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Special Event: atrlcritic | Ed Sheeran's new songs after the upgrade
ATRL Contributor
Member Since: 8/19/2013
Posts: 43,104
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I'll try to relisten to TIA this weekend, my first impression was NOT good.
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Member Since: 8/19/2013
Posts: 68,548
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Charlie Puth
Nine Track Mind
1/10
Charlie Puth, the new young talent from New Jersey, was pretty much shoved down our throats by the radio during 2015. His debut album was completely overhyped, and the result is definitely a total disappointment. Nine Track Mind is merely a collection of Meghan Trainor and early 00s-inspired pop/R&B songs--passed as "vintage"--mostly about obsessive love that sound like one very boring 45-minute-long track.
Every song on Nine Track Mind can be considered bland radio filler. Nothing really stands out enough to make the listener go "wow", and the album gets boring and predictable after the first two tracks. Not a strong debut at all, but this young artist has all the time to come through with the next era and consider this just a "seasonal buzz album". Personally speaking, it was a rather boring experience I wouldn't want to repeat.
![](http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-AmJK3IpjAZk/VdY-OPlO_SI/AAAAAAAAAZU/MdLEIUyG6Hw/s1600/Nine%2BTrack%2BMind.jpg) | 1. One Call Away
"And when you're weak I'll be strong", "Superman got nothing on me". Opening the album with an uninteresting and cheesy ballad? No thank you. 3.5/10
2. Dangerously
Another cliché love song with rather dramatic lyrics and vocals. The breathy vocals in the chorus sound completely off. 4.5/10
3. Marvin Gaye
This song is catchy and cute if you don't overplay it (which is something the radio did, unfortunately). Meghan's part doesn't add any value to the song. 6/10
4. Losing My Mind
Bland soft R&B song that sounds like it was recorded in 2002 and never remixed again. 4/10
5. We Don't Talk Anymore
Surprisingly good for a song made by two weak vocalists. Definitely a standout track with its catchy tune. 7.5/10
6. My Gospel
So forgettable that in the moment this song ended, I didn't even recall listening to it. Listened to it for a second time and felt the same. 0/10
7. Up All Night
It promised well at the beginning, but it sounds like it has no chorus from how flat it is. 1/10
8. Left Right Left
I don't even know what to say about this one, it's basically the same thing as the other songs. 0/10
9. Then There's You
This song never takes off. It needed a music interlude or a breakdown after the chorus. It's just completely flat (what a surprise). The lyrics are tragically cheesy. 0/10
10. Suffer
I'm starting to think this album was made out of songs that were initially one long song. It can't be so monotonous and unidirectional in every way as it is. The vocals on this one are particularly annoying. 1.5/10
11. As You Are
Have I been listening to the same song for almost 40 minutes now? The rap part doesn't fit at all. 0/10
12. Some Type of Love
As we approach the end of this traumatic journey, I'm surprised to hear a rather decent song with a remotely memorable and strong chorus. 7.5/10
13. See You Again
How did this shameless rough copy of "Bed of Lies" become one of the biggest global hits of 2015? Mysteries of our times. 2.5/10 |
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Member Since: 8/19/2013
Posts: 68,548
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I'm sorry I posted it so early but I had really strong feelings about that album that I really needed to share.
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Member Since: 5/22/2011
Posts: 21,227
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Mezik's Album Review ATRL Top Critic
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/f/fd/Thisisacting_albumcover.png/220px-Thisisacting_albumcover.png) 67 | Sia - 'This is Acting'
Sia is back, after her commercial breakthrough '1000 Forms of Fear', which was an incredible pop-album, releasing the highly anticipated 'This is Acting'. Although 'Acting' may not be as consistent, or appear to be as strong of an effort as her last album it certainly has it's share of great songs. Another interesting aspect of the album is that all the songs, sans one, were all written for other artists which leads the listener to ponder who each song was written for.
