Rihanna has done it again. With her release of ‘Anti’ on Jan. 29, the Barbados singer reached record-breaking heights. With over one million downloads in 15 hours and over 13 million streams in the same time frame, she now holds the record for shortest time to become platinum certified. Granted, some people might say this is because she gave out a free download link for her album last friday after it was leaked two days before, but I’d beg to differ. “Anti” is not your usual Rihanna album.
The spontaneous release of the album, along with her flippant attitude on social media, shows just how much Rihanna doesn’t care what anyone thinks. She’s a woman who does what she wants, and this album fully embodies that.
In the past, Rihanna’s albums have been plagued with number one hits that appealed to the mainstream audience, with songs like “Pon de Replay” and “We found love”, but she’s made changes with this album.
If listened in it’s entirety, no single song other than perhaps ‘Work’ ft. Drake seems like an obvious number one hit and that wasn’t on accident. Throughout this album, she sings about freedom and love that’s unparalleled in comparison to earlier albums.
As an example of this, Rihanna starts off her album with “Consideration” ft. SZA.  It’s not flashy, and carries a slow-tempo undertone of stuttering steps that allows for SZA to come in and support Rihanna’s already impressive vocals.
“I’ve got to do things my own way darling” she sings constantly throughout the song, setting up a mood that feels almost too intimate. She then follows up with the songs like ‘Love on the Brain’ and ‘Desperado’, combining sounds that you wouldn’t usually hear on the same album. From a southwestern sound to a retro vibe, she’s able to make the songs flow in a way that you wouldn’t expect.
The songs off this album are personal and show a vulnerable side of Rihanna you don’t usually see in the media, which is refreshing and shows how well-rounded of an artist she is.
“Anti”, if nothing else, shows off Rihanna’s vocals in a way we haven’t heard in awhile. “Higher” a personal favorite, features raw vocals and a screaming-like singing style that is an acquired taste. In the song she yearns for a late-night companion and pours her everything into what would seem like the last song of the album. That spot was instead taken by “Sex With Me”, which ends the album with an upbeat tone that reminds you that your typical Rihanna is still there.
Rihanna’s latest is the type of album you have to really listen to get into. Its diverse sound, along with its heart-wrenching vocals, shine in a way that won’t fit in with your average pop singles. But even so, give it a shot, because ‘Anti’ is definitely worth the listen.
[review] Have you heard the new Rihanna album? Leave your comments below