While the standard edition of ANTI ends on the triumphalist note of "Close to You," the Deluxe version provides essential texture that makes the album feel whole. The three bonus tracks act as a bridge between her Caribbean heritage and her experimental future.
A shimmering power ballad produced by Jeff Bhasker. With its 80s-rock guitar solo (courtesy of Nuno Bettencourt), the song deals with the raw nostalgia of a toxic ex.
A slow, sexual grind set to a trap beat. The title says it all. This track showcases the album’s sonic diversity—moving from rock to dancehall to minimalist porn-chill.
The Deluxe Edition adds three tracks to the 13-track standard edition, enhancing the album’s moody, adventurous atmosphere. Standard Tracks:
The behemoth. The 15-week Billboard Hot 100 #1. However, in the context of the , "Work" is not a club banger; it is a patois-laden confession of emotional labor. Drake’s verse fits the album’s theme of push-and-pull. Without the deluxe edition’s slower moments, "Work" might feel out of place, but sequenced here, it acts as the commercial anchor. Rihanna - ANTI -Deluxe- -2016-Album-
ANTI anticipated the shift toward atmospheric, genre-blurring "alternative R&B" that dominated the late 2010s. It gave permission to other pop titans—from Beyoncé with Lemonade to Taylor Swift with Folklore —to abandon the pursuit of top 40 singles in favor of cohesive, auteur-driven album experiences.
Her cover of Tame Impala’s "New Person, Same Old Mistakes" (retitled "Same Ol’ Mistakes") showcased a bold willingness to experiment with indie-rock sensibilities. Soul & Blues:
The rollout for ANTI was revolutionary and controversial.
If you want to explore more about this era, I can provide additional details.D.) While the standard edition of ANTI ends on
A heavily produced, gritty trap-influenced track that showcases a more experimental sound.
Instead, Rihanna delivered an album that was smoky, insular, muddy, and deeply psychedelic. It was the sound of a woman locking the doors of the studio, turning off the flashbulbs, and burning down her own hitmaker reputation to build something entirely authentic. Inside the Sonic World of 'ANTI'
By 2016, Rihanna had spent a decade releasing albums at a breakneck pace, frequently delivering a new LP every single year. After 2012's Unapologetic , she broke this cycle, entering a four-year hiatus that left the music industry in suspense.
The image of a child is an homage to her roots, and the blinding crown represents success—although Nachum added that he's not sure... Vanity Fair Close to You With its 80s-rock guitar solo (courtesy of Nuno
The exhibition included a piece of art which defined the album's title, stating that anti is "a person opposed to a particular pol...
Have you listened to the full deluxe edition? Share your favorite deep cut—"Sex with Me" vs. "Higher"—in the comments below.
"I sometimes fear that I am misunderstood. It is simply because what I want to say... won’t be heard."