Rihanna; Talk That Talk

Kirsty Hoggins

If there’s one thing Rihanna knows how to do, it’s how to reinvent herself. With every album we see a new quirky edge and style that keeps her relevant. This album is no different. Keeping in trend with the dance craze taking over music, Talk That Talk is full of floor-fillers and dance beats that keep Rihanna relevant in the moving ways of the industry. Dance songs such as Where Have You Been and You Da One are undeniably catchy and perfect for getting anybody in the party mood.

In true Rihanna style, the main theme of the album can be summed up in one word; Sex. ‘Talk That Talk’ pushes boundaries with even raunchier songs than ever which are almost guaranteed to cause further controversy throughout the world. The song that stands out as the most controversial has to be Cockiness (Love It) which if released as a single will probably cause the same immense whirlwind of debate as former Rihanna single S&M.

Aspects of the album that certainly don’t disappoint are the collaborations RiRi’s known so well for. Having collaborated with many artists in the past such as Kanye West and Eminem, we all look forward to a good duet from Rihanna. ‘Talk That Talk’ see’s Rihanna put work together with Calvin Harris on the fantastic feel good song, We Found Love and King of hip-hop Jay-Z for Talk That Talk. If there’s one thing to look forward to on this album it’s Jay-Z’s refreshing rap which is certainly made to impress.

However, my overall opinion of the album isn’t a positive one. ‘Talk That Talk’ is full of over-processed, album fillers, but can we expect anything more with Rihanna managing to push out a new album yearly? The fact that this album has been rushed is obvious. How much work can she be putting into her music if she doesn’t even have a suitable amount of time to put it together? Birthday Cake is only ONE MINUTE long, which would be understandable if it was strong enough to stand alone as a piece of music, but it’s not even memorable.

‘Talk That Talk’ redeems itself with three relatable ballads that tug at our heart-strings and stand out as the only credible pieces of music on the album. In We All Want Love, Drunk On Love and Farewell Rihanna sings about love and the personal struggles we all have. Drunk On Love produces a particularly strong vocal that would evoke emotion in anybody, and who can’t relate to the struggle for love?

‘Talk That Talk’ is the perfect album for anybody looking for some light-hearted music and catchy beats, but it would be a lie to say that this is some of Rihanna’s best work. Most of these songs will be forgotten within a year or so and deleted from your iTunes library. It’s okay for a bit of a dance, but it’s definitely not a ground-shaking album that’ll move you to the core and remind you of your passion music.