You all make valid points. Yes, Richie is an addict and always will be. But he does seem to have a better handle on it than he did in 2014, if that is indeed what caused the erratic performances back then. Yes, he has publicly stated that he drinks socially. Is it a good idea for him to do that? Probably not, imo; but that's his call, not mine. Does that necessarily prove that he didn't mean what he said during Aftermath promos? I don't think so. A lot has happened since then, and people often fall back onto old coping mechanisms; but it doesn't mean that he wasn't being genuine when he said it.

I don't know why it is that every time something positive is posted on this thread, the discussion has to immediately turn negative: poor ticket sales, the delay in releasing music, comments Richie made 10 or 15 years ago about plans to release solo work, or when all else fails, the ever-convenient "Richie's addiction".

I guess that's not quite true. I know why, but I still don't get it.

People have whined for 4 years about when new music is going to be released. But now that it's happening, all people care about discussing is Richie's drinking? Seriously?