A cultural reset. Over a DJ Mustard beat, Rihanna dismisses a lover as nothing more than a “needy one.” It is icy, empowered, and savage. The 2016 Album used this track to redefine breakup anthems for the late 2010s. (The music video, where she shoots her lover in a motel, is iconic).
To understand the Rihanna - ANTI -Deluxe- -2016-Album-, you have to look at the three years leading up to it. After 2012’s Unapologetic (which featured the massive hit "Diamonds"), Rihanna had become a billionaire in waiting—not just from music, but from her Fenty Beauty line and Puma collaborations. She didn't need an album. Fans were starving, but Rihanna took her time.
The lead single, "Work" (featuring Drake), initially confused radio programmers. It wasn't a typical four-on-the-floor dance track; it was a dancehall-infused, patois-heavy jam that sounded like a late-night club session rather than a manufactured hit. The rest of the album followed suit.
ANTI rejects the loudness war of 2010s pop. It breathes. It creaks. It feels analog. Rihanna cited influences ranging from Tame Impala to Stevie Nicks, and the final product is a hazy, soulful, and rebellious take on R&B, pop, and rock.
1. "Consideration" (feat. SZA) Before SZA became a global superstar with Ctrl, she was the secret weapon on this opening track. The song sets the tone: "I got to do things my own way, darling." It’s a mission statement about artistic freedom. The distorted bass and Rihanna’s snarled vocals tell us immediately: this is not the "Umbrella" girl anymore. Rihanna - ANTI -Deluxe- -2016-Album-
2. "James Joint" An interlude that lasts only 1:12. Named after a marijuana strain (or a play on "Jane's Joint"), it’s a fuzzy, R&B daydream. It bridges the gap between the defiance of "Consideration" and the sadness to come.
3. "Kiss It Better" A fan-favorite that should have been a massive hit. This track channels 80s rock ballads (think Prince or The Cure). Rihanna’s vocals are drenched in reverb as she begs a lover to fix their relationship. The guitar solo is gritty; the lyrics are desperate. It’s the heart of the album.
4. "Work" (feat. Drake) The undeniable smash. Love it or hate it, "Work" is genius in its repetition. The phrase "Work, work, work, work, work" mimics the monotony of a failing relationship. Drake’s verse is smooth, but Rihanna’s patois steals the show. It is the album's only concession to radio, but it fits perfectly.
Here is where the Rihanna - ANTI -Deluxe- -2016-Album- separates itself from the standard pressing. A cultural reset
14. "Sex With Me" If "Needed Me" was the breakup, "Sex With Me" is the morning after. It is a masterclass in double-entendre. The song is not just about physical acts; it’s about her legacy. "Sex with me is so amazing." On the surface, it’s cocky. Beneath it, she’s comparing the addictiveness of her personality to the act itself. The beat is a deconstructed version of the "Work" instrumental—slower, weirder, and stickier. It turned into a platinum hit despite never being a formal single.
15. "Pose" This track feels like a runway. It’s brash, club-ready, and lyrically simple: "Pose, and let me see you get low." It sounds like a leftover from the Unapologetic sessions, but placed here, it acts as a jolt of caffeine after the slower "Close to You." The Rihanna - ANTI -Deluxe- -2016-Album- uses "Pose" to remind you that despite all the art rock and ballads, Rihanna can still make you move your hips.
16. "Goodnight Gotham" This is the strangest and most beautiful Deluxe exclusive. It is a 1-minute, 28-second reinterpretation of Florence + The Machine’s "Only If For a Night." Rihanna pitched the vocals down, added heavy 808 bass, and an air raid siren. It sounds like the end of the world at a gothic disco. Why is it called "Goodnight Gotham"? A nod to Batman? To the dark city she feels trapped in? It closes the Deluxe edition not with a resolution, but with a haunting, ambiguous echo.
5. "Desperado" A slow-burning western-tinged track. Rihanna sings about escaping a bad situation with a dangerous lover. The Kanye West production (originally intended for The Life of Pablo) is sparse and menacing. DJ Mustard beat
6. "Woo" Aggressive, industrial, and weird. Rihanna uses her lower register to taunt an ex. It’s unsettling and brilliant—the sound of someone burning a bridge with gasoline.
7. "Needed Me" Perhaps the most quotable song of 2016. Over a dark, DJ Mustard beat, Rihanna dismisses a lover as a "n---a that's weak." It’s the ultimate anti-love song: "You were just a ni--a on the side." The music video, where she shoots her ex in a motel room, solidified this as an anthem of self-worth.
8. "Yeah, I Said It" A sultry, trap-soul slow jam. It’s minimalist and explicit. Rihanna compares herself to a pill ("Take me like a drug"), and the song feels like 3 AM in an empty mansion.
The behemoth. The 15-week Billboard Hot 100 #1. However, in the context of the Rihanna - ANTI (Deluxe) - 2016 Album, "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.
The deluxe version of ANTI comprises 16 tracks (including the intro and bonus songs). Here is how they reshape the listening journey.
In the pantheon of 21st-century pop music, few moments felt as seismic, as confounding, and ultimately as brilliant as the release of Rihanna’s eighth studio album. Officially titled Rihanna - ANTI (Deluxe) - 2016 Album, this project was not just a commercial release; it was a cultural declaration of independence. When it dropped in January 2016 (via Westbury Road Entertainment and Roc Nation), it defied every radio-friendly expectation set by its predecessors (Loud, Talk That Talk, Unapologetic). This article dives deep into the making, the music, and the legacy of the ANTI (Deluxe) edition.