Yahoo News Rihanna’s ‘Anti’: Track-by-Track Album Review
(photo: Digital Trends)
Rihanna’s bad-gal image has not changed much over the years. She’s still pushing the boundaries with her bold fashion statements – from couture to risqué outfits – and the mysteries surrounding her dating life spark social media-trending topics. But the direction of her surprise album, Anti, released without notice Wednesday night, probably isn’t what her fans were expecting.
The album’s debut single, “Work,” that reteams her with Drake, is more interesting because of the notable collaboration, but is by far the album’s weakest entry.
While Rihanna has found tremendous success by being brash and always reinventing her dance sound, Anti appears to tap into a more vulnerable, introspective side of the artist, evidenced in the lyrical content as well as vocal and music production.
Rihanna appears to have put the mission to score hit records on the back burner to instead reveal the true emotional side at her core.
Below, see our track-by-track review.
“Consideration” feat. SZA – It was a brilliant idea to pair Rihanna and SZA for Anti’s opening track. The two take turns contorting their vocals, syllable by syllable, fluctuating their pitches from low to high in a way a musician would play her instrument. This makes it all the more cooler when matched with the song’s minimalistic track; driven by a skipping, pacing hip hop break beat and simple Rhodes scales. The juxtaposition of sounds is reminiscent of Janet Jackson’s “Got ‘Til It’s Gone.” Lyrically, the ladies are on a quest for peace, singing, “Would you mind giving my reflection a break?”
“James Joint” – Only Rihanna could open a jazzy/soulful interlude that could fit on Michael Jackson’s Off the Wall with the lyric, “I’d rather be smoking weed whenever we breed, every time you kiss me.” This sensual track about pure carnal urges captures Rihanna in the midst of one of her most vulnerable vocal performances – very soft, unpretentious, yet moody.
“Kiss It Better” – Rihanna is known for being unabashed about everything. So it’s a pleasant surprise to hear her take a more discreet approach on “Kiss It Better.” The rock guitars make up for her laid-back disposition on this churning ballad.
“Work” feat. Drake – The experimental approach to this album falls flat here. In this instance Rihanna’s repetitive, choppy singing is excessive and jarring. Though Drake brings balance when he enters around the song’s midway point, it feels more scattered than not. It’s unclear why this was picked as the album’s lead single.
“Desperado” – Anyone who’s ever been sick and tired and ready to move on will feel empathy for Rihanna when she sings, “There ain’t nothing here for me anymore / I don’t wanna be alone.” The title “Desperado” appears to have multiple meanings. There’s a subtle American West undercurrent to the song, including references like “saddle up.” Plus, Rihanna is obviously desperate to skip town.
“Woo” – This song is about the struggle to get over an old relationship. Rihanna sounds haunted by the memories and upset that her heart is held captive: “I don’t mean to really care about you no more,” she sings with a slurred effect on her voice. The script is fodder for a drunk-dial and the music is the perfect score – erratic, distorted, and a blaring buzzing sound that rings like an alarm throughout.
“Needed Me” – Ouch. Rihanna needs an ex-lover to know that the fling was purely physical. She is very clear: “You was just another n**** on the hit list,” “F*** the white horse and a carriage” and “Had some fun on the run” are just a few of the lyrical daggers she pierces through the heart of a confused former flame. Her tone is more matter-of-fact than angry as the music is layered with warped backing vocals and a surprising mellow track featuring co-production DJ Mustard, hip hop’s premier party track maker.
“Yeah, I Said It” – The lyrics live up the title. As the album reaches its midpoint, Rihanna peaks at her most confident level, explicitly telling a lover exactly what she wants. She sings, “I want you to homicide it,” and adds, “Take it home on your camera phone.” The music, helmed in part by Timbaland, is the album’s sexiest yet. This ballad is sure to make naughty Valentine’s Day playlists.
“Same Ol’ Mistakes” – “Same Ol’ Mistakes” is the only album credit featuring a singular songwriter and producer, Tame Impala’s Kevin Parker. It’s a cover of the group’s “New Person Same Old Mistakes.” The album’s longest song at six minutes and 37 seconds, “Same Ol’ Mistakes” is more about the feeling and vibe than anything else. Casual listeners will give up trying to decipher the mostly inaudible lyrics and will instead be consumed by the airy sound – Auto-Tune-heavy, dreamy vocals; hypnotic moody bass; and soft snares and finger snaps.
“Never Ending” – While Rihanna is good at making bold statements about lust, on “Never Ending,” listeners get more insight into her sensitive side. “Never Ending” is Anti’s “Stay.” The stripped-down, acoustic-guitar folk ballad spells out the trepidation of falling in love. She uses an out-of-body experience metaphor to explain it: “I can’t find my body now / I separate from here … Doesn’t have to feel so strange to be in love again.”
“Love on the Brain” – “Love on the Brain” best explains why Rihanna is one of the biggest pop stars of the last decade. She’s refused to place herself in a box and is always willing to reinvent her sound. Honestly, she’s the last pop star anyone would expect to record a throwback soul ballad one would expect from Leon Bridges or Joss Stone, but Rihanna goes there. It’s one of Anti’s most dramatic vocal performances.
“Higher” – It takes until the album’s second-to-last song for Rihanna to flatly and directly say what’s driving the undercurrent of the album: she’s drunk in love. She sings, “This whisky got me feeling pretty / So pardon me if I’m impolite / I just really need your a** with me.” The fact that she even apologizes illustrates the place she’s in today, especially since she titled her last album Unapologetic. For dramatic effect, she employs another throwback sound, this one enhanced with violins.
“Close to You” – It’s telling that Rihanna wraps the album with the emotional, introspective ballad “Close to You.” The song is devoid of many of the signature elements of her biggest records. She’s not brazen, angry, or the center of attention. On “Close to You” she reveals that she longs to be with her soul mate and is not afraid to put her heart on the line. When she sings, “I’m coming right now to be close to you,” it’s clear that sharing the same space with her love is what matters most; the location not as much.
