Simply put, knocks it out of the park with “Anti.”
The songstress is known for her edgy perspective, heart-wrenching honest moments about love and blunt demeanor over brilliant production. So no wonder it took so long for “Anti” to come out, the was sculpting and refining her dimensions into pop music royalty. Collaborating with writers like SZA and James Fauntleroy and producers like Boi-1da and rumored beau Travis $cott, Rihanna found her sweet spot on “Anti,” and a masterpiece was born.
There’s no cheesy anthems like “Shut Up and Drive” or filler songs like “California King” that have driven Rihanna up the charts with the bubble gum pop music constituency. On “Anti,” tracks like “Kiss it Better” and “Closer to You” allow Rihanna to not only stretch her voice but her persona, too. She’s vulnerable, open and willing to share her dark side.
She’s got all of the sass, moxy and slight bitchiness that make her the anti-girl-next-door we fell in love with on but there’s something thatap more cohesive and believable this time around. “Desperado” is so honest itap cringe inducing while “Woo” with Travis $cott might be one her best vocal offerings we’ve heard.
When you’ve reached such mega pop stardom like Rihanna has you can take some risks which we see on “Higher” where her voice cracks with whiskey-induced hysteria. “Anti” is perfect because of these imperfections and the bravery a singer has in showing her darkest moments. You’ll dance, you’ll cry and we suspect, find yourself in this album just as Rihanna intended.
