Rihanna does NOT have the best ear in pop music. What she has over her peers is EXCEPTIONAL TASTE | Kenya Has Thoughts

Ayanna

Mariah is such a legend. She was putting out album-after-album and her pen-game never faltered.

Imani Branch

You’re proving our point about how ppl act like Beyonce doesn’t write her own stuff and how they have different standards for her than for other artists. If you actually knew anything about artistry you’d know that to do what Beyonce does—picking the samples, layering the vocals, merging the music, even mixing the music for live performances—requires a good ear. Not to mention that Beyonce IS IN the writing room on her songs. Many of the people she works with have said she’s always in the room doing the writing and the production. The only reason why she puts so many people in the credits is because she’ll credit you for a CLAP. All of this has actual evidence to back it up—with eye witnesses and video evidence—but not your claims, which is based on Lipstick Alley comments and Twitter.com. So who’s actually biased here?

Rainy Feathers

Pon di replay and umbrella minus Jay z are the only Rihanna tracks I go back to🤔

Bekah

This is the only pateron (content outside of streaming) i pay for and its worth every dollar like I'm getting my moneys worth

Willyne Smith

but hating watch and learn??

Willyne Smith

you articulated the taste vs. music (theory) affinity dichotomy well

Meg

agree with this except i love loveeee songs with future😂

SimsCCGirlie

The way I didn’t know Rated R flop because it went triple platinum in my house. Literally Rated R and Anti are my top Ri albums

Chris Lacey

the way i have been blasting desperado since i was 13, i’m now 21 😭😭. it’s one of her best songs! her b sides are definitely so slept on & people are just stuck in nostalgia with her music wise. the brand/style/aura of rihanna is what people gravitate to instead of the actual music. i’m very interested to see what she decides to do this next era. hopefully we get a better glimpse at who she is & where she’s at in life. make something innovative, fresh, and not give a damn what people got to say. like you said her taste is immaculate & she has the pull to work with the best.

A.K.

no fr like this the best subscription i pay for. kenya IS the commentary queen!!

Leigh

Lol What's my name/Loud is what got me really paying attention to Rihanna, and after that I was tuned in. The first Rihanna album I bought was Unapologetic idk why. I think something about the edginess of it resonated with me in high school

jay

I need that 1 hour deep dive into Mariah’s discography like I need air

jay

PLEASE WE NEED IT!!!

YNK

never ending is rihanna's best song.

jeauxbey

Kenya, let me tell you something. When I have to get a new debit card, I make sure to update my Patreon. You are such a treat. This deserves to be on television. Ugh

T.H.

REAL it's so good

Jelissa

Yessss on Mariah. That woman has an earrrrrr

Davonte

That part!!! 🤣🤣

Sharell Scott

I’m not a pop music girl (I just like listening to your stuff lol) but I agree with the fact that people seemed to like her music more in her absence. like when people would constantly press her about dropping more music after Anti I was just like wait since when do y’all like her music this much 😭

Treena Mathieu

Just finished this video… i don’t understand the uproar many valid points were made

Matt Joseph

Not mentioning fire bomb .. oh okay!

Jelissa

JLO and Rihanna are not that different 🫣

Jelissa

It’s my least fav album of hers but one of her best eras

Jelissa

Rightttt

KRYSTAL

The way I didn't realize she had 8 albums lmao thought it was 4 at best. She does have great taste, one of the reasons why no one questioned Fenty beauty and onwards

Elias A.H.

If Kenya is prophetically speaking Radio and Hip Hop Star (yes!!) on the Cowboy Carter Tour set list I’ll have to call Why don’t you love me to the front. I really can’t say I stand side by side with you in getting inside the mind of a Beyonce, but I’m studying the history and building the timeline in anticipation. Can’t wait to see the set list video from you. I always appreciate your work

momo

35:07 - this is exactly how people are going to move when it comes to megan in a decade....maybe even five years from now. they'll act like they weren't on the front lines of every smear campaign. i was in third grade when chris assaulted her and i remember all the nasty things people said about her, kids and adults... but another amazing video as usual < 3 EDIT: wait watch n' learn is a serveee

Danni B.

Not the Stay slander 😭😭😭

Troy King

SELL ME CANDY SUPREMACY!!!!!

Aryanna

Thank you for helping to free the collective from Cheers <3 and absolutely-Cockiness was so ahead of the time, if that song came out now, it would go crazy!

Troy King

sidenote: Anti didn't debut at number 1. It went number 1 in it's second week

Didi

Is this a bad time to admit that anti is the only Rihanna album I’ve ever actually listened to.

Nene

People were never truly here for Rihanna as an artist, they like her as a businesswoman and that’s why they were able to push her music to the side. I feel as though she’s scared of “flopping” bc her last two singles for Black Panther didn’t do well, nