Anti
by Rihanna
User Score
7.9

Generally favorable reviews- based on 2154 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1,714 out of 2154
  2. Mixed: 135 out of 2154
  3. Negative: 305 out of 2154

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  1. albix33
    May 20, 2016
    10
    Anti is a departure from Rihanna's previous material, leaving behind the club and dance genres of her previous releases for a predominantly pop and R&B[30] [31] album with elements of dancehall and soul. The album's production has been characterized as being, dark, sparsely layered, bouncy, with lo-fi bass, old school styles, downtempo moodiness and electro-soul minimalism. Lindsay ZoladzAnti is a departure from Rihanna's previous material, leaving behind the club and dance genres of her previous releases for a predominantly pop and R&B[30] [31] album with elements of dancehall and soul. The album's production has been characterized as being, dark, sparsely layered, bouncy, with lo-fi bass, old school styles, downtempo moodiness and electro-soul minimalism. Lindsay Zoladz of Vulture believed that "to neatly classify Anti by genre, you'd have to invent one," which she described as being "industrial dancehall". Ben Rayner of The Toronto Star stated that Anti is divided into two halves; the first consisting of "futuristic robo-R&B", whilst the second half contains "a more organic breed of soul".

    The album's lyrical content predominantly touches upon themes of relationships, exploring what it means to be in love, to get hurt, to need someone, and to be true to yourself.The theme of relationships is picked up in numerous songs; "Kiss It Better" sees Rihanna questioning how far an ex-lover will go to get her back; in "Woo", Rihanna turns spiteful, stating she does not care for her ex-partner, while "Never Ending" features Rihanna admitting she would like to be in love again. The album's themes were also noted as being unapologetic, with an uncaring attitude, and self-assurance.

    During the album's recording Rihanna aimed to create an album that was both "soulful" and "aggressive", elaborating on this she stated that the aggressive and soulful themes would be heard in the musical, lyrical and vocal context.During a press conference in early 2014, Rihanna told MTV News that she aimed to depart from the musical style of her previous releases, which she described as being "big songs. From the jump, they just blow up." Rihanna continued to state that with Anti she would be focusing on music that "felt real" and soulful and would be timeless. She also stated that she wanted to record songs that could be "timeless" and that she could perform 15 years later. "Not any songs that were burnt out. I find that when I get on stage now, I don't want to perform a lot of my songs. They don't feel like me."    … Expand
  2. cfc38
    Jul 28, 2016
    8
    Although different and not as poppy as her earlier work, Anti surely doesn't lack the fun aspect of the album and is hopefully just a taste of what's to come from the, artistically, highest growing pop star on the planet..
  3. MisaOlive
    May 23, 2016
    10
    The new album of Rihanna is really different from all the things we saw in "Music of the Sun" to "Unapologetic". As its name implies, "Anti", the album against everything that Rihanna has done. The songs have a footprint over 80s to 90s, classic ballads, and it's all very danceable and wonderful. This is a great Rihanna album that captivated me from the first time I heard.
  4. Jasos
    Nov 30, 2016
    10
    Senza ombra di dubbio, il miglior album di rihanna, se non il migliore album dell'anno. Rompe gli schemi, va oltre e si sbilancia con uno stile più maturo e raffinato senza abbandonare l'anima che tutti conosciamo e a cui siamo affezionati.
  5. WANGWEST
    May 30, 2016
    10
    ANTI is one of those albums you should put on your wishlist and listen to on Spotify over and over again, especially WORK. From badgirl songs like Needed Me and emotionally high songs like Love On The Brain, this is an album that will be put down as one of the best albums of the year!
  6. CriticMLT
    Jul 2, 2016
    7
    Well done Rihanna you mange to release once again a great album . This album is so good and very different. the production to the vocals are all amazing and very well written songs. The collaborations are amazing as well. Well done queen RiRi.
    My score:
    1. Consideration ft SZA 8/10 2. James Joint 8/10 3. Kiss it better 9/10 4. Work ft Drake 8/10 5. Desperado 7/10 6. Woo 6/10 7.    Well done Rihanna you mange to release once again a great album . This album is so good and very different. the production to the vocals are all amazing and very well written songs. The collaborations are amazing as well. Well done queen RiRi.
    My score:
    1. Consideration ft SZA 8/10
    2. James Joint 8/10
    3. Kiss it better 9/10
    4. Work ft Drake 8/10
    5. Desperado 7/10
    6. Woo 6/10
    7. Needed me 9/10
    8. Yeah, I said it 8/10
    9. Same Ol' mistakes 7/10
    10. Never ending 8/10
    11. Love on the brain 8/10
    12. Higher 7/10
    13. Close to you 8/10
    overall: 77.7    … Expand
  7. virajshankar
    Jun 24, 2016
    10
    This album is one of the most compelling and unique album to date that Rihanna has created. Nearly all the songs are very well crafted, from the ghostly feel of "Desperado" to the glitchy "Consideration". Here is a run through of each track on "Anti".

