​Album Review by @EddieJSays, Contributing Writer 
 
Likes: James Joint, Kiss it Better
Dislikes: Woo, Pose, U Needed Me
Overall: Writer's block in album form
 
Rihanna should've listened to the old saying: “Never count your chickens before they hatch” or rather, don't publicly place such high expectations for yourself. ANTI, Rihanna's 8th album release, was set on so many direct and indirect promises of artistry, soulfulness, a new sound and direction over the last year. I can commend Rihanna or any pop singer for deciding to put a little more time and effort into a project for the sake of artistry and quality; however, after listening, I felt short-changed. *Channels 3LW* I'm getting a little tired of Rih's broken promithes, promithes. Was the album “different” for her? Kind of, not really. Was it artistic? It doesn't hold a candle to Rated R.  I won't acknowledge any claims of soulfulness, because...you already know the answer to that inquiry.
 
ANTI's positive attribute is that it's extremely cohesive. The production on each song is dark and the lyrics all come from a similar vantage point: a strong, sometimes feeble woman in or out of a rugged, abusive relationship. The vocal showcase is pretty solid as well. We hear Rihanna's highs and lows, and various textures, with occasional harmonic layering. Even auto-tune is less utilized as a sound effect. Now, here comes the big “but”...nothing about this record is moving, interesting or exciting. It's like a calm lake: there's a unified and definitive body, but nothing's really happening. Starting with production, I'll just say it: it was cheap. High-end engineers notwithstanding, the effects and equalizer leveling were all over the place. Certain songs (ex. “Higher” and “Woo”) peaked in volume at various times and seemed unfinished. There was no dynamic contrast or musicality, trading in instruments for random noises and nonsensical synth chords, solely depending on the thumping sub-bass to fill in gaps or distract from the lack. Worse, there were no bridges or climaxes, aside from the only cover on the album, Tame Impala's “Same Ol' Mistakes." Tracks seemed to be comprised of 2 repetitive loops; 1 for the verse and chorus each. Those that showed potential only proved to be makeshift interludes, lasting roughly a minute or two (“James Joint,” “Yeah I Said It,”“Higher”). Most didn't have the enticing "oomph" that Rihanna's material usually has at bare minimum, regardless of content value. “Kiss It Better” was a standout, giving the feel of an 80's-early 90s rock-ballad that would have a stadium filled with lighters by its chorus. Sadly, it's the only song that contains an attainable melody, much less achieves the “timeless” vibe Rihanna claimed she was aiming for. “Woo” played like a 3 year old banging on a piano to a pseudo-trap beat, while the amateur demo-like “Work” left much to be desired with a lot of empty space between the beat and Rihanna's vocals. Conversely, the vocal production was nearly flawless.
 
Rihanna is heralded for her distinct tone more so than technique, power or pitch perfection. This hasn't changed, as she generally stuck to her signature talk-singy nature and overshadowed sultry moments with
throaty performances. Her Christina Aguilera-like screaming on “Higher” is cringe worthy and will probably never be performed live successfully. The cut should've been extended and then handed to Jazmine Sullivan, Brandy or even Aguilera herself. Nonetheless, Rihanna still has the ability to emote with believability and bring whatever she's singing to life. The helplessness she conveys in “Close To You” will almost make you forget about the pot-hole infested road you took to get to the end of the standard edition. Though I believed her, I didn't understand her for most of the record. Taking a page from Ariana Grande's diction book, phrases were mumbled or under-enunciated. To fully follow where she's trying to go, lyrics will have to be nearby.

Album Review.
Likes: Diamonds, Stay, Nobody’s Business
Dislikes: Phresh Off the Runway, Jump, Pour it Up
Overall: Half trash, half introspection

Ever since Rihanna’s “Rated R” in 2009, I’ve liked her albums less and less. I had utter disdain for the last “Talk That Talk,” which, in my opinion, lacked some of the rudiments that make her music artistically tolerable. That being said, I didn’t expect much from the new “Unapologetic,” but I was pleasantly surprised. After listening to the first few tracks, I was prepared to slam this album as they were the same tawdry, trashy and meaningless tunes we hear more and more from the pop-star. Eventually, however, the record takes a turn half-way through with a stream of semi well-written solemn or dark songs about toxic love and emotional contemplation (with the exception of the lighter and catchy “Nobody’s Business,” which pays a cute homage to Michael Jackson). I describe the lyrics as semi well-written because some of them seem to lack conceptual consistency and are trying too hard to be “deep,” but from Rihanna, I’ll take it (she co-wrote several of the songs). Making too much of an effort to be thoughtful is better than none at all. The southern rap and dance influenced musical production is really scaled back with basic rhythm patterns, so there isn’t much melodically to cling to. Rihanna’s vocals are what they’ve always been; distinctive because of her island accent and thin- making big, held notes hard to listen to (notes on “What Now” are reminiscent of the older “Complicated”). All in all, “Unapologetic” is slightly worth keeping on the IPod.

