After a four-year album hiatus, Rihanna’s raw talent and versatile sound exudes on her latest album ANTI, which went platinum in less than 48 hours.
The 27-year-old songstress entices her navy by letting them into her world with new songs and anthems — some sexy, some sombre, and others cocky seemingly made just for the turn up.
Known to be unapologetic, Rihanna uses this project to express a more artistic side of herself compared to her seven previous albums. ANTI showcases the many facets of the pop singer and how she maintains her stardom.
With 13 songs and three bonus tracks on the record, each one is more enticing than the last, which offers something different for each of her diverse fans around the world to enjoy, from dancehall rhythms to alternative R&B.
Songs like the instant smash, “Work” featuring Drake, and the social media favourite “Needed Me” have thrust the songstress back into the spotlight. Oozing with creativity, the entire album remains fluid from beginning to end.
Stretching her vocals on “Higher”, Rihanna is rough and gritty when hitting high and pitchy notes in the ballad.
“Needed Me” is a sexy, yet brutally honest, track, which a number of bloggers and Twitter users have already dubbed the “female savage anthem” for single women, given its lyrics like, “Didn’t they tell you that I was a savage, f*ck your white horse and a carriage.”
Putting her own spin on what it means to be single in a recent interview with talk show host, Ellen, Rihanna said she doesn’t even have time for so much as a text message, much less a relationship.
Songs like “Kiss It Better”, “Sex with Me” and “Yeah I Said It” show Rihanna’s sexier side, with lyrics like, “I want you to homicide it going slow, but I want you to dive in.” Others like “Love on the Brain”, “Close to You”, “Higher” and a cover of rock band Tame Impala’s “New Person, Same Ol’ Mistakes” show Rihanna’s vocal growth.
Stretching her vocals on “Higher”, Rihanna is rough and gritty when hitting high and pitchy notes in the ballad, which is the opposite of her relaxed and serene vibe on the Tame Impala rendition.
ANTI’s collection of songs act as a dialogue to show that while being Rihanna isn’t easy, she’s got it together.
“Love On The Brain” is a raw, yet soulful, ballad with an Etta James feel and striking lyrics like “It beats me black and blue, but it f*cks me so good.”
The ballad hints at the singer’s past relationship with R&B artist, Chris Brown, which the singer described to Oprah as a dark and tainted love. The relatable ballad, speaks to people, especially women, who may feel conflicted about their relationship.
ANTI’s collection of songs act as a dialogue to show that while being Rihanna isn’t easy, she’s got it together. Her lyrics speak to the down-to-earth, chill yet “I don’t give a f*ck” vibe she possesses. The artist is translating that outside of her “Badgalriri” persona, Robyn is a complex woman. She’s a mixture of her island roots, her vulnerable, sexy and confident personality and her sometimes tough exterior.
Rihanna proves her abilities as a multi-dimensional artist this time around. By playing with sound, vocal range and boundary-pushing lyrics, she’s showing that she’s not afraid to step out of the box and do an “anti” R&B album, just like her title suggests.
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