    Consideration: 10/10 The perfect "I don't give a f*ck" opener James Joint: 10/10 The interlude with seducing and sexy vocals Kiss    This album is one of the most compelling and unique album to date that Rihanna has created. Nearly all the songs are very well crafted, from the ghostly feel of "Desperado" to the glitchy "Consideration". Here is a run through of each track on "Anti".

    Consideration: 10/10 The perfect "I don't give a f*ck" opener

    James Joint: 10/10 The interlude with seducing and sexy vocals

    Kiss It Better: 10/10 The 80's and 90's throwback

    Work: 9/10 The Dancehall/Reggae smash (a little hard to understand at times)

    Desperado: 10/10 The ghost track, and one of the most unique

    Woo: 6/10 The experiment which went really wrong

    Needed Me: 8/10 The most squeaky unpolished track on the album

    Yeah, I Said It: 10/10 The confidence and physical attention track

    Same Ol' Mistakes 10/10 The psychedelic reflective track

    Never Ending: 10/10 The vulnerable, unfuturistic track

    Love On The Brain: 10/10 The ultimate comfort food track

    Higher: 10/10 The slightly orchestral cut, with regrets and promises

    Close To You: 10/10 The "can you be with me forever" song

    Total: 9.5/10

    There is only one throwaway in this album, otherwise a giant step up from Unapologetic and one of Rihanna's best albums. And though this is definitely not what I expected, in the end in far succeeded my expectations. Along with LOUD, this is Rihanna's best and most confident album to date.    … Expand
  8. lUcOzAdExx
    Jun 23, 2016
    7
    In my personal opinion this album would've been better if some of the songs were deleted and replaced with FourFiveSeconds, American Oxygen and **** Better Have My Money. Anyway is not a bad album, but its definitely not her best.
  9. itsrenanyall
    Jun 23, 2016
    8
    Proud of Rihanna, she got to a point in her career where she doesn't need to bring that mainstream pop to just blow minds and get her songs to the top 10. She's just so incredible that everyone knows it and will buy her albums. Not my favorite album from her but still one of the best ones ever.
  10. jarbv
    Jul 1, 2016
    10
    Finally, it doesn't seem like Rihanna has a ton of overproduced pop chart-topping hits, and the album seems coherent and has a much better note. Huge fan of this album compared to her others.
  11. parkdog123
    Jul 19, 2016
    10
    What an AMAZING ALBUM! I really do love this album although I am not the biggest fan of rap I love Rihanna's sound in "Kiss It Better" and one of my favorites "Close To You". Her vocals also shine in her hit "Love On The Brain" also. "Work" for sure will get you going right? Haha. One of the best albums out there.
  12. Max_Jornae
    Jul 23, 2016
    10
    Rihanna definitivamente demostro su capacidad en este album ademas de cambiar su estilo sin duda una de sus mejores eras que deja grandes canciones...este al bum merece mayor reconocimiento
  13. cocorlt98
    Jul 31, 2016
    9
    One of the best of Rihanna ! I love the mix of different genre like Dance with Work, Pop with Kiss it Better, RnB with Needed Me, and more all throughout the album ! The album also mix slow and soft songs with dance and catchy songs ! It's a real good album !
  14. mike13
    Aug 24, 2016
    10