Rock&Rant- When I need to quickly rant about music.

Many have recently asked what my thoughts are on Rihanna, the controversial pop-star most known for her catchy, sexually overt music and her former relationship with entertainer Chris Brown that ended in a well-publicized domestic altercation. Well, here it is. When Rihanna was signed to Def Jam Records mid-millennium, Reggaeton (urban music with heavy Latin and Caribbean influence) was still hot and one of the reigning queens of R&B/pop was Beyonce`. With Rihanna being a native of Barbados with a toasty complexion, I’m sure Rihanna seemed like a sure-bet cash cow to then Def Jam president Jay-Z. Not such; at least not at the time anyway. Her first 2 albums “Music of the Sun” and “A Girl Like Me” were quickly released within a year of each other and neither effort performed extremely well. Often dubbed in the media as “The Bajan Beyonce`,” music journalists often criticized the singer for bearing too much of an aesthetic resemblance to Beyonce` in her music videos and performances. As if the failed attempt at the Beyonce` blueprint wasn’t enough, Reggaeton was fading from the mainstream. 

It was time to re-evaluate, so the record label took a drastic shift: they got big name R&B/Hip-Hop producers and turned Rihanna into the Anti-Beyonce`. Pop producers/songwriters Evan Rogers and Carl Sturken (known for their work with N’Sync & Kelly Clarkson) were traded out for urban heavy-weights Timbaland, Tricky Stewart, The Dream, Ne-Yo & Stargate. All but Timbaland have continued to work on Rihanna’s projects. Delivering intensely infectious and sometimes well-written tunes, popular producers and songwriters have made Rihanna a top 40 queen with singles constantly riding the charts. Her affiliation with one of hip-hop’s biggest-selling acts, Jay-Z, hasn’t hurt either. The street cred helped her garner Grammy nods and cross over into another genre, as she was featured on massive hits with established rap artists like Eminem, Kanye West & T.I. One can only theorize why all these hits haven’t translated into higher album sales, however.

Rihanna’s heightened commercial appeal was only furthered by her image transformation into the Anti-Beyonce`. Increasingly edgy, dark (sometimes gothic), rebellious and sexually-charged, Rihanna’s persona, music and reputation is the antithesis of the mild-mannered, Obama family-friendly Beyonce`. The contrast works well as Rihanna’s antics feeds the audience’s hunger for sensationalist gossip and their desire for music that expresses their own personality variances. Basically, Rihanna is who people indulge in and listen to when they’re in the mood to feel reckless, slutty and detached from anything thought-provoking. A sassy potty-mouth who’s often been photographed in public scantily-clad, partying and smoking weed, she’s music’s resident “bad girl” and it doesn’t appear that her record label or P.R. team is going to great length to disguise or clean it up. Why aren’t they? She’s doing exactly what they want her to do. Part of Rihanna’s promotion and marketing magic is to be the “wild child.” It keeps her in the news and people watching. Rihanna reminds me of that girl in college that’s sowing her oats and trying to figure herself out. Only, I’m not sure if Rihanna will ever “figure herself out” or mature, because she doesn’t seem to have people around that will encourage her to eventually take a more productive path. That’s why I kind of feel sorry for her; it’s like the record label is gaining at the expense of her growth. Should she one day want to be a different woman, it’s going to be an uphill battle with the executives. A battle I foresee she will lose, considering she doesn’t have much creative input and doesn’t give the impression that she’s business-savvy.

