So, forgive me for gushing, but oh my God, you guys. The new Rihanna album. But no, like, seriously. It's everything.
Pop’s incipient queen of the universe and No. 1 hustler in the game is in rare form on Talk That Talk (out today!), taking the super-sexy party girl persona that emerged on Loud and taking it to a whole ‘nother level with some of the most delightfully filthy lyrics this side of Too Short. It doesn’t hurt that the production is unvaryingly on point, as hitmakers like Dr. Luke and Stargate shred your speakers with beats that literally got us pregnant (well, not literally), and top writers like Ri's go-to scribe Ester Dean and The-Dream busting out horned-up lyrics that would send us riding on a major LOLlercoaster if Rihanna didn't deliver them so convincingly.
In celebration of the continued sovereignty of That Rihanna Reign, here's our track-by-track guide to what you need to know about Talk That Talk:
You Da One -– Packing island swagger like "Rude Boy" or "What's My Name?" with a dissonant, sing-along chorus and a slimy dubstep break, "You Da One" is a smart choice for a second single, with lyrical genius Ester Dean and über-producer Dr. Luke delivering a hyper-current twist on the good, old-fashioned Bajan bangin' that the Bajan banger built her career making.
Where Have You Been -– We've never been hyperbolic before (actually, literally never), but it's probably safe to say that this is The Best Piece of Music Ever Recorded. The combined talents of Scottish DJ Calvin Harris and Dr. Luke bring in wistful, twangy guitars, a frantic gallop of a bassline, and sleazy grime breaks, making “Where Have You Been” the most compulsively replayable song on the album.
We Found Love –- Ri's 11th No. 1 single made "We found love in a hopeless place" the season's refrain most likely to be seen as your friend from high school's Facebook status, and with Calvin Harris' ravey instrumentation dominating the track, "We Found Love" cements her post as one of pop’s most innovative artists.
Talk That Talk -– It's only reasonable to expect that RiRi's first collab with Jay-Z since "Umbrella" would be massive, and the Stargate-produced "Talk That Talk" doesn't disappoint. Sultry and swaggerific, the title track sees Ri seductively counting on the chorus, while Jay-Z boasts about how "bitches wanna f*** me." (Ultimately, we doubt Beyoncé's too pressed about the competition.)
+ Read more of our track-by-track breakdown of Rihanna's Talk That Talk after the jump.
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