Rihanna, the 34-year-old Barbadian singer, headlined the 2023 Super Bowl Halftime Show after a six-year hiatus from music. Although the Rihanna Navy, as her fans are commonly known, were hoping that Rihanna would share some new music, she still gave a powerful performance. As we await her ninth studio album, R9, let’s go back in time and Rih-live/ Rih-listen to her last album, Anti, released in 2016.
Anti is an alternative, R&B, pop, dancehall album, more muted and soulful than the upbeat, energetic, radio-friendly dance tunes of her previous albums. The album features a more eclectic style and exploration of genre, setting itself apart not only in terms of its music, but also its title and cover art.
Radio Tunes that RiRi is Known For
Anti has its fair share of music in Rihanna’s recognizable, chart-topping style: R&B-infused pop tracks guaranteed to get airplay on radio and streaming. ‘Consideration’ ft. SZA serves as the perfect opening track to the album. Rihanna’s confident, flowy vocals immediately capture your attention and SZA’s out-of- world R&B vocals add to the continuous flow of the song. ‘Work’ ft. Drake is a mood-booster that serves as the best track to add to your next gym workout while Rihanna’s rebellious, daring, and unapologetic persona comes out through the vocals and aura of ‘Needed Me.’
Rihanna’s New Emotional & Romantic Power
Anti takes a more romantic, sentimental turn on the second track, ‘James Joint,’ which sounds like an airy, romance set to a beat. ‘Kiss it Better,’ a synth-rock track, highlights Rihanna’s strong emotions and how much her vocal skills have evolved. ‘Never Ending’ is a pop-R&B track infused with beats from the acoustic guitar and Rihanna’s soft and pleasant vocals illuminate the song. It deals with the contrasting feelings that come with wanting to fall in love again just after ending a relationship. ‘Love on the Brain’ is perhaps the most dramatic song on the album because Rihanna hits some really awesome high notes, comparably higher than on the other tracks. Rounding out the romance, ‘Higher’ paints a picture of Rihanna trying to get her beau’s attention while ‘Close To You’ includes a soft piano that offers a calming finale to the album.
A New Psychedelic Side To RiRi, One We Never Saw Coming
The fifth track, ‘Desperado,’ marks a psychedelic turn for the album, featuring darker narratives. On ‘Desperado,’ Rihanna sings in a lower register with her vocals slightly distorted by dramatic instrumentals. ‘Woo,’ opens with some highly-tuned vocals by Travis Scottand addresses Rih’s contempt toward her ex because of his new relationship with someone else. ‘Yeah, I Said It,’ serves as the album’s chill mix, a song that you can just sit back and relax to. ‘Same Ol’ Mistakes,’ is instrumental- heavy and features distorted vocals like the other “psychedelic” tracks on the album.
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Anti peaked on the Billboard 200 chart for two non-consecutive weeks in 2016. It earned 3x platinum certification from the RIAA and multiple Grammy nominations, including Best Urban Contemporary Album. As of February 2022, Rihanna’s Anti is also her first album to join the exclusive Billboard 300-week club. Several songs off the album also made their return to the top 10 following Rihanna’s Superbowl Halftime performance.
