ANTi by Rihanna explained track By Track; a thread.
⚠ - This album has tracks that are open to any interpretation. Majority weren’t explained by Rihanna or the other writers. So this thread is basically the interpretation of different ppl NOT MINE. So you might not agree or “see” the song that way.
ANTi is Rihanna’s eighth studio album released on January 28, 2016.

The album spawned the number one Drake assisted hit “Work,” which as of April 18th 2016, has spent nine consecutive weeks atop of Billboard Hot 100.
CONSIDERATION FT. SZA — Rihanna considers the scope of her career. She wants to be considered a serious artist, not just an entertainer, which Rih means writing and producing her own work. It’s about her maturing as an artist.
JAMES JOINT (Interlude) — The name “James Joint” is due to the fact that it was co-written by James Fauntleroy. He confirmed on Twitter that the track was named for him. It can be a love song or just about weed...maybe both.
KISS IT BETTER - Rihanna wants her ex to “kiss it better”—with the “it” not being the lips—because she wants to rekindle their relationship, although not necessarily romantically. They won’t look into each eyes yet.
WORK FT. DRAKE - Rihanna seeks a deep meaningful connection, however the male character she sings to (Played by Drake) is only interested in something superficial. This narrative is similar to their previous collaborations 2010's “What’s My Name” and “Take Care”.
DESPERADO - She sings about a “Desperado” (someone in the run), either literally or metaphorically. She struggles in their relationship and wonders whether she can run away with him or if she will get left behind. She is forceful and vulnerable.
WOO — begins with Rihanna singing jealously to an ex about his new girl, telling him to “Send for me.” But by the end she’s asserted her independence once again: “I don’t even care about you no more,” she sings.
NEEDED ME — Rihanna doesn’t need a prince charming. Her suitors are acting a fool if they think they can “woo” her. You just don’t try to tame a bad bitch—you’ll end up as hurt as the guys that came before you.
YEAH, I SAID IT - finds Rihanna in full blown sex mode, detailing her desire for an aggressive romp in the bedroom but without asking for any sort of relationship status (“we don’t need a title”).
SAME OL MISTAKES — Same Ol’ Mistakes,” is a cover of Tame Impala’s 2015 Currents closer “New Person, Same Old Mistakes.” . The impulse to change and the fear of changing too much are at odds until the bridge, which suggests some synthesis.
NEVER ENDING — this track deals with the conflicting feelings that come with falling in love again after a torturous break-up. The refrain, too, wants to keep things simple: “It doesn’t have to feel so strange to be in love again.”
LOVE ON THE BRAIN — it is about a love sick addiction to those chemically derived emotions our brains use to convince us we are codependent upon and thus bound by an unrelenting need for a man’s “conditional love.”
HIGHER — Rihanna compared the song to “a drunk voicemail” in Vogue’s April 2016 cover story:
You know he’s wrong, and then you get drunk and you’re like, ‘I could forgive him. I could call him. I could make up with him.’ Just, desperate.
CLOSE TO YOU — Lyrically, the song deals with the singer’s struggle to move on from a past love. Even that her partner is unaffected by their breakup, she feels the need to shower him with love and attention.
GOODNIGHT GOTHAM — In 2015, it served as the music for Christian Dior’s ad “Secret Garden 4,” also starring Rihanna. The song does not feature any vocals from the singer herself, but contains a sample of Florence and the Machine’s “Only If For a Night.”
You can follow @unapologhetto.
Tip: mention @twtextapp on a Twitter thread with the keyword “unroll” to get a link to it.

Latest Threads Unrolled: