Rihanna - ANTI album review
Three long years we waited, and now fans of the international chart-topping pop star can breathe a sigh of “rihlief”- Anti, Rihanna’s eighth studio album, came out this weekend and reinstates the singer as a force to be reckoned with. After two mediocre, generic albums (2011’s Talk That Talk and 2012’s Unapologetic), it was unclear whether or not Rihanna would prove to be a sellout or completely change direction. Thankfully, she chose the latter path, and, fitting to its title, Anti proves to be a collection of songs that is the antithesis of a typical pop album. Ranging from Caribbean to trap to psychedelic rock, the diversity of Anti works as one of its strengths, with each song offering a new side of Rihanna that the world hadn’t seen before. She showcases her voice on “Close to You” and flaunts her playful side on the Amy Winehouse-esque “Love on the Brain.” She sings with Drake on “Work” and dominates on “Needed Me.” The album’s only real misstep is the Travi$ Scott-assisted “Woo,” which sounds far too similar to his music and is frankly too boring and predictable to be on Anti. The most surprising song on the album is the Tame Impala Cover “Same Ol’ Mistakes,” which boasts nearly seven minutes of Rihanna’s silky voice over a mix of guitar, electronica, and who knows what else — a total shock compared to anything else she’s ever done — but it really works. At the end of the day, Anti is easily Rihanna’s best work since Loud and proves to be well worth the wait. To use a lyric to describe the album, it really work, work, work, work, work, works.
Grade: A-
Best Songs: The Amy Winehouse-esque Love on the Brain and the trippy Tame Impala cover Same Ol’ Mistakes
