Anniversary (Bryson Tiller album)

Anniversary (stylized as A N N I V E R S A R Y)^[2] is the third studio album by American singer Bryson Tiller. It was released by RCA Records on October 2, 2020, the fifth anniversary of Tiller's debut studio album, Trapsoul. The album includes a sole guest appearance from Drake in the standard edition and a guest appearance from Big Sean in the deluxe edition, released on February 26, 2021.^[3][4]

Anniversary
Studio album by Bryson Tiller
Released	October 2, 2020 (2020-10-02)
Recorded	2015, 2020
Genre	R&B^[1]
Length	30:50
Label	RCA
Producer	40 Evan Clayton Bijan Amir CameOne Chris LaRocca Dpat Gravez III J-Louis Lee Major Nami Nes Nineteen85 Rhys Sean Momberger StreetRunner Syk Sense Tarik Azzouz Teddy Walton Vinylz
Bryson Tiller chronology
True to Self (2017) Anniversary (2020) A Different Christmas (2021)
Singles from Anniversary
"Inhale" Released: September 3, 2020 "Always Forever" Released: September 23, 2020 "Outta Time" Released: October 20, 2020

The album debuted at number five on the US Billboard 200 chart, earning 57,000 album-equivalent units in its first week.^[5]

Background and conception

Tiller first teased a new album in the video for the album's lead single "Inhale", released on September 3, 2020. The visual ends with the message: "New album this fall".^[6] On September 25, a "deluxe" edition of Trapsoul was released, in preparation for Anniversary, featuring two songs that were previously released on SoundCloud during the Trapsoul era, as well as The Weeknd's remix of Trapsoul cut "Rambo" (titled "Rambo: Last Blood").^[7] He officially announced the album and its title on September 28, posting a short trailer on Twitter.^[8] Two days before the album's release, he held a special Zoom listening session with fans, during which he played the entire project for the first time.^[9] It was also revealed that the album would include a feature from Canadian rapper Drake.^[10] During the session, Tiller said the album was created after "digging through the Trapsoul archives" during a 2020 trip to Los Angeles. He proceeded to work on ideas that he started five years before when making Trapsoul. Tiller called Anniversary the "first wave", stating that he has a lot of new music coming, hinting at his previously-announced album, Serenity.^[9] That album was put on hold as he felt that his life at the time did not reflect the album's theme.^[11] Tiller described Anniversary as having a "different" energy than True to Self, an album he said he did not want to make due to legal and personal matters.^[12] Anniversary is dedicated to his late grandmother.^[13]

Cover art

The album artwork was noted for resembling the Trapsoul cover; it shows Tiller facing left in front of a blue-lit space.^[11]

Critical reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	^[14]
Exclaim!	7/10^[15]
The Young Folks	7/10^[16]

Anniversary received generally positive reviews from music critics. Writing for AllMusic, Andy Kellman noted that the album "does not appear to be designed as a work of distinct identity," however, Tiller "has spoken of his inclination to be a shadowy figure." Kellman stated that the album consists of "mostly downcast verses and boastful non-sequiturs over torpid booming rhythms."^[14] Exclaim!'s Veracia Ankrah stated that "Tiller has returned to the '90s R&B sound that cultivated his dedicated fan base, with rap-esque crooning over heavy bass beats." She continued to note that his "voice is a recognizable return to his essence, sharing his honest but shallow versions of vulnerability," and that it "does not shy away from Tiller's notable flips of cassette tapes and voicemail recordings from an array of displeased women."^[15]

Ryan Feyre for The Young Folks stated that the production was a key part of the album, writing that "the drums, while adhering to a commercial bend, can sometimes feel like they’re shifting the tectonic plates in the Earth" and that "considering the album’s bulky universality, the backdrop is admirably fitting." He writes that "the second half of the album illustrates a noticeable difference in warmth and dimensionality." Feyre wrote that despite lacking innovation, Tiller "seems more inclined to appreciate the little things" and that he makes up for the weak points with his "personal storytelling." Concluding his review, he stated that "Rather than fight time’s grass, Tiller nurtures it as if it were his child. Embraces it like a new lover."^[16]

