When it comes to fashionable celebrity status, there are not many artists who supersede Rihanna’s level of worldly allure. The 27-year old Barbadian singer has already established a discography of epic proportions, churning out hit after hit over the past decade. From the radio airwaves to dancefloors around the globe, the lure of Rihanna reaches the masses in a rather unique way, with her combination of jaw-dropping, bad-girl sex appeal and down to earth sincerity leading to devoted support amongst her fan-base. Essentially, Rihanna is the type of girl that you want to light up a joint with and converse on everything from her enchanting lifestyle to past/ongoing relationships with some of today’s most renowned rappers/athletes.
The wait between Rihanna’s last body of work Unapologetic and her latest effort ANTI was longer than we’ve become accustomed to, and the roll-out for her eighth album took an interesting route. In 2015, Rihanna released several impactful records such as the emphatic club-ready banger “Bitch Better Have My Money” and Kanye West/Paul McCartney collaboration “Four Five Seconds”, but it turns out the direction of those singles were no reflection of her plans for ANTI. Rather than succumb to expectations of another album safely staying with the confines of her successfully established lane, Rihanna decided to prioritize the authenticity of her artistry before anything else on ANTI, incorporating numerous cross-genre influences that result in collection not fully fleshed out in its overarching goal, but refreshing in its independence.
Staying true to its declaration of freedom, Rihanna opens ANTI with “Consideration” (ft. SZA) which appropriately relays a message of ‘I have to do things my own way darling’ in response to label executives or other industry powers who prioritize Rihanna’s cash flow over her growth as an artist. The fact that the Roc Nation singer has writing credits on every ANTI track (besides the Tame Impala cover “Same Ol Mistakes”) proves her faithfulness to being directly involved in the creative process of the music, an attribute less common on previous albums. Even when leaning toward stadium-friendly pop/R&B ballads such as the heavy synth, guitar-powered “Kiss It Better”, Rihanna consistently drives the steering wheel and takes her own turns in experimenting with different song structures and sonic styles. ANTI’s highly anticipated single “Work” only confirms the ‘sticking to your roots’ approach as Rihanna and frequent collaborator Drake navigate the dancehall-influenced jam with unrestricted emotion and a feel-good, tropical Caribbean vibe being at the forefront of their naturally aligned performances.
As Rihanna thrusts her distinctive vocals over a wide variety of production, ANTI showcases a solidified mastery at tackling the concept of love from several perspectives. From stories of runaway love (“Desperado”) to letting her guard down via admitted vulnerability on “Woo”, the songwriting places great significance on the complications accompanied by sensual desires. And as one may expect, the highlight moments of ANTI shine when Rihanna finds herself at her most confident. This is clearly the case on offerings such as “Needed Me”, a DJ Mustard/Frank Dukes produced record thriving thanks to a strong sense of female autonomy ‘Didn’t they tell you I was a savage, fuck ya white horse and ya carriage’. The content becomes even more explicit on the sultry “Yeah I Said It” (prod. Timbaland), a concise, slowed-down groove reminding the listener just how much power Rihanna wields both in the bedroom and as a prevalent influence in pop culture.
Rihanna’s heartfelt and reflective musings take their twisted turns throughout the entire duration of ANTI. Sporadic as the journey may be when evaluating the intricacies of Rihanna’s experimental decisions, the album never really suffers in its musicality, proving to be more invigorating and mesmerizing in its minimalism rather than erratic. The subdued and intimate aspects of ANTI’s production allows Rihanna to boldly command attention, and she delivers a number of strong vocal performances, with “Higher” being a definitive standout on that front. Rihanna may not hit a homerun in regards to fully executing her ambiguous vision, but ANTI prevails as a collection meant to be appreciated for its spirited conviction and self-assured faith in musicianship. Leaving the hype machine predictability of her past smashes behind and embracing a creative transformation on ANTI ends up being a wise decision for Rihanna. While it may take a dedicated, renewed level of attentiveness to deliver a groundbreaking album of this nature in the future, Rihanna deserves applause for taking a risk—especially so for someone of her stature—and delivering a quality project that stands tall as one of the more complete, rewarding listens of her career.
Repeatable: “Needed Me”, “Yeah I Said It”, “Sex With You”
Skippable: “Never Ending”