bad, 2007); “Live Your Life” with T.I. (2008); “Rude Boy” (from Rated R, 2009); “Love the Way You Lie” with Eminem (2010); “Only Girl (In the World),” “What’s My Name” (featuring Drake), and “S&M” (all three from Loud, 2010); “We Found Love” (featuring Calvin Harris, from Talk that Talk, 2011); and now “Diamonds.”  

            Rihanna also has six Grammy Awards®, three MTV Video Music Awards, six American Music Awards, 18 Billboard Music Awards, and the hard-earned title of Facebook's most-liked public figure with 62 million likes to her name.  She was also named the world’s #1 social media star by Forbes, with over 2.9 billion views on YouTube/VEVO, the most ever for any female artist, and over 26 million Twitter followers.