Commercial performance

Anniversary debuted at number five on the US Billboard 200 chart, earning 57,000 album-equivalent units, (including 4,000 copies as pure album sales) in its first week.^[5] This became Tiller's third US top-ten on the chart.^[5] The album accumulated a total of 68.6 million in on-demand streams of the album’s songs that week.^[5] The album also debuted at number four on the US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums and number one on the US Top R&B Albums charts respectively.^[17][18]

Track listing

Anniversary track listing^[2]

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Producer(s)	Length
1.	"Years Go By"	Bryson Tiller Nicholas Warwar Tarik Azzouz Ruby Wood Dominic Howard Tommy Evans Tarek Modi Christopher Hargreaves Daniel Templeman Simon Beddoe	StreetRunner Azzouz	2:59
2.	"Always Forever"	Tiller Joshua Huizar Travis Walton Michael Cerda	J-Louis Teddy Walton CameOne	2:50
3.	"I'm Ready for You"	Tiller Philip Coleman Jr. Bijan Amirkhani Dylan Teixeira Devon Roberts Jacob Wilkinson-Smith Chris LaRocca	NES Bijan Amir Nami Rhys My Best Friend Jacob LaRocca	2:54
4.	"Things Change"	Tiller Kai Wright Sean Seaton Christopher Terrell DeVon Lee Devin Tracy Romayne Erin Terrance Griffith	III	3:34
5.	"Timeless Interlude"	Tiller Michael McKinney Lee Elliott Joshua Scruggs Sean Momberger	Lee Major Syk Sense Momberger	2:59
6.	"Sorrows"	Tiller Christopher Justice Peter Allen David Foster Tom Keane	Gravez	3:13
7.	"Inhale"	Tiller David Patino Kenneth Edmonds	Dpat	2:51
8.	"Outta Time" (featuring Drake)	Tiller Aubrey Graham Tyler Bryant Josh Valle Noah Shebib Paul Jeffries Anderson Hernandez Snoh Nowrozi Marcus James	40 Nineteen85 Vinylz	3:18
9.	"Keep Doing What You're Doing"	Tiller Huizar Darhyl Camper Jr.	J-Louis	2:58
10.	"Next to You"	Tiller Walton Hugo Gruzman James Lyell Julian Hamilton	Walton	3:10
Total length:				30:50

Deluxe edition

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Producer(s)	Length
11.	"Still Yours" (featuring Big Sean)	Tiller Sean Anderson Troy Williams Marcello Valenzano Andre Lyon Rayshon Cobbs Jr. Horace Brown Donald DeGrate Jr.	Cool & Dre 808-Ray	3:06
12.	"Timeless Interlude Pt. II"	Tiller Wright Patino Keirston Lewis	Dpat Sango	1:58
13.	"Losing Focus"	Tiller Aaron Booe Walton Huizar	J-Louis	3:24
14.	"7:00"	Tiller Scruggs Johnnie Winters Usher Raymond IV Brian Casey Jermaine Dupri Manuel Seal	Syk Sense Johnnie Winters	3:08
15.	"Like Clockwork"	Tiller Philipp Rodrian Jeremias Volk Carlos Martin Coleman Luca Starz	Rowan NES Luca	2:56
Total length:				45:19

Charts

Weekly charts Chart performance for Anniversary Chart (2020) Peak position Australian Albums (ARIA)^[19] 11 Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)^[20] 41 Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)^[21] 86 Canadian Albums (Billboard)^[22] 6 Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)^[23] 23 French Albums (SNEP)^[24] 86 Irish Albums (OCC)^[25] 38 New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)^[26] 17 Norwegian Albums (VG-lista)^[27] 34 Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)^[28] 59 UK Albums (OCC)^[29] 12 US Billboard 200^[30] 5 US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)^[31] 4

Year-end charts Year-end chart performance for Anniversary Chart (2020) Position US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)^[32] 96

Certifications

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI)^[33]	Silver	60,000^‡
^‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References