Lyrically, Sia is stronger than ever. Sia is able to sing bombastic choruses that are both catchy and emotional, while not sounding over-bearing or as if she's screaming into your ears. Sonically, is where the album falls a bit short. More so at the end, there are songs, 'Broken Glass' and 'Space Between', that fall short and sound so generic that they were meant to be placed on an album for Katy Perry or Meghan Trainor. However, the songs that are pleasing to the ear production wise really get you going. Dance-filled bops 'Move Your Body and 'Cheap Thrills' are infectious, and evoke nothing but fun and relaxation. The strongest songs on the album are easily the opening two tracks 'Birds Set Free' and 'Alive', which are perfect examples of fiery vocals, heart-filled lyrics and production that balances it all. As well one of the later tracks on the album, 'Sweet Design' is so full of sass and is unlike anything Sia's ever released. Although one may think instantly that it's perfect for an artist like Rihanna or Beyoncé, Sia perfectly acts out the part, singing the record with pure confidence. There's a track on the album for everyone to love, and that's the great part of releasing an album filled with songs all written for different artists.
Overall, 'This is Acting' may be far from perfect. However, it's diverse in sound, lyrics and emotion. Sia is exceptionally well at adapting from track to track and continues to prove her worth of a songwriter, vocalist and artists all together.
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Member Since: 1/1/2014
Posts: 43,331
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Mess at KYC's Charlie review up a week in advance.
Quote:
This song is catchy and cute if you don't overplay it (which is something the radio did, unfortunately).
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It peaked at #27 on overall radio though. ![laugh](images/smilies/images/smilies/laugh.gif)
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Member Since: 8/27/2011
Posts: 36,557
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The album for which I have been waiting for years has finally been released, and I just couldn't wait to review it. On January 27, 2016, Rihanna released her long awaited album Anti, follow-up to 2012's Unapologetic. This marks Rihanna's first non-yearly album release, as she has released an album or a re-release each year from 2005 to 2012, so the wait from 2013 to early January 2016 has really been dreadful and traumatic even with Rihanna's three singles released in 2015, the top five multiplatinum hit "FourFiveSeconds" featuring Kanye West and Paul McCartney, the iconic urban sing-rap "Bitch Better Have My Money", and the inspirational "American Oxygen", which have all been scrapped from Anti, perhaps a part of the also-scrapped R8, which may have been the original concept for Anti. These songs may not be on Anti, but they will always be associated with Anti, and therefore deserve to be acknowledged here. With Anti, the fastest album to ever achieve Platinum in the United States, however, Rihanna has made a statement to the public that she will make the music she wants (complex and artistic) rather than the pop fluff that the public wants such as Good Girl Gone Bad and, to a lesser extent, Loud. Rihanna has worked with producers she's never worked with before, such as DJ Mustard, Jeff Bhasker, and Boi-1da, and helped write fifteen out of the sixteen songs off the album (one being a cover), and this helped create a next-level body of work, like a mix of an even more abstract and mature Rated R and Unapologetic, that epitomizes Rihanna and is timeless and soulful. Some of the songs are duds, despite being aesthetically respectable songs that are anything but generic (other than "Work"). The album is not radio friendly, which is completely fine, and doesn't seem to be worth the over three year wait, but this doesn't detract from the commendable cohesion of the album and its vast array of excellent songs. The standard edition seems to be split in two parts within the tracklist, the first part being industrial pop/urban/R&B where the production shines brightest and the second part being soul or soulful, where the lyrics and melodies shine brightest. My trinity of Anti is "Kiss It Better", "Love on the Brain", and "Same Ol' Mistakes". "Kiss It Better" is a pop/R&B song that revolves around this central, synthy electric guitar, giving it feel-good throwback vibe. It's so simple, yet so effective, fueling the timeless element that Rihanna was aiming for. Rihanna coos seductively over the guitar: "Oh, tell me what you’re willing to do / Kiss it, kiss it better, baby", in response to an ex who's still on mind. "Love on the Brain", which was originally intended to be the lead single off Anti with a debut performance at The Brits, features Rihanna's best vocals ever. The melodies in the powerful chorus and the breathiness and phrasing of the lines, particularly in the verses, in the form of a power ballad is what elevates the song, complemented by a subtle folk/rock beat from guitar and organ. I think either "Kiss It Better" or "Love on the Brain" would be the perfect choice for the lead single. "Same Ol' Mistakes", a cover of Tame Impala, features complex synthesized production: dark pop beats in harmony with higher frequency ones. The complexity fits perfectly into Anti, a perfect song to cover. Rihanna's