Rihanna releases long-awaited album

'Anti,' R&B superstar Rihanna's first album since 2012, was announced late last year but the timing of the release was a surprise and came hours after she put out the first singleR&B superstar Rihanna on Jan. 28 released her long-awaited eighth album "Anti," offering exclusive early access through commercial tie-ups.

"Anti," Rihanna's first album since 2012, had been announced late last year but the timing of the release was a surprise and came hours after she put out the first single.

Tidal, the streaming service led by rap mogul Jay Z in which Rihanna is a partner, premiered "Anti" and said it would not appear elsewhere for the first week.

Rihanna signed a deal reported to be worth $25 million with South Korean electronics giant Samsung, which set up an "Anti" interactive website accessible on its smartphones.

Tidal said that Samsung users who used the website would be able to download "Anti" and receive a two-month free trial of the streaming service.

The release marks the latest effort by upstart streaming companies to challenge the dominance of streaming leader Spotify through exclusive releases.

Prince put out his two most recent albums on Tidal while pop superstar Taylor Swift released a tour video only on Apple Music.

Streaming services, which offer on-demand access online, have grown rapidly in recent years and become a key part of the music industry's commercial strategies.

Rihanna earlier Jan. 28 put out a first single from "Anti" that features chart-topping rapper Drake.

Entitled "Work," the song is set to tropical house, the light-feeling electronic genre that has become increasingly popular in the past year.

The song returns to Rihanna's familiar...