If ANTI had a centerpiece, it is arguably "Needed Me." Produced by DJ Mustard and Twice as Nice, the track sits at the intersection of R&B and house, but presented with a swagger that is purely Rihanna. It is a masterclass in detachment. She delivers scathing lyrics about a casual relationship with a coldness that is palpable. The song became a sleeper hit, resonating because it flipped the script on heartbreak; here, Rihanna is not the victim, but the apex predator. It encapsulates the ethos of the album: independent, unbothered, and in control.
A brash, trap-house anthem. “Pose for the cameras, fuck what they think.” This track belongs on the deluxe version because it is too unpolished for the standard. It feels like a mixtape cut, celebrating the chaos of fame. Rihanna - ANTI -Deluxe- -2016-Album-
The standard album closer. A piano ballad that whispers rather than shouts. It feels like a lullaby after a bar fight. If ANTI had a centerpiece, it is arguably "Needed Me