I just remembered that ' little by little' comment that she made I hope she's not planning on dropping a single every couple months until she drops the album
There's a reason to press “play," though: Rihanna, who puts on a clinic demonstrating the way in which pop performers can possess their own kind of genius. Listen to the ragged squeak in her voice in the first verse, and how she maintains control as she alternates between contemplative trills and gospel shouts during the bridge. Try to hear with fresh ears—ones that haven't been subjected to "Only Girl (In the World)" hundreds of times in the past five years—how distinctive her timbre and phrasing is. Note how the not-sorry-for-partying lyrics become a little more interesting in the context of Rihanna's career: She's singing about the same themes as on 2013's blearily fabulous Unapologetic, but instead of detailing a material trip she's making the spiritual case for hedonism.
Whatever the track's merits, they do of course largely come from the songwriters. But the song would be a lot more forgettable without its lead vocalist. Though initial reports said that "FourFiveSeconds" would end up on West's forthcoming album, it's now available for download on Rihanna's site, and that seems fair. It really is her song.