breathy, urban-influenced vocals sends the audience in a daze over the instrumentals. The powerful chorus and the falsetto in the bridge are also noteworthy. As a six minute song, "Same Ol' Mistakes" is a musical journey with extended instrumentals and buildups. Another favorite is the folk "Never Ending", which certainly stands out on the album for its lack of complexity in either production or vocal interpretation; nevertheless, sometimes less is more. Its simple guitar plucks and "ooo"'s give the song its special touch. The minor sampling of Dido's "Thank You" is very beautifully executed as well. "Higher" is another special song, a timeless, traditional throwback like "Love on the Brain" rather than an industrial throwback like "Kiss It Better". The vintage organ helps the song be instantaneously recognized, very light as opposed to the dark sound of the organ in Rated R's "Cold Case Love". Rihanna embraces and even amplifies the raspiness of her belts. The song reminds me of The Great Depression period re-popularized by The Great Gatsby thanks to the timelessness of the production and the lyric matter pertaining to alcohol. "Close to You", an ideal album closer, is a stripped down piano ballad similar to Rihanna's previous work such as "Stay" and "As Real As You and Me", without the complexities of the majority of the album. Rihanna's voice and emotion is front and center, and the chorus is the most captivating, where Rihanna sings, "Nothing but a tear, that's all for breakfast / Watching you pretend you're unaffected". "Consideration", a electronic/reggae song featuring Sza is fueled by a dark drum-and-bass production and one of its signatures is Rihanna's high-pitch to low-pitch sudden transitions. Rihanna and Sza blend perfectly in the song to make a match made in heaven. This is not the first time Rihanna has added an underrated artist to her album to help convey the musical excellence of the artist to a wide audience and for Rihanna to add her own spin on the given song, the other time was the one-of-a-kind "Stay" featuring Mikky Ekko, a piano ballad above all others. "Desperado" has a similar dark pop production as "Consideration", perhaps with more of an R&B twist, with an emphasis on low-pitch vocals. She sings to a desperado about how she doesn't want to be alone, and they could join forces and run away together. The mysterious backing vocals add to the eeriness of the song, and the prechorus is exceptional: the way Rihanna sings "leaving me behind". The song is a bit one-dimensional, lacking dynamics, but it does what it does quite well. Now for the interludes. "James Joint" is a smooth jazz/R&B song that doesn't really fit the album, but would be better off in the second half of the album if kept on the album, between "Love on the Brain" and "Higher". Rihanna's vocals are equally smooth and rhythmic, and the song is split into two identical (other than the lyrics) thirty-second sections each with a verse and mini chorus section, followed by a Sims-like instrumental closing. The other interlude "Goodnight Gotham", originally called "A Night" samples Florence + the Machine's "Only If for a Night". I think the song is unnecessary because it doesn't embrace Rihanna's vocals since all she does is sing along in some parts. The song, which solely features the lyric "Only if for a night" in different pitches, is completely a sample and thus disposable. The sampled song doesn't even match the album like the cover "Same Ol' Mistakes". The original song is perfect the way it is on Florence's album Ceremonials. "Sex With Me" is a mellow-pop/R&B track, sharing indirect similarities with "Birthday Sex" by Jeremih. The song is nothing too innovative or next-level, but it's a refreshing touch on the album, very urban contemporary with upbeat undertones. The rest of the album neither offers anything innovative nor refreshing. "Work", a dancehall urban pop song featuring Drake, is a relatively contrived attempt at a hit, although not as blatant as Unapologetic's "Right Now". The chorus features some incomprehensible lyrics and the melody is weak. Drake and Rihanna tried to capitalize on their previous two excellent collaborations, "What's My Name" and "Take Care", but failed. "Woo" is an absolute trap-pop mess, mostly thanks to Travis Scott. Half the song is mindless, meaningless falsetto ("Woo") and the song doesn't go anywhere and doesn't have any structure, which makes it unmemorable. "Yeah I Said It" is just boring, downtempo and lacking, the "Get It Over With" of Anti. The lyrics are equally uninspiring and not noteworthy, with Rihanna repeating the title, which doesn't really mean anything. "Needed Me" and "Pose" are just okay, "Needed Me" just sounds like a typical DJ Mustard downtempo-electro song, and "Pose", although with impressive production, is a bit all over the place, the inferior version of Unapologetic's "Phresh Out the Runway", so it's not as hard-hitting. All in all, Anti is a cohesive, emotive, well-developed, mature album that despite its duds has impressively in some part honored and homaged the music of the past through throwback in terms of instruments such as the organ and vocal techniques. This is mixed with the powerful dark electro production featured in the first half of the album and the infectious guitar licks of "Kiss It Better", where production is fundamental and central. Anti shows Rihanna as an artist and shouts a powerful statement.
