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Special Event: atrlcritic | Ed Sheeran's new songs after the upgrade
Member Since: 1/1/2014
Posts: 43,331
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| FourFiveSeconds - Rihanna, Kanye West, & Paul McCartney
Rihanna, Kanye West, & Paul McCartney | Roc Nation | Release Date: January 24, 2015 | Review Period: January 24, 2015 - February 2, 2015
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55 | Member Score
Mixed Reviews
based on 21 Reviews | ddddd. | dddddd
7.7 | Experimental Top Critic Score
Generally Favorable Reviews
based on 4 Top Critics |
| | dddddddddddddd | Summary: The surprise release is widely speculated to be the lead single off of Rihanna's 8th album. | Record Label: Roc Nation
Genre(s): Pop |
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| Member Reviews | | d | .iPositive: ████████████████ 11 | | d | ....iMixed: ████ 3 | | d | Negative: ██████████ 7 |
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| | Top Critic Reviews | | d | .iPositive: ████████████████ 2 | | d | ....iMixed: ████████████████ 2 | | d | Negative: 0 |
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Member Since: 8/19/2013
Posts: 39,572
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We MUST do Vulnicura. 
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Member Since: 2/20/2012
Posts: 24,225
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Rihanna, Kanye West, & Paul McCartney - "FourFiveSeconds"
Rihanna's first single since 2012's Unapologetic features a Kanye guest verse in which he sings and some guitar work from the legendary Paul McCartney. The track features surprisingly simplistic instrumentation for a Rihanna single, with the verses and choruses being backed by only an acoustic guitar and the bridge being backed by an organ. Rihanna's vocals are similarly raw; although she struggles with some notes, the vocal performance is decent overall. On the other hand, Kanye's vocals are so processed on his verse that it seems to negate the intent of the single, which is to show off a lighter, different side to the artists. As a simple ode to the weekend, it's rather mind-blowing that it took such a long list of songwriters to put the track together (Rihanna is not one of them). Despite this, you need to give her some credit for taking a risky (albeit uninteresting) turn with her long-awaited comeback single.
2.5/5
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Member Since: 1/1/2014
Posts: 27,856
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FOURFIVESECONDS
Rihanna finally breaks her silence with comeback record "FourFiveSeconds", a collaboration with critically acclaimed rap icon, Kanye West and Beatles legend, Paul McCartney.
Noticeably, the song is heavily stripped back - particularly in comparison to Rihanna's previous material. Using only a guitar, Rihanna's soulful emotions flow through to the listener with an outstanding vocal performance that comes across as both raw and genuine. Kanye also provides a strong, calm second verse and his vocals blend excellently with Rihanna's in the chorus.
The song is also notable in the sense that it's incredibly difficult to place it into a genre. The song integrates elements from a variety of styles and creates an end product that perfectly suits and in many ways, defines human existence in this current day and age. Rihanna has certainly secured my interest in her upcoming album with this single and I can't wait to see what else she has up her sleeve. If this is anything to go by, we should definitely be expecting something unexpectedly outstanding
10/10 
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ATRL Contributor
Member Since: 4/24/2011
Posts: 8,547
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Quote:
Originally posted by hello_world
We MUST do Vulnicura. |
Three requests!
Honestly, TRF.
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Member Since: 5/18/2012
Posts: 27,141
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I want to review all these three items.  I have wanted to start fro a long time, might as well with them.
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Member Since: 1/1/2014
Posts: 43,331
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Vulnicura will start on January 31 right after Fall Out Boy and FourFiveSeconds end.
Speaking of FourFiveSeconds, I plan to get a review up on Tuesday. It will be long and interesting, I think.
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Member Since: 4/4/2014
Posts: 17,141
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I prefer doing albums, but I'll help out for the singles...
KELLY CLARKSON - HEARTBEAT SONG
4 / 5
It goes without saying that a new Kelly Clarkson song will be highly anticipated by stans such as I. My first thought upon hearing the Greg Kurstin-produced track?; It's a slightly inferior My Life Would Suck Without You (2009). The track features a resemblance to an early-2000's track which I'm not aware of. The verses of the track are interesting and have a nice build-up to the chorus. The chorus is catchy but at the same time, repetitive. Heartbeat Song is certainly no Since You Been Gone (2004) or My Life Would Suck Without You, but even if it does lack the replay value of the aforementioned tracks, it definitely remains an impressive lead single for re-introducing the general public to Kelly. Heartbeat Song will be featured on Kelly's upcoming sixth studio album, Piece By Piece (2015).