    The reason I like this record beginning to end has zip to do with whether it documents her sexual mood swings more proudly or soulfully. The presentational Rihanna is so unlike anyone I know that she can say anything she wants about her musical punany as long as she leaves Chris Brown out of it--with this artist, sex is figurative, symbolic, the mark of a pleasure taker turned pleasureThe reason I like this record beginning to end has zip to do with whether it documents her sexual mood swings more proudly or soulfully. The presentational Rihanna is so unlike anyone I know that she can say anything she wants about her musical punany as long as she leaves Chris Brown out of it--with this artist, sex is figurative, symbolic, the mark of a pleasure taker turned pleasure provider. So Anti is her best album for a reason so simple it's tautological--despite its supposed rejection of track-and-hook mechanics, it features catchier songs. True, the main time they really make me go woo is when she breaks into gibberish at the end of "Work." But then some German hands her "Love on the Brain," the best new doowop song in decades, which segues perfectly to a power entreaty avec drunk violins, after which the album proper goes out on a piano-enhanced coda that adds a nice sweetness. Only instead of savoring this narrative arc, why don't you just proceed to the three bonus tracks, which top an M.I.A. move with none other than "Sex With Me"?… Expand
  15. Timi
    Aug 26, 2016
    7
    Disliking the whole album at the beginning, I think, there are some real gems in the end. "Higher", "Love on the Brain" and "Kiss it better" are timeless songs for me. "Consideration" and "Desperado" may be personal favourites just for now, still i cannot stop listening to them.
  16. fentyzami99
    Aug 26, 2016
    10
    yaaaaaaaaaaasss queen, ANTI is an amazing album , kiss it better is an underrated amazing song, buy anti on itunes , Rihanna surprises me every day ,the songs were very different from what I expected but still liked it good job rih
  17. NETMUSIC
    Jun 18, 2017
    10
    One the most interesting and original albums of this decade! An amazing album.

    Best Song(s):
    Work
    Needed Me
    Consideration
    Kiss It Better
    Love On the Brain
    Pose
    Sex with Me
    Desperado

    Worst Song(s):
    Never Ending
  18. amatus
    Oct 16, 2016
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Rihanna's most interesting body of work to date that shows her setting new highs for herself. A complicated listen that may not sit well with more pop oriented listeners on a first listen, but after giving it another chance, we learn more about Rihanna than we have from her other albums. The vocal power on Anti is enough to rival the likes of her previous albums that saw her exert her voice to its very limits (Rated R and certain highlights on Unapologetic ring to mind). If you were expecting a pop effort from the Rihanna that released repetitive pop albums every year since Loud all the way up to Unapologetic, skip Anti.

    Consideration - A fantastic way to open the album. Rihanna's vocal grit combined with SZA's soothing interludes set the scene for Anti. [9/10]

    James' Joint - Essentially a soothing 2 minute interlude, giving an impression that Anti is sort of a stoner album, targeted towards those who are meant to sit back and relax. Look at it any other way than that and you wont find anything special. [5/10]

    Kiss It Better - This song had the Navy in arms when snippets were released, and the full song does not disappoint. [9/10]

    Work - We've all heard it, we all like it. Rihanna delivers, yet Drake appears more annoying this year in his painfully droll Views era than ever before. [6/10]

    Desperado - This song, along with Consideration and Kiss It Better prove to set a new standard for a Rihanna album. An interestingly unique song that sees Rihanna as some western vigilante on the run. [7/10]

    Woo - This is a song that would serve excellently as a mainstream single; it suits the listening standards of today's radio audience, you can dance to it, sing along to it, and relate to it if you're that type of Rihanna fan. [8/10]

    Needed Me - Spotify USA's highest streamed song by a female artist and who can blame the US? It's catchy, strong, and along with 'Woo', it depicts Rihanna as a strong figure who doesn't need a man. [7/10]