8/10
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Member Since: 8/19/2013
Posts: 19,167
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Will Sia last until next week ? I want to rate it but I'll go traveling so I don't have time to actually get into it this week.
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Member Since: 8/19/2013
Posts: 68,548
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Quote:
Originally posted by alexanderao
Mess at KYC's Charlie review up a week in advance.
It peaked at #27 on overall radio though. ![laugh](images/smilies/images/smilies/laugh.gif)
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Lucky you, here in Italy you'd hear it at least twice a day for MONTHS
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Member Since: 8/19/2013
Posts: 19,167
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Will we review Foxes's album, "All I Need" ?
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Member Since: 1/1/2014
Posts: 43,331
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Quote:
Originally posted by lhdang2000
Will Sia last until next week ? I want to rate it but I'll go traveling so I don't have time to actually get into it this week.
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This Is Acting will be up for at least another week.
Anti will be ending this Sunday.
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Member Since: 1/1/2014
Posts: 43,331
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Anti ends in 2 days- get your reviews in!
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ATRL Contributor
Member Since: 4/24/2011
Posts: 8,547
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Rihanna - 'Anti' --- (8.7)
It’s safe to say that Rihanna’s eighth album was one of the most anticipated of the latest 2-3 years. She released the (supposedly) first single, in January 2015, “FourFiveSeconds”, a collaboration with Paul McCartney and Kanye West, that did surprisingly well on the charts despite not being a typical upbeat hit that we’re used to from her. After that, she just kept on teasing the release of the album, with other singles and music videos.
She announced the title of the album, ‘Anti’, back in October, along with its official cover, designed by visual artist Roy Nachum, and after that the waiting intensified. Many tweets and even Instagram comments and photos, from collaborators and Rihanna herself, teased its content, its release date, among other things, along with the Rihanna Navy hyping everything up… and certainly, its weird, confusing promotional campaign, the “ANTiDiary”, made everyone feel even more anxious and impatient.
But, in January 28th… it happened. The day after releasing the first official single from the record, the catchy Dancehall-inspired “Work”, featuring Drake, the regular edition of 'Anti’ was released for free, on Tidal, and its deluxe edition got a full, proper release the next day. Also, there was no sign of the previously released singles. But the release of the album was not the only surprising thing about it… its content was a bit shocking too.
First, if you were expecting the typical bangers, hit singles or… even pop songs, you came to the wrong place. You know, I was always a big fan of her most succesful songs like “SOS”, “Umbrella”, “We Found Love” or “Diamonds”… but this is something else. You just know that by listening to the first song on the record, “Consideration”, a collaboration with alt-R&B queen SZA, a track with a weird beat that sounds similar to Björk’s “5 Years”, and no pop structure whatsoever, a perfect introduction to the themes and sounds of the record. “James Joint”, a neo-soul interlude that sounds like those from Frank Ocean’s 2012 masterpiece 'Channel ORANGE’.
“Kiss It Better”, a track co-written by the artist formerly known as Natalia Kills, is probably one of the poppiest, yet one of the best on the album, the vocal harmonies on the pre-chorus and the chorus are heavenly, and the lyrics are lustful but classy at the same time. “Desperado”, is a dense, dark song that still manages to have one of the catchiest hooks on the record, meanwhile “Woo”, co-written by Travis Scott and The Weeknd, is probably one of the weirdest songs Rihanna ever made. Which means, it’s a bit divisive, but it’s very energetic and fun at the same time.
“Needed Me”, one of the highlights of the album, is definitely one of the most rap-oriented, since it was produced by DJ Mustard… but actually the beat has more of an FKA twigs-ish sound, as does the following track, the 2-minute-long “Yeah, I Said It”, except that it’s more… minimal. But one of the biggest surprises on the record is definitely “Same Ol’ Mistakes”, a cover of “New Person, Same Old Mistakes”, from Tame Impala’s 2015 record, the fantastic 'Currents’. It’s six-minutes-and-a-half long, a psychedelic synthpop track that is completely different from anything Rihanna had ever sung before. And it probably sounds better than the original, since Rih’s vocals are mixed better into the instrumental, giving a dreamier effect. And it’s, by the way, fantastic.
