Rihanna Ups The "Anti" With A Bold Album

Rihanna's first 7 albums were released over 7 consecutive years, so imagine the surprise and anticipation when more than 3 years (an eternity by industry standards) passed after 2012's "Unapologetic." Thankfully, the break gave Rihanna a chance to explore her own musical style and incorporate some strong influences. The resulting album, "ANTI," is drastically different than what we've come to expect from a pop star of this magnitude, and that's definitely a compliment.

"ANTI" takes everything that's unmistakably Rihanna and strips it to her pure, raw essence with edgy vocals and moody instrumentation. Lead single "Work" and bonus track "Pose" are the most reminiscent of her previous records, but the ride doesn't stop there. Standout songs include the swirling, almost psychedelic guitar riffs of "Kiss It Better" and the one-two punch of "Love On The Brain" and "Higher," where Rihanna sings with a bluesy, soulful range that is thrillingly unexpected and genuinely effective.

Rihanna has dabbled with introspection on past tracks like "Russian Roulette" and "California King Bed," but the entirety of this album finds her embracing the liberation of transparency and meeting resistance with potent lyrical firepower. While there's nothing wrong with her crowd-moving, dance-inducing earlier works, "ANTI" resonates considerably more because it reflects Rihanna's courage to focus on the music and the voice behind the pop.