Rihanna - ANTI
Rihanna - ANTI
There’s a certain recent strain of seriousness that seems to be infecting all of our monolithically popular recording artists. Beyoncé contracted it, Taylor Swift, Justin Bieber... hell, even Carly Rae Jepsen caught the bug.
Rihanna has been toying with seriousness for three albums or so. But ANTI is her first album that is fully committed to the idea. And it mostly works. The first half of the record in particular is some of the best stuff Rihanna has put out.
Mostly very minimally produced, and relying heavily on Rihanna’s subtly brilliant vocals - it’s amazing how much she’s matured as a vocalist since her debut - the sound of these songs is a perfect meeting of professionally manufactured pop star and carefully curated elements of contemporary alternative R&B.
The second half gets a bit bogged down in ballads. But overall I quite like it. No guilt in this pleasure.
Stream below.
Highlights: Consideration • Work • Love On The Brain
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