“Never Ending” is a semi-acoustic ballad that samples Dido’s “Thank You”, meanwhile “Love on the Brain” is a 50’s-inspired pop-soul, that has some of her best vocal performances ever, along with a very catchy hook, that works pretty well with the rest of the song. “Higher” takes a step further, its production, handled by No I.D, sounds almost lo-fi, and her raspy vocals sound full of emotion, in a way that sounds almost similar to Amy Winehouse. “Close to You” is an adorable piano ballad, but honestly, doesn’t really add much to the album, and doesn’t work as well as it should as a closer.
The bonus tracks? Well, a snippet of “Goodnight Gotham” had been leaked a long time ago, and it was one of the most anticipated by fans, specially because its Florence + the Machine… but at the end, it was just a one-minute-long interlude, with no actual vocals from Rihanna. Which left a lot of people dissapointed, but I still kind of liked it. “Pose”… is just another thing. The beat is totally cacophonous, glitch-y, and the lyrics are totally bad-ass and fun… I mean, she literally screams “YAAAAAAAAAS BITCH” on the middle of the track. Can it get any better than that? I don’t think so. And “Sex With Me” is a fun, dirty companion piece to the third song on the album, its production is great too.
I must admit I was waiting something different from Rihanna, as in, her own 'E·MO·TION’, but still, this is the first album where Rihanna seems totally passionate and involved in her music (every single song, that isn’t a cover, has her writing credits, something that… for some reason never happened before), and although that it could be maybe a little better, it’s one of the first Rih albums that isn’t a few hit singles + some other filler tracks. And if 2007’s 'Good Girl Gone Bad’ was Rihanna’s first album as a popstar, this is her first as an artist. And I can’t wait to see more of that, hopefully without having to wait 3 years the next time!
Highlights: “Consideration” (feat. SZA), “Kiss It Better”, “Work” (feat. Drake), “Desperado”, “Needed Me”, “Same Ol’ Mistakes”, “Love on the Brain”, “Higher”, “Pose”
You’ll like it if you like: The Weeknd, Frank Ocean, FKA twigs, Beyoncé’s self-titled record.
Honestly, TRF.
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ATRL Contributor
Member Since: 4/24/2011
Posts: 8,547
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Sia - 'This Is Acting' --- (7.4)
If there’s any artist who’s a hit-factory, along with other people like Bonnie McKee, Charli XCX or Max Martin, that’s definitely Sia Furler (better known as simply Sia). Ever since she got featured in David Guetta’s 2011 smash hit “Titanium”, she began collaborating with and writing for popstars like Rihanna, Christina Aguilera, Britney Spears, Katy Perry, Kylie Minogue and Beyoncé. But it wasn’t until 2014 that she got her first hit, the enormous“Chandelier”, an emotional song that didn’t only make an impact on the charts, but also got a lot of critical acclaim, both for her amazing vocal performance, and the deep, personal lyrics about alcoholism and depression.
Her first album after her newfound fame, ‘1000 Forms of Fear’, was, personally, one of my favourite Pop albums of 2014, and probably one of the best of the decade so far. It contained catchy, radio-ready pop songs, as well as dark, deep, quite left-field work, in a perfect balance. Also, she chose not to show her own face in its promotional campaign, and that included performances in known TV shows while giving her back to the camera, usually with someone else dancing in front of it. Meanwhile, Sia wrote a few other songs for big popstars, however… some of those didn’t end up in the record
That is essentially the concept of 'This Is Acting’. Most of the songs got rejected by high-profile artists, and Furler decided to record them herself, in a way, “acting” as if she were those people. And the first song we got to hear from the project, “Alive” (written for Adele, along with Tobias Jesso Jr.), was very explosive, empowering, and had a great, intense vocal performance, although it might have been a little repetitive, but it was great nonetheless. So was, “Bird Set Free”. The beat is kind of similar to “Eye of the Needle”, from her previous record, but the lyrics are darker, and feel a little… desperate, in a good way. It sounds like a continuation of her first hit, and probably the best on the reccord.