1. "Bryson Tiller Releases 'Anniversary' Deluxe Edition". 26 February 2021.
2. "A N N I V E R S A R Y by Bryson Tiller on Apple Music". Retrieved October 1, 2020 – via Apple Music.
3. "Bryson Tiller Delivers 'ANNIVERSARY (Deluxe)'". HYPEBEAST. 2021-02-26. Retrieved 2021-03-02.
4. "Bryson Tiller Releases 'Anniversary' Deluxe Edition". Rated R&B. 2021-02-26. Retrieved 2021-03-02.
5. Keith Caulfield (October 11, 2020). "21 Savage & Metro Boomin's 'Savage Mode II' Debuts at No. 1 on Billboard 200 Chart". Billboard. Retrieved October 21, 2020.
6. Haylock, Zoe (September 3, 2020). "Bryson Tiller Reemerges With 'Inhale,' Announces New Album". Vulture. Retrieved October 1, 2020.
7. "Bryson Tiller to Release 'Trapsoul' Deluxe". Rap-Up. September 23, 2020. Retrieved October 1, 2020.
8. Ivey, Justin (September 28, 2020). "Bryson Tiller Announces 'Anniversary' Album Release Date". HipHopDX. Retrieved October 1, 2020.
9. "Bryson Tiller Reveals 'Anniversary' Tracklist". Rap-Up. October 1, 2020. Retrieved October 1, 2020.
10. Marie, Erika (October 1, 2020). "Bryson Tiller Previews "Anniversary" Album, Drake Featured On "Outta Time"". HotNewHipHop. Retrieved October 1, 2020.
11. Okon, Wongo (September 30, 2020). "Fans React After Bryson Tiller Played His Entire 'Anniversary' Album In A Zoom Meeting". Uproxx. Retrieved October 1, 2020.
12. Carl, Lamarre (September 23, 2020). "Bryson Tiller Knows His Last Album Wasn't Good Enough. Now, He's Ready To Return With His A-Game". Billboard. Retrieved October 1, 2020.
13. Santana, Driune (October 1, 2020). "Bryson Tiller Hosts A Virtual Album Release Party For "Anniversary"". Hip Hop Weekly. Retrieved October 1, 2020.
14. "A N N I V E R S A R Y Review by Andy Kellman". AllMusic.
15. Ankrah, Veracia (October 5, 2020). "Bryson Tiller Celebrates the 'Anniversary' of His Breakthrough by Refining His R&B Sound". Exclaim!. Retrieved October 20, 2023.
16. Ryan Feyre (November 14, 2020). "Album Review: "Anniversary" is Bryson Tiller's best project to date". The Young Folks. Retrieved October 20, 2023.
17. "TRBHH - 2020-10-17". Billboard. Retrieved October 21, 2020.
18. "TRA - 2020-10-17". Billboard. Retrieved October 21, 2020.
19. "ARIA Top 50 Albums Chart". Australian Recording Industry Association. October 12, 2020. Retrieved October 10, 2020.
20. "Ultratop.be – Bryson Tiller – Anniversary" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved October 9, 2020.
21. "Ultratop.be – Bryson Tiller – Anniversary" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved October 9, 2020.
22. "Bryson Tiller Chart History (Canadian Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved October 13, 2020.
23. "Dutchcharts.nl – Bryson Tiller – Anniversary" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved October 9, 2020.
24. "Top Albums (Week 41, 2020)". Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique. Retrieved October 12, 2020.
25. "Official Irish Albums Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved October 9, 2020.
26. "NZ Top 40 Albums Chart". Recorded Music NZ. October 12, 2020. Retrieved October 10, 2020.
27. "VG-lista – Topp 40 Album uke 41, 2020". VG-lista. Retrieved October 9, 2020.
28. "Swisscharts.com – Bryson Tiller – Anniversary". Hung Medien. Retrieved October 14, 2020.
29. "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved October 9, 2020.
30. "Bryson Tiller Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved October 13, 2020.
31. "Bryson Tiller Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved October 13, 2020.
32. "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 2020". Billboard. Retrieved December 9, 2020.
33. "British album certifications – Bryson Tiller – A N N I V E R S A R Y". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved March 15, 2024.