Oh, Rihanna. Yesterday (March 25), the "FourFiveSeconds" singer surprised her fans by announcing that she would officially be releasing her new "R8" single the very next day. After teasing the track on a new app Dubsmash, "B*tch Better Have My Money" has finally been unveiled in full, and it's an intense stomper and the polar opposite of her Kanye West/Paul McCartney team up.
"B*tch Better Have My Money" is intense. We've heard Rihanna be vulnerable, sassy and loving in recent years, but we haven't heard he made and braggy like this in some time. Backed by thumping drums and rare but spacey synths, Rihanna barks out her orders in what seems to be her most "gangsta" single to date.
Of course, Rihanna has the attitude to sell this song - she barks out the chorus with a gusto that should be irritating and grating but she's fitfully intimidating. And if you're looking for your money, you're going to shout over and over again... but that doesn't mean it's going to make for a catchy lead single. Though the melody is certainly melodic and earwormmy enough to get stuck in your head all day, "B*tch Better Have My Money" lacks a juicy hook for pop fans to really sink their teeth into.
However, this song could find a happy and extended life on urban radio.
"B*tch Better Have My Money" also unfortunately falls into the common recent Rihanna trap of being just a little too repetitive. Despite not releasing a new album in three years, "B*tch Better Have My Money" is still lyrically and melodically tired, with RiRi repeating the same few notes and patterns over and over again.
Admittedly, this song isn't even an hour old, and like "FourFiveSeconds," it could end up being a grower... but for first impressions, we deserve better from "R8." Rihanna is capable of making some of the most captivating and catchy pop music out there (think "Umbrella," "Stay" or "We Found Love"), and this just isn't there.
Listen to the radio rip of "B*tch Better Have My Money" below, via Rap-Up:
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