Which means, the rest of the stuff here is a bit… hit or miss. “Cheap Thrills”, a Rihanna reject (that, to be honest, wouldn’t have fit into 'Anti’), is catchy and upbeat, but sounds like an, indeed, cheap version of Major Lazer/MØ’s super hit “Lean On”, “Reaper” was supposedly written for Kanye West (it was also co-produced by him), but doesn’t like it at all. “Sweet Design”, written for Jennifer Lopez, has a cool, weird beat and nice vocals, but the lyrics… don’t really fit Sia, at all. They’re a bit too sexual, in a way that’s not subtle or… even sexy. “Footprints” is a bit too boring for me, and “Move Your Body”, apparently written for Shakira… is a big, big mess. It is infectious, yes, but the beat is way too loud for Pop music. It’s explosive in the worst way possible.
There are some other highlights here, though, like “One Million Bullets”, one of the very few songs that wasn’t initially meant for any other artist, the synth-pop-ish “House on Fire” and the song used as the album closer, “Space Between”, a really minimal, weird ballad that was, at first, meant for Rihanna, but decided to keep it for herself, and I’m glad she did because it sounds like some of the best stuff on '1000 Forms of Fear’. “Unstoppable” (rumoured to be written for Katy Perry, but nothing was confirmed) is good too, the lyrics kind of sound like the protagonist of “Chandelier” learning how to control her feelings, feeling stronger instead of vulnerable, which is a nice thing to think about.
Even though there are some tracks that are not as good as the others, there’s not a single bad track on the album, they’re all, at least, OK (except for “Move Your Body”… that was kinda lame), but this album is a nice collection of pop songs with a very specific style that’s present on the radio daily, and at the same time, shows how versatile can be Sia as a songwriter and a performer. However, I would love to see her working on her own stuff, and writing more songs for herself, though.
Highlights: “Bird Set Free”, “Alive”, “One Million Bullets”, “House on Fire”, “Space Between”
You’ll like it if you like: Sia’s previous album, the artists that Sia wrote music for.
Honestly, TRF.
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Member Since: 3/14/2013
Posts: 37,294
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Rihanna's "antipop" experience
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/3/32/Rihanna_-_Anti.png/220px-Rihanna_-_Anti.png) | Released on January 28, 2016, one day after premiering the highly anticipated (and sadly disappointing) single "Work" that features rapper Drake, Rihanna's "Anti" is probably the most important musical piece released this year so far.
The album marks Rihanna's clear transition from pop to a land of experimentation, with the critics describing it as a "dancehall" record, obviously Rihanna being extremely influence by her Bajan roots. The album also marks the first album released by Rihanna in over 3 years, considering the fact that she had put out an album every year before that. The album also marks the successful departure from Def Jam to Roc Nation, a platinum certification, a Samsung deal, a Tidal deal and what is more important, Rihanna's artistic freedom. The album goes through a roller-coaster of love themes going from the pure feeling of love, sex to being hurt, desiring over someone. Rihanna experiences a true rediscovery of herself in this album (especially in "Consideration"), being definitely uncaring on whether this album is going to be successful or not. However, I think it both satisfied and dissatisfied some of her fans who have long-awaited this album. It's clearly a departure from her pop, dance, boppy songs, which is what many of us have expected. What is impressive is that Rihanna's name is seen on every single track on the album (except for the rather uninteresting cover of Tame Impala's "New Person, Same Old Mistakes" which doesn't differentiate much from the original (except for the vocals, obviously). In addition to that, the names we also see in the credits are: SZA, Tyran Donaldson, Scum, Kuk Harrell, Robert Shea Taylor, James Fauntleroy, Jeff Bhasker, John Glass, Teddy Sinclair (or Natalia Kills after the X-Factor fiasco), Glass John, Jahron Braithwaite, Matthew Samuels, Allen Ritter, Rupert Thomas, Drake, Monte Moir, Boi1-da, Noah "40" Shebib, Krystin "Rook Monroe" Watkins, Mick Schultz, D. Rachel, Chauncey Hollis, Jacques Webster, Jeremih, The Weeknd, The-Dream, Jean Baptist, Hit-Boy, Travis Scott, Dijon McFarlane, Nick Audino, Lewis Hughes, Khaled Rohaim, Te Warbrick, Adam Feeney, Brittany Hazard, Charles Hinshaw, DJ Mustard, Twice as Nice, Frank Dukes, Kevin Parker (from Tame Impala), Chad Sabo, Paul Herman, Dido (sample), Fred Ball, Joseph Angel, Ernest Wilson, B. Bourelly, Jerry Butler, Kenny Gamble, Leon Huff, No I.D, Brian Kennedy, Brian Seals, Paul Epworth, Florence Welch (sample), C. Boggs, Mitus, Webster, Anderson Hernandez, Chris Hansen, Vinylz and in the featuring credits we see Drake and SZA.