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Member Since: 4/4/2014
Posts: 17,141
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RIHANNA & KANYE WEST & PAUL MCCARTNEY - FOURFIVESECONDS
3.5/5
Barbadian pop superstar Rihanna kicks off the #R8 experience with 'FourFiveSeconds'. The track has been announced as Rihanna's first new single, and will also feature on Kanye's upcoming release. Following on from Bang Bang (2014), Rihanna's new track credits all artists as the lead. FourFiveSeconds is primarily Rihanna, with some additional verses from Kanye West and a guitar instrumental played by Paul McCartney. One thing that becomes apparent from the minimal production is the autotune, especially on Kanye's vocal. The melody of the track is not at all bad, but the production feels extremely cheap. Not long after the original song was posted, the Lido's Sunday Service Remix was posted on Soundcloud. The remix adds drums and gives the song an orchestral feel. With this fresh remix, the song no longer feels like a demo, and becomes a plausible single for Rihanna. It is unclear if FourFiveSeconds will feature on Rihanna's 8th studio album or the upcoming HOME soundtrack (2015), but Rihanna is sure to release tracks spanning many different genres in the upcoming year, and if FourFiveSeconds is not to your liking, I guarantee you at least one song on the upcoming two releases will fit your taste.
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Member Since: 4/4/2014
Posts: 32,654
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FourFiveSeconds
When i first saw this thread appear, i freaked out. It had been so long since rihanna released anything, and with the little information we had on the album, i was extremely hyped. When i saw the featured artists i became instantly disgusted. I knew that this was about to be an extremely try hard, acclaim seeking mess. The second the awful guitar came in, and she started shrieking in the first verse, i knew this was all a terrible mistake. The production, the lyrics and the overall song is terrible and continues to get worse through the entire song. The chorus is not catchy at all and her vocal delivery is just not there. Kanyes verse is obviously the worst part, the dying grandma that is Rihanna in the background of the song is the most embarrassing thing I've ever heard, and the "hold me back I'm bout to spaz" lyric is among the worst I've ever heard. Don't even get me started on the bridge, its like she's never sang a note in her life. An overall mess, one of the worst songs I've ever heard.
0/10
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Member Since: 1/1/2014
Posts: 1,447
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FOURFIVESECONDS
As an avid Rihanna listener I found myself quite disappointed with Rihanna's latest effort. The hype surrounding #R8 made many believe her lead single would instantly shoot up the charts, but unfortunately the song lacks the extra substance a lead single requires. The addition of Paul McCartney and Kanye not only distract the listeners from Rihanna's soothe vocals, but completely disrupt the sense of flow. The whiny noise during Kanye's verse seems very tacky and almost added last minute for some sort of 'hipster' or 'indie' effect. The production sounds cheap and the simplistic tune doesn't compliment any of the artists' voices. A great effort by Rih, but not enough to convince me to use my money on her new single.
1/10
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Member Since: 8/19/2013
Posts: 15,127
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i should do one of these songs 
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Member Since: 3/21/2012
Posts: 55,134
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FourFiveSeconds-Rihanna,Kayne West,Paul McCartney
International Bajan pop star Rihanna teamed up with acclaimed rapper Kayne West and legend Sir Paul McCartney for the most surprising collaboration of the year . In 2012 Rihanna released her 7th studio album Unapologetic which yielded such hits as Diamonds and Stay . 2 years later we see the star back and more better than ever . Such a departure from her usual club-dance ready songs or her gritty urban hits, 45Seconds is something different . Both Rihanna and Kayne go totally out of the box and come up with a indie alternative acoustic song . The stripped down track sets the trend of the minimalist movement and strays away from the hard EDM pop sound . Rihanna gives a near perfect vocal performance on the song showcasing she is very veresitle but yet still showing off her trademark tone, Kayne gives a convincing vocal as well though it could have been autotuned less . All in all Rihanna seems to shooting for acclaim and making quailty music over chart success . But who knows anything Rih touches turns into a hit .
10/10
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Member Since: 9/21/2010
Posts: 29,122
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ill do my reviews for all 3 by wednesday.
