On first listen, Rihanna’s new track ‘Diamonds’ is a bit of a shock, it’s so different to anything she’s done before. With no heavy club riff, no sexy lyrics and a twinkly gentle beat could this be Rihanna turning away from Nicki Minaj and towards artists like Lana Del Rey?
Since the song is so different, it’s hard to compare it to any of her other work. Instead this stand-alone single is a symbol of the her versatility: she’s one of the biggest artists in the world and even at the top of her game she can adapt and isn’t afraid to experiment with her sound, even when it’s already working.
Having said all that, the flip side of this change is that the sound hasn’t quite been honed yet. At times the song is repetitive and it could have done with more backing instruments to keep it interesting.
A stepping stone in a new direction is exciting, but she doesn’t quite pull it off in this initial attempt, a 10 for effort Rihanna but a 6 for achievement.
6/10