The pace of the album is slow. I think that Rihanna doesn't offer very much room for the songs to "breathe" in the album as at first contact with the album, it may sound boring, mainly due to all the sounds made to mimic the "high-ness". What I also found unappealing is the huge difference between the length of the songs. Too many seem like interludes and there are only 2 songs over 4 minutes, one of which is a cover.
Overall, I will claim that there are some high highs (the poppier "Desperado" or the vocally challenging "Love on the Brain"), but there are some incredible let downs ("Work" in which both singers feel bored and the song itself is too repetitive). I, however, think that, similarly to Beyonce's "Self-Titled" this could make a difference in how the albums could sound from now on, and I am pretty sure Rihanna won't return to her pure pop roots. It's disappointing how she left out the three singles that preceeded "Anti" as well, but it's her artistic movement after all. And this also marks the first time we see Rihanna, the artist and not Rihanna, the singer who would put whatever on the album. She finally made decisions for herself, which even though I might or might not like, it's a start.
Recommended for the listeners of: Beyonce, Nicki Minaj, Ciara, Rita Ora, Jessie J (as suggested by last.fm) |
Score: 7.0/10
Track by Track review
1.Consideration - a quite good intro, which I would say it's mostly about the music industry; her voice blends well with SZA's
2.James Joint - not a needed interlude, in my opinion, as it feels kind of boring and uninspired, but it works with the flow of the album
3.Kiss It Better - I totally dislike the synths here and I find this quite unpleasant as well
4.Work - possibly the worst song of the album, and easily the worst lead single of her career; it's the closest to her tropical roots though
5.Desperado - my favourite track of the album; no exaggeration with any instrument and it's clearly a poppier track
6.Woo - one of the more boring tracks of the album, it mostly is a repeat of "woo"
7.Needed Me - returning just a little bit to our pop music; DJ Mustard did a pretty good job with this
8.Yeah, I Said It - another unneeded interlude, but as in "James Joint"'s case it works with the album's flow |
9.Same Ol' Mistakes - no difference from the original, which to me doesn't seem artistic at all; vocally she did a good job, but then again, I feel like the cover is overrated
10.Never Ending - sadly, another filler of the album; I could've done well without it
11.Love On The Brain - Rihanna's Amy Winehouse-esque song; maybe a bit too much on the vocals, but I think it's a must on the album
12.Higher - one of the better interludes, but sadly it is too short
13.Close To You - an emotional ballad that feels like a continuation of "Stay"
14.Goodnight Godham - another unneeded track, since the original is much, much, much better, but I guess it was a cute play with the sounds
15.Pose - as it should have been, a bonus track; nothing impressive, and maybe a bit annoying as well.
16.Sex With Me - there's not much going on here as well, but I think her vocals are pretty good here |
Other reviews
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ATRL Contributor
Member Since: 4/24/2011
Posts: 8,547
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Also, someone else should do a Blackstar review. Weren't there like 4 people more asking to review it? At least do it to respect him!
Honestly, TRF.
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Member Since: 8/7/2015
Posts: 16,101
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Quote:
Originally posted by lhdang2000
Will we review Foxes's album, "All I Need" ?
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I second this.
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Member Since: 5/22/2011
Posts: 21,227
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Quote:
Originally posted by THERihFan
Also, someone else should do a Blackstar review. Weren't there like 4 people more asking to review it? At least do it to respect him!
Honestly, TRF.
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I would but I just can't review an album where I am not inclined to listen past the first song. I'm sure it's great on its own merits.. But ![:'(](images/smilies/images/smilies/cry.gif)
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ATRL Contributor
Member Since: 4/24/2011
Posts: 8,547
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Quote:
Originally posted by Mezik
I would but I just can't review an album where I am not inclined to listen past the first song. I'm sure it's great on its own merits.. But ![:'(](images/smilies/images/smilies/cry.gif)
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Try, sis! I promise is worth it!
Honestly, TRF.
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Banned
Member Since: 1/1/2014
Posts: 24,153
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Member Since: 1/1/2014
Posts: 43,331
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Quote:
Originally posted by SpinThatShhh
Is ANTI over?
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Nope! I've just extended it to tomorrow night.
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