you guys forget that before rihanna turned "edgy" she was a family friendly artist. GGGB sold so well because it appealed to young children, tweens, teens, young adults, and people even older. despite that album having some more ~controversial themes
it was mostly hidden with innuendo or innocent lyrics. if they're trying to re-create that image with HOME then i could see why they picked her. people love rihanna songs, but aren't always fond of her image. hence her album vs. single sales lolz. if the image is controlled (and i'm sure it will be via her contract) then i think it could be successful. her music isn't annoying bubblegum pop nor is it pretentious or too outside the norm. she hovers in the middle and i think that's appealing to a marketing department
beyond that, she is very popular + black + interesting. a movie with jim parsons, steve martin, and *insert some bland white girl* would probably be fine but they would miss out on a lot of demographics. rihanna helps them reach more people. imo it's not about starpower, it's about creating an interesting lineup.
Would stupid parents ever buy their child a Rihanna album? 
