The coquettish and sassy Rihanna is back with her newest album ‘Talk That Talk.’ Similarly to her previous album, ‘Loud,’ this album’s songs reveal Rihanna’s kinkiness along with her carefree attitude. However, unlike ‘Loud,’ ‘Talk That Talk’s songs mostly consisted of techno beats rather than her usual hip-hop, Caribbean flair, with the exception of a few songs.
The first hit single off the album was ‘We Found Love,’ featuring Scottish singer/songwriter/producer Calvin Harris. This song reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100, making Rihanna the first female artist to have 15 singles reach number one on the Billboard Hot 100 in the shortest amount of time, placing her in front of artists such as Janet Jackson and Stevie Wonder.
Rihanna wouldn’t be the person she is if she didn’t have sexy, flirtatious songs. ‘Talk That Talk’ included many tracks that can only be described in a couple of words: extremely sexual and meant to tease. One of the songs on this album is ‘Cockiness (Love It).’ With a hip-hop beat and lyrics such as “suck my cockiness, lick my persuasion,” it’s safe to say this album was not intended for a pre-teen audience.
Her frisky lyrics did not stop there. ‘Birthday Cake’ was one of the most provocative songs on the album. “I know you wanna bite this. It’s so enticing. Nothin’ else like this.” It’s safe to say this reference wasn’t directed towards an actual birthday cake.
‘Talk That Talk’ wasn’t an album entirely full of provocative and salacious songs; Rihanna’s ability to make relatable, emotional songs did not go unnoticed. ‘You Da One’ was one of the album’s most playful and innocent songs. The lyrics of this song describe the typical urges and feelings that come along with a newly found love. ‘Where Have You Been’ was one of the album’s most upbeat and techno songs. After the first verse, the beat drops and is then continued with Rihanna’s powerful voice.
As an artist with the ability to have 15 number one hits it’s almost impossible to expect anything besides musical brilliance from Rihanna. Hitting iTunes and stores on November 21, her sixth studio album, ‘Talk That Talk,’ is as flirtatious and provocative as many of her previous albums. However, this album was not a repetition of any of her other albums. It had its own edginess, and undoubtedly, songs that many will sing along to until Rihanna is back in the studio once more.