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Member Since: 8/28/2012
Posts: 34,863
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Rihanna, Kanye West & Paul McCartney FourFiveSeconds
Rihanna BEYONCE'd her much anticipated and hyped lead single on Saturday, and it happened to feature acclaimed icons Kanye West and Paul McCartney. The single was met with disappointment from fans and non fans claiming it was only a buzz single, until it was proven otherwise. Infact, FourFiveSeconds WAS an actual disappointment. In an attempt to go out from Rihanna's comfort zone, the song goes from Rihanna struggling to hit the correct notes, to weird voices in the background, to Kanye's autotuned singing voice still sounding terrible, not to mention the simple yet boring melody and the meaningless lyrics that demanded 9 writers to come up with.
All-in-all, and following over 2 years of break, FourFiveSeconds was a major disappointment, especially compared to the superior Diamonds.
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3/10
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Member Since: 3/1/2014
Posts: 14,803
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FourFiveSeconds is Rihanna's first lead single since 2012. Even though the break wasn't that long, it felt like a decade because Rihanna usually releases ok and fun singles that are quickly forgotten. FourFiveSeconds is everything but that. It sounds pretentious and lackluster. Paul McCartney's acoustic guitar is forgettable and we've all heard better guitar riffs. For me Kanye is the only redeeming part of this track. For Rihanna to deliver such a raw and stripped song, she needed more powerful vocals, more grit, vocal control and soul. All of which she failed to demonstrate in this song. I'm also not impressed by the lyrics. I found them repetitive and they don't tell a good story. For a song that is trying to be serious, I expected more. In the meantime, I'll stick to Alabama Shakes who have already perfected this soulful country sound. Maybe the problem with this song is that it doesn't go all the way with the experimentation and it sucks.
0/10
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Member Since: 1/1/2014
Posts: 6,625
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FourFiveSeconds
In a world of rush releases, pop emergencies, and the ever present label of BEYONCÉ'd, Rihanna remained quiet, having waited over two years since her last release. Artists take breaks all the time, but for an artist known to remain a near omnipresence around the top of the charts with A-Game material, this absence was abnormally quiet, especially by Rihanna standards. The track features fellow recording veterans Kanye West and Paul McCartney. Compared to snippeted songs from the hush hush R8 sessions, FFS is quite underwhelming. While her contemporaries have all owned simple acoustic tracks in the past, this is a semi-first for Rihanna, especially for a lead single. Rihanna's vocals by itself are homely, but feel as though she's going out of it's way to be imperfect. The production is a disappointment, the song never feels like it's going anywhere, lost amidst it's collaborators, unable to find it's place almost. The chorus is nearly beautiful, simple guitar, Rih and Kanye impress, but on his verses, Kanye feels weird, with a small voice interrupted with his own (is it Paul's?). Rihanna never hits the mark for the great, relatable and down to Earth delivery that it looks like she was aiming for, simply giving it her average to nearly annoying the entire time. When it seems like it's finally her time to shine, the guitars fade out, with a sort of church organ accompanying her shrill, brassy, flat notes and her awkward delivery. It reminds this reviewer of a leaked Madonna demo in that the production is charming for an unfinished piece, but you can hear where it so desperately needed to be fixed.
For what seems to be a spiritual successor to Cheers (Drink to That)'s catchiness and fun, whether it's the attempt at capturing the fleeting nature of life or Rihanna trying to gain credibility with critics who claim her music has no substance, her and this track falter, leaving the final piece devoid of the same charm it's predecessor had and ultimately making her big return to the music scene a decisive mistake. If her past albums and material has proved anything, it's that even a bad lead single doesn't indicate that we should count Rihanna out, only the full R8 album will prove if her reign won't let up.
0 / 10
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Member Since: 2/5/2014
Posts: 29,111
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These Rihviews 
I'll try and get one up later.
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ATRL Contributor
Member Since: 3/15/2013
Posts: 39,618
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Quote:
Originally posted by Bloomers
These Rihviews
I'll try and get one up later. |
What a mess tho. 
Like some of these persons didn't even bother reviewing their FAVE's releases yet they're making their first ones only to drag a popstar they hate.
Well it's okay, my review is coming soon
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Member Since: 1/1/2014
Posts: 43,331
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Quote:
Originally posted by Cupid
I'm pretty sure most of these will get thrown out for trolling, I mean is giving a '0' even allowed?
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Zeroes are certainly allowed (see Chasing The Sun).
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