LOS ANGELES -- Rihanna commanded her legion of fans late Wednesday night to download video-messaging app Dubsmash in order to hear her new single.
Head to Dubsmash for my new single #BBHMM!! http://t.co/epMtBf34Rh— Rihanna (@rihanna) March 26, 2015
Dubsmash is the latest service -- behind Facebook, Twitter, Shazam, Snapchat and other apps -- to help artists tease or debut songs and music videos, as musicians and labels continue to experiment with new ways to distribute music in the digital age.
Once downloaded, Dubsmash offered only two short audio snippets of "BBHMM" (short for "Bitch Better Have My Money"). Listen to the intro and outro, below.
UPDATE, March 26, 9:45 a.m. PT: The full song is now available on iTunes.
Bitch Better Have My Money!! New song from my upcoming album out now —> http://t.co/EnCRm3Zy52 #BBHMM— Rihanna (@rihanna) March 26, 2015
LISTEN to an exclusive clip of @rihanna’s “Bitch Better Have My Money!” pic.twitter.com/66hGLsMmUF #BBHMM— BreatheHeavy.com (@breatheheavycom) March 26, 2015
Here's another clip. It's the outro! #BBHMM pic.twitter.com/yJfR0bvLVQ— BreatheHeavy.com (@breatheheavycom) March 26, 2015
Rihanna, who hasn't released an album since 2012's Unapologetic, left some fans confused because they expected to hear the full song (they'll have to wait a few more hours).
“@JohnTheFame: Wtf is Rih trying to release a single on Dubsmash anyways..... I'm just so lost.”$$$— Kee. (@MrMouthAlmighty) March 26, 2015
I downloaded the app and its only the snippets. WTF IM SPOSED TO DO WITH THAT? pic.twitter.com/Yse4EN7Xwh— trap queen bri. (@bigshitxtalker) March 26, 2015
When ur listening to the #BBHMM snippets one after the other trying to create a song... — Jessica C. Andrews (@dressupwithjess) March 26, 2015
really........? only a few seconds of #BBHMM and on Dubsmash of all places............,, — Jose (@imJmi) March 26, 2015
"BBHMM" is Rihanna's follow-up to "FourFiveSeconds," the first single off of her upcoming eighth studio album.
Despite any confusion, most fans are pumped to listen to the "BBHMM" single once it arrives in full sometime on Thursday. Some of them even applauded Rihanna's tactic to use Dubsmash as a marketing tool since fans now have the ability to take the audio snippets and easily add any visual they'd like, which will create an extra wave of buzz.
Rihanna doing this deal with dubsmash is fucking sick!! It's so innovative!— Kee. (@MrMouthAlmighty) March 26, 2015
Rihanna is so smart for releasing a snippet of her new single on Dubsmash! People are getting creative everyday! I love it. #BBHMM— T.O's Moonchild (@ChrisChelle_) March 26, 2015
LEANDRA LMFAOOOOOOO. pic.twitter.com/5APloJpX91— Rihanna Media (@fuckinfenty) March 26, 2015