One of the unfortunate dimensions of fame is the stark dissonance that can arise between the public perception of an artist’s identity and the artist’s private reality. The former belongs to stifling rumors and public perception of celebrity and stardom, the latter to inward feelings about what it means to be another human being who simply happens to be famous. The inconsistency between these public and private spheres can stage a front for battle — a battle that singer-songwriter Rihanna seems tired of fighting.
Since signing with Def Jam Recordings at 16, Rihanna has been a household name. Her rise to fame was fast, intense and orchestrated: she released seven albums in eight years, and 13 number one singles followed suit, including debut single “Pon de Replay,” “SOS,” “Umbrella,” “Take a Bow” and "Rude Boy.” Her discography is characterized by its risqué, freewheeling, pop-star feel — the type of music most grandparents today would dismiss as trash before thinking twice about her true talent and diligence as an artist.
In her newest album, ANTI, Rihanna desperately tries to resist the images that have long defined her. ANTI is anti-radio hit, anti-stadium sellouts and anti-celebrity. It’s as if Rihanna took a long, hard look in the mirror and noticed that she was standing in opposition to herself. The album cover features a preschool Rihanna with a heavy crown over her eyes. The message is clear: fame is weighty and blinding in a way that the young Rihanna would come to understand all too quickly.
In the opening and standout track, “Consideration,” Rihanna alludes to the dark side of her fame: “When I look outside my window/I can’t get no peace of mind.” The beat isn’t unlike what fans are used to hearing from Rihanna, but the lyrics are. "Darling, would you mind giving my reflection a break/From the pain it's feeling now?” Herein lies the album’s premise. As the album continues, the moodiness of the lyrics only grows, augmented by her raw, mature voice. Weighty themes of loneliness, sex and sacrificial relationships run throughout the album, but Rihanna manages to approach them with tenderness.
Rihanna’s relationships have been in the limelight for years; most notably, she is known for being a survivor of domestic abuse from her relationship with Chris Brown. In “Kiss It Better,” a personal favorite of mine, Rihanna is constantly hitting refresh, trying to reload a past relationship. The track is backed by a guitar that is reminiscent of the eighties, the musical elements matching the nostalgia within the lyrics.
In addition to intimate themes, the album presents a large growth in songwriting for Rihanna. For a majority of her career, she has been the delivery voice of pop songwriters, coming in to record whatever was intended to be the next pop hit. On ANTI, she takes a more frontal approach to her own name, holding songwriting credits for most songs on the album.
However, it’s hard to escape the trenches of commercialism when one is considered pop royalty, and although Rihanna attempts to depart from her image, there are parts of the album that seem contrived for radio success. In “WORK,” arguably the album’s most listened to track at the time this article was written,Rihanna collaborates with Drake. The two have been quite the subject of public attention this year: their chemistry is undeniable, but their collaboration seems contradictory to the overall theme of the album.
ANTI is daring in that there are no tracks that would stand alone as flashy pop radio hits in the same way her past albums do. It attempts to be seamless, and each song strives to contribute to a unified, authentic whole. But, when considered cohesively, the album falls short of lofty expectations. Its lack of predictability teeters on the messy side. Still, Rihanna makes herself vulnerable, and subsequently, the listeners are made to feel closer to her — a huge step forward for an artist built on radio success.
Rate: 3.5/5
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