Keeping the ball rolling into 2016 with the plethora of hit albums from 2015, Rihanna continues the trend with her eighth studio album, Anti. There had been much hype building up to the official unveiling of this highly anticipated album, with everything from dragged out date and name changes, to singles dropped in between that didn’t even make the cut, to the inevitable gossip around it’s direction, who’s been working on it, supposed features and so on… But after teasing fans by leaking the album exclusively on Tidal to an allotted number of users for a free download, she finally released the full project on all streaming services a few days later.Being an Apple Music subscriber myself, I was one of the people waiting for it to be officially released to the public at large. Earlier today, I finally got a chance to really sit down and listen to the album in it’s entirety from front to back (like I usually do with most albums), and man, I honestly don’t even know where to start. In a matter of 16 tracks, totaling at 52 minutes, RiRi takes us through highs and lows of all sorts and everywhere in between to provide a one of a kind experience. I couldn’t tell you if it’s the variety of music from the assortment of different genres, the infectious productions laced with Rihanna’s captivating vocals, or simply the deep emotional grasp that each track carries, but whatever it is, it’s got me hooked.Even though it is categorized as just pop on the different music services, believe me, it is far from just that. Rihanna shows us all the different sides of her in this, from her softer, more intimate self in songs like Yeah, I Said It, Close to You, and Never Ending, to her iconic bad girl persona in songs like Woo and Pose. As for the rest of the tracks, they all file somewhere into the categories of your classic ballads, typical pop, Neo-Soul/R&B joints and a kind of dreamy alternative. No matter what caters to you, there is something for everyone here. This may come as a bold statement to some, but I genuinely think this may be her best work yet, and that is not a light remark given she’s been killin’ it in the industry for about 10 years now. There are only two key features in this project coming from TDE’s soulful songstress, SZA, on the opening track, Consideration, and her long time associate, Drake, on the previously released single, Work. Some of the noteworthy accredited talents that worked on this LP include Timbaland, DJ Mustard, The Weeknd, James Fauntleroy and The Dream, along with other award-winning acts.

Although every song is truly remarkable in their own respective ways, there are a few choice favorites that I’ve had on repeat since I finished going through the whole album. These include Consideration, James Joint, Yeah, I Said It, Same Ol’ Mistakes, and Sex With Me. All in all, this was a tremendous effort done by Rihanna and all those that contributed to the making of this masterpiece, and I have confidence that you all will love this as much as I did. You can stream the deluxe version below via Spotify, or you can purchase the album here on iTunes.