‘Talk That Talk’ Sales Disappoint, As Expected

November 30th, 2011 - By Brande Victorian

Last week, HITS Daily Double projected that Rihanna’s sixth studio album, “Talk That Talk,” would sell between 180,000 and 200,000 copies in its first week; sales records show that prediction was dead on.

Coming in at the #3 spot this week, “Talk That Talk” sold 197,000 copies. The ranking certainly doesn’t make the album a flop, but many continue to question why Rihanna can’t pull in a #1 record, particularly with the success of her singles, most recently, “We Found Love.” The reported trouble Rihanna has had selling concert tickets also doesn’t bid well for her staying power in the industry, despite the media frenzy that continues to swarm around the young star. It seems Rihanna’s controversies carry more weight than her craft.

Did you pick up a copy of “Talk That Talk?” Why do you think the singer hasn’t been able to secure a no. 1 record during her six-year career?

Brande Victorian is a blogger and culture writer in New York City. Follower her on Twitter at @be_vic.

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  • Jazmurr

    Umm….Like RiRi the music is good!!! Rihannas music is good the reason why the sells are not great is because lots of people don’t go to the store to buy albums anymore. Most people wait to hear it on the radio or illegally down load it. I get that ppl say she is not talented but maybe she wants to aim at a certain crowd!!! Well if her music isn’t going to work out

  • Kai

    I really think it serves no purpose to compare Rhi-Rhi and Beyonce, they are just so different and thus appeal to different audiences. Sure they both seem to fit into the Pop music category, but their actual fans vary so much. I have to say I do like that Rihanna has managed to keep people slightly on their toes and changes it up a bit with the last 3 albums. Rated R was dark and a little weird, even though some of the songs were actually very beautiful and highly underrated.  LOUD was very vibrant and feminine and most recently Talk that Talk seems to be kind of irreverent and punky. I think she’s a cool chick.

  • Yame

    it’s simple the cant sing…

  • Zenanirae

    she hasnt allowed people time to miss her. She came out with two albums in less than a year. If she wasnt on the sence so often we might actually begin to miss her and therefore feel more inclined to listen to her album when it does come out. Also, she needs to make better music. point blank. we know she’s not the best singer so she needs to do more songs that fit her voice range.

    • Love_Sexy

      I agree with your comment 100%.

  • NYC Gal

    I think the problem with RiRi is she is putting out an album a year.  That alone is too much.  This new album is pretty much the same as the Loud album.  She should have just made a reloaded album of Loud and put out a new album next year to coinside with her upcoming movie.

  • 00087

    I tell you why: FOLKS IS BROKE!!

  • Korey

    I am no music expert but does it really matter that Rihanna hasn’t had a number one record? Awkwardly enough the woman has staying power. She’s stayed relevant this long when others that were out at the time (Lumidee, Nina Skyy, et.) have since fallen off. The truth is Turn It Up got her in, Umbrella made her relevant and the album Loud has kept her relevant. She has a solid fan base and she does well in downloads and radio play. It is true that her controversies do weigh her down but they keep her in the magazines and on rotation. And it is true, Rianna has been pushing sex for a long time… Just like Beyonce’s been pushing her man praise since Dangerous in love. 

  • nayana

    Rihanna  is a singles artist not an album artist. That is why she can release hit after hit and not have a number one album. You can listen to Talk that Talk and hear which songs are going to be singles and which ones are just filler and that’s disappointing. What she needs to do is go away for a year or two and actually write some decent music, instead of forcing a new sex filled album on us every year. Back in the day your favourite artist only released an album every two to three years and had 2 singles out a year max. Truly a case of quality over quantity. And put some damn clothes on.

  • Ooh La La

    I think this whole argument about album sales is all for nothing. These artists don’t really sweat the charts like that anymore. Everyone knows that the big money comes for the tours. Even if Rihanna is initially having trouble selling tickets, people are eventually gonna be there. This is know because I have friends who didn’t buy the album (people do still download y’all), but are talking about going to see the concert.

  • Cherry

    Rihanna is just lucky! She’s a posterchild for how an untalented persona can make it in an industry that is obsessed with selling sex and not actual talent.  Shout out to her magicians (sorry management) for selling the fallacy that she can actually sing. I for one see no comparison between her and Beyonce, Bey is actually talented.  She can mature into one of the older singers that we can  respect and admire (like the Patti’s, Aretha’s and Glady’s just to mention a few)  What will RiRi do when here sexuality expires?  Beyonce’s songs can and will live on, can’t wait to see RiRi’s rendition of ‘Rude Boy’ when she’s 50!

    • Ms_Sunshine9898

      that is kind of a good point about rude boy . . .

    • Guest

       Lol at singing “Rude Boy” at 50!  You deserve two thumbs up for that.

  • Love_Sexy

    Her music does not hold my interest at all……….And yes I agree with the article that she has more drama focused on her than her craft…..She is a mediocre entertainer and not someone I see as being an iconic legend in the future………JMO

  • Not_Hating

    I can only listen to Rihanna at a party or club…and when i do, its downloaded from the net. She has improved a lot but her songs aren’t what i’d call classics. She seems to release a song every month and u just keep brushing them aside. Maybe we need a break from her to really miss her, it might just help her sales…IJS

  • HONEY LOVE

    I have the album….”She may be the quuen of hearts, but imma be queen of ya body parts” (hehehe) If you are into your sexuality and not easily offended by certain things then you’ll love it. Love songs on there as well that are really nice. This cd and LOUD are great records to have on a girls night!