This brings me back to the music and my ideas on why she doesn’t sell as many albums versus singles. Pure and simple: people don’t take her seriously. When they see her, they see a dancing sexual blow-up doll. She’s doesn’t write songs, produce, arrange or play an instrument. The extent of her singing and dancing abilities are debatable-vocally, the main thing that makes her distinctive is her accent. Whatever allure her singles have are the result of a producer or songwriter’s effort; not her own. Rihanna could have been anyone; had Jay-Z signed another girl, the story wouldn’t change much. People aren’t willing to purchase and listen to an entire album by someone with debatable aptitudes, especially in an age where it’s incredibly easy to access music online for free. She’s only as good as her last catchy song. Few people have had lengthy careers on the strength of sex and controversy alone. You have to bring something else to the table.  Rihanna herself doesn’t frustrate me as much as the concept of her does. Record labels sign people like her, exploit them, make their quick dollar, discard them and repeat with new blood. Not only is this practice disrespectful to the art-form, but it brings down the quality of available mainstream music. It also urks me that artists like Rihanna are offered deals when there are so many talented people who can’t seem to catch a break; especially signed acts who, despite their gift, aren’t properly supported or promoted by their label, but that’s another topic for another day.

Many recording artists like Kelly Clarkson, Robin Thicke and Beyonce` have complained about record label executives dictating album material and emphasizing the importance of “making a hit” for their financial gain. This isn’t a new or unheard of concept, but what’s surprising is how much labels spend to increase their chances of having a “hit smash.” According to a report by NPR.org, record labels design “writing camps,” where the hottest writers and producers are recruited to gather and crank out songs over a given period. Producers show up with their arsenal of pre-made tracks, and the summoned writers either pen lyrics based on what they’ve heard right then or fit already-written material to the track. After the music and lyrics are married (in some cases via demo), record executives/or the recording artist choose what songs they like best. Once the songs are selected for studio recording, a vocal producer (or the song’s producer) meets with the artist to execute. Fast forward through a couple of board meetings, listening meetings, legalities, final mastering and album photo-shoots, and you have a finished product ready to go on shelves (that’s the abridged, nutshell version of the remaining process). Pulling from NPR’s estimates, a label is liable to shell out $35,000 per song to pay both writers and producers and then another $15,000 for a vocal producer. Studio costs per day can be up to $25,000 and final mixing and mastering costs around $10,000.

The next major step in “manufacturing a hit” is promotion and radio/music-video play, which can vary in cost. In regards to radio, payola, the illegal practice of offering payment for broadcasting, is still an active part of airwave promotion. To avoid getting busted by the law, money may not blatantly exchange direct hands, but insiders take advantage of having acquaintances in radio, if not for making some new “friends.” Most stations purport that playlists are now based on audience market research results, but some still question broadcast practices. Promotional costs (which can include the artist’s air fare, advertisement spots, etc.) can reach up to 1 million. With this type of expensive bill, I imagine record labels get testy when singles like Rihanna’s “Man Down,” which is anticipated to be a smash, under-perform. Artists generally don’t see a dime from their own record sales until the label has recouped all of their expenditures. In the event that the finances are not returned, an artist may be indebted to the record label, get released from their contract or dropped. Sometimes artists get bogusly blamed for under-performance, particularly if they’ve had artistic input. On one season of MTV’s “Making the Band,” P. Diddy implied to Donny Klang that his single at the time wasn’t taking off because he wasn’t promoting it enough himself. 

My beef with these camp systems is that they kill the existence of custom-made quality songs. The tracks aren’t built around the lyrics and the lyrics aren’t built around the artist. That sucks all the heart and soul out of the music. How can you expect for an artist to perform a song with feeling when all they did was come in and record what someone else molded together?  Artists who gain more creative control and input can add a personal touch, but even those with producing or writing prowess like Robin Thicke, get their neck stepped on by label associates who are only concerned with the financial end; as if quality music won’t bring in quality dollars (some make the argument that only shallow music garners the big bucks, but those who make quality music have longevity and generate dollars more consistently). Thicke stated in a magazine interview that exec Jimmy Iovine told him that they would have to hand out narcolepsy pills with “The Evolution of Robin Thicke” and wanted the singer to “make Billie Jean” and reshape the project. As it was, “The Evolution” ended up making Thicke a household name, despite Iovine’s predictions.

Camp systems also allow room for producers and writers to be lazy and not give their best. Heavily requested because they’re “the hottest producer (or writer) out there,” they try to meet the high demand, which can lead to the same tracks and lyrics being rearranged, matched and reused to save time. If two songs sound similar, it’s likely that the same person produced it. The record label just paid $35,000 for a song that’s essentially recycled. Hmph. Song recycling and recruitment of the same 5 popular hit-makers ultimately leads to redundancy in mainstream music and fatigued listeners, who feel that much less inspired to legally purchase music. If listeners don’t feel like a song or album is worth their dime and they don’t pull out their wallet, record label income reduces and the artists make even less. Writing camps are designed to make bank for record labels and save time, but one could argue they do anything but.