    Yeah, I Said It - The album's strongest R&B soothing sensation. We hear backing vocals from Rihanna that can send chills down your spine, why it wasn't on the setlist for her tour, we'll never know. [9/10]

    Same Ol' Mistakes - A Tame Impala cover that has its own Rihanna flavour incorporated. [7/10]

    Never Ending - A song I struggle with. Does it bore me, or does it evoke a more indie vibe on Rihanna's behalf? [5/10]

    Love On The Brain - If 'Never Ending' bored you to sleep, Rihanna's extraordinary vocal prowess on track 11 will have DRAGGED you out of that sleep. By far the strongest song on the album. [10/10]

    Higher - Along with Love on the Brain, another emotional song that sees Rihanna hit new highs that most pop girls struggle to meet. [9/10]

    Close To You - By the time we reach this song, we reach a conclusion; Rihanna is sad. She may appear to be a booming presence on the dance floor when songs like 'Work', 'Woo', and 'Needed Me' make themselves apparent, but like she said on Unapologetic's strongest point 'Mother Mary', she swears she wants to change, and here is where the change shows. [8/10]

    BONUS TRACKS

    Goodnight Gotham - Like James Joint, it does nothing very spectacular. If anything it serves as an opener to the album's biggest club bangers. [5/10]

    Pose - The 'Pour It Up' of the Anti era. The Rihanna we all know and love stomps triumphantly onto the dance floor after wiping her tears away in the bathroom thanks to the last three tracks of the standard edition. The song serves no lyrical brilliance, but as a guilty pleasure, it's highly favorable. [7/10]

    Sex With Me - This finishing track has a love/hate relationship with the Billboard 100. It appears for a while, disappears, and reappears again, despite not being a single. It is everything that 'Needed Me' strives to be, and that is a good, well rounded Rihanna club song. [9/10]

    OVERALL SCORE - 75%

    SUMMARY - Rihanna is back, and with music like this, she better not leave again.    … Expand
  19. samwich21
    Jun 10, 2017
    10
    The production on this album is absolutely gorgeous. The DJ Mustard-produced "Needed Me" is a standout. Rihanna's vocals are at their best. I like this new and improved RiRi. It's much better than Unapologetic.
  20. diegoll16
    Nov 20, 2016
    10
    O álbum mais diversificado e autoral da barbadiana, letras cheias de personalidade e melodias que ficam na cabeça, mascantes e sempre presentes, esse é o ANTI, cd duma artista que se reinventa. parabéns rihanna.
  21. victorcarter
    Nov 21, 2016
    7
    easily the best rihanna has given us yet. there was some really dark and heavy production on this LP that was matched very well with rihanna's voice. some songs were really well done, went hard and are well rounded.
  22. kennyrichie94
    Nov 25, 2016
    7
    This is the best Rihanna album in terms of concept and fillers... but that's not saying much if you really compare talent with pairs like Alicia Keys, Beyonce or even Gaga herself, nonetheless it is a 7/10 effort worth listening and working to it but that's about it.
  23. popstyle
    Dec 18, 2016
    10
    The album is amazing Rihanna shows who she's really is in the tracks. She stopped doing music just for hits she stars doing music based in what she feels. I think she need more albums like Anti
  24. OVO_Nate
    May 14, 2017
    10
    Easily one of Rihanna's best projects! It is so different from her previous albums, this is not really an album to dance to. There is no dubstep or electro-pop songs on here, a lot of it is very personal, which I love. The production on this album is amazing, and there are only 2 features, which means there is more of Rihanna! My personal favorites are "Yeah, I Said It" "Needed Me" "LoveEasily one of Rihanna's best projects! It is so different from her previous albums, this is not really an album to dance to. There is no dubstep or electro-pop songs on here, a lot of it is very personal, which I love. The production on this album is amazing, and there are only 2 features, which means there is more of Rihanna! My personal favorites are "Yeah, I Said It" "Needed Me" "Love On The Brain" "Pose" and "Sex With Me". The weakest song on the album is "Woo", but it grew on me. One of my top favorite albums of 2016! Buy this!… Expand
  25. migue_jd
    Jan 19, 2017
    10
    Este álbum es uno de los mejores álbumes que pueda tener Rihanna. La canción Love On The Brain la salva. Posteriormente los ritmos te hacen sentir bien al igual que las letras en cada una de sus canciones. Este álbum se merece esas nominaciones en los Grammy y estoy seguro que va a ganar cada uno de ellos. Rihanna se ha reinventado al sacar este álbum
  26. kevindouglas
    Jun 12, 2018
    9
    Um grande salto de qualidade em sua carreira que deve permanecer em seus próximos trabalhos.