    • Ash

      Soooo agree…rihanna has been steady and has gotten better. Isnt this her best debut? Its always around the same numbers..but this is whats wrong with the industry. Its always quantity over quality. Its a good album so I believe it shoulda sold more. Bee and riri are 2 diff artists who bring a lot to the table. So quit hating on them both…they both r great. Cheers!

  • Ms_Sunshine9898

    I like rihanna but all of her records are the same thing just different songs. Now i’m not a beyonce stan, but using her for example purposes, every single album she has released gave me something to look forward to because she always revamped her style into something different each album. you can’t keep feeding us the same thing over and over and not expect us to get tired of it after a while. . .

    • TJ

      I would have to respectfully disagree with your statement. I feel (and this is my opinion, and I respect yours) that your assessment of the two are wrong. Beyonce to me is the one that out of the 15 years she’s been out, have been giving us the same thing album after album, dance move after dance move and video after video. Her last album to me may be the best she has ever done because her previous albums were bubble gum pop music to me. On the other hand, I feel as if Rihanna has progressed and gotten better over time. Not everyone cares for her voice but I think it’s different than most. At the end of the day does having a #1 album really matters? Ask Beyonce she had and you can’t find not one of her songs on the charts despite her putting out a million videos a week.

      • Natalie

        Are you serious? Rihanna has been coming out with the same sexually charged songs for the past three years and how is that getting better. I feel like after Good Girl Gone Bad she slowly started to go down hill, because that album is still her best selling to date. But I agree with you that having a number 1 album doesn’t mean anything, but does having 11 #1 number forgettable singles mean anything either? And though Beyonce’s songs are not charting doesn’t mean the songs aren’t are good. It just means everyone is still enjoying listening to that autotuned mess, but believe me when that trend fades away so will she. Everyone is already to starting to pick up that she’s not talented and her songs are sounding the same. That’s the reason her album sales are low this time around.

      • Love_Sexy

        I would have to agree with you about the Beyonce part of your statement….Her music has always appeared to be the same to me as you nicely stated very “bubble gum pop” I think its only been a couple of songs I liked by her and that was it…..I really have not seen any growth with her craft and she has become really stale………..Even though we disagree on RIRI you are right that a number 1 album really does not matter when it comes to putting out a good product and having talent.

      • Ms_Sunshine9898

        Rihanna’s first two albums were pretty decent. but they were the same carribean young and free themed songs. Good girl gone bad was a bit of a change which was great because it showed her evolving. but then rate r was another change about pain and sex, a little edgier. Loud was a just an extension of rated r with her being sexually charged, reckless, pain and edginess. Now this newest album is more of the same pain, recklessness, rock, and over kill of sex. beyonce on the other hand gave us a lot of pop dancy stalkerish music too. however, her first album was like a test of the waters introducing us to just beyonce. the second album was like i’m past being crazy stalker in love to i’m in love and don’t fudge with my man type attitude. the third was still dancy but it was like edgier with the sasha fierce thing going on. this newest one is definitely more mature and evolving and showing growth not only as a singer but as a woman. i think this new album is definitely different beyonce and might jut be one of her best. however both women continue to show me that they are getting better and better with each album, beyonce has just grown a little bit more variety between each album to me. . .

      • Guest

        And yet despite not having a top ten hit, Beyonce STILL sold over 300K in her first week of sales. I cannot stand it whenever people want to talk about Rihanna people insist on bringing Beyonce’s name up but since everyone who has commented so far wants to bring her up (I don’t care what anyone else says, you’re talking about two beautiful black women but different genres and fan bases; Beyonce=R&B and some Pop, Rihanna strictly Pop) then so be it. I love both Rihanna and Beyonce’s music, but for people say that Rihanna has grown and Beyonce has done the same old stuff is a BIT TOO MUCH. When Beyonce came out with Dangerously In Love, the sound was more mid-tempo (aside from upbeat club hit Crazy In Love) with  an old school R&B, Funk influence with songs that centered around love.  B’Day had more up-tempos with songs that centered more on female empowerment. I Am…Sasha Fierce was heavily commercialized though it had some tunes that had a hip hop feel on the Sasha Fierce side, the album was strictly Pop. 4 focus more on R&B completely the opposite of her last effort. Rihanna has really good songs, but all of her albums sound the same except that Loud, Rated R and Talk That Talk are more risque than her first three; and the format is still the same Pop, Pop, Pop…dance, electro pop don’t care what it’s called it’s still pop. And another difference between Beyonce and Rihanna is that, Rihanna puts an album out every year whereas Beyonce releases an album every two to three years. Rihanna just needs to change her game plan as far as her album goes, stop releasing albums every year, experiment with different sounds and producers, change the format/themes of her albums. I know everyone likes her sound now but it’s starting to get played out. Step your game up Ri-Ri, you’ll get that number one and whole lot more one day.