    Consideration: 10
    James Joint: 10
    Kiss It Better: 10
    Work: 9
    Desperado: 8
    Woo: 9
    Needed Me: 7
    Yeah, I Said It: 10
    Same Ol' Mistakes: 9
    Never Ending: 10
    Love on the Brain: 9
    Higher: 10
    Close to You: 10
    Goodnight Gotham: ?
    Pose: 6
    Sex With Me: 8

    Total: 9
  27. gonzilo
    Feb 24, 2017
    9
    Anti es una declaración de intenciones que, tras una larguísima espera por parte de fans y medios, ha llegado en forma de un proyecto arriesgado y que no ha salido del todo mal.
    Alejado de la radiofórmula habitual en Rihanna, Anti profundiza nuevos ámbitos en su música y sobretodo nos deja ver una faceta alternativa suya que estábamos deseando conocer.
  28. libr
    Mar 16, 2017
    8
    Every artist, the great one, should have an album that reflects their experimental and artistry of their musicality. 'Anti' probably Rihanna experimental artistry one, and her best to date.

    A beautiful mess LP, it contains Consideration, a solid dub-hip hop opener with a bold statement, "I can do whatever I want (and people will like whatever I do)". Kiss It Better shows her rock-R&B    Every artist, the great one, should have an album that reflects their experimental and artistry of their musicality. 'Anti' probably Rihanna experimental artistry one, and her best to date.

    A beautiful mess LP, it contains Consideration, a solid dub-hip hop opener with a bold statement, "I can do whatever I want (and people will like whatever I do)". Kiss It Better shows her rock-R&B style with gleaming electric guitar plays. Same Ol' Mistakes shows us if she is a great karaoke singer. But her magical moment is Love on the Brain and Higher, both are doo-wop inspired songs with great vocal delivers that make us like, "finally she can sing!"

    Lyrically, his songs revolves around today's pop themes. Similar themes with previous Rihanna's albums, which is a downside of 'Anti'.

    But still, when everyone hoping bangers, she gave us her raw inner side R&B which delightful as you play it more and more. [81/100]    … Expand
  29. manu_carnevale
    Apr 5, 2017
    7
    I like it but I think this is not the best Rihanna could do.

    vocals: 6.5/10 (she should study the technique a little bit more)
    lyrics: 6/10 (nothing special)
    singles: 8/10 (loved Love on the brain)
  30. LaloSoto
    Apr 11, 2017
    10
    Totalmente inesperado, es un album muy bien elaborado y con muy buenas canciones como Love on the brein, Kiss it better, Needed me, Higher, tiene sonidos muy diferentes y es algo muy diferente a lo que ha hecho Rihanna, con este album no queda duda de que Rihanna puede cantar todo tipo de genero.
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Awards & Rankings

4
#4 Most Discussed Album of 2016
10
#10 Most Shared Album of 2016

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
73

Generally favorable reviews - based on 31 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 22 out of 31
  2. Mixed: 9 out of 31
  3. Negative: 0 out of 31
  1. Uncut
    Feb 29, 2016
    80
    One of the most coherent and surprising big-ticket pop albums in years. [Apr 2016, p.79]
  2. HipHopDX
    Feb 23, 2016
    72
    In many ways, ANTI is a step in the right direction for Rihanna, creatively.
    Read full review
  3. Mojo
    Feb 22, 2016
    80
    It's confusing, with flaky endings and mood swings, and an utterly compelling mix of not caring at all and desperately caring. [Apr 2016, p.87]
See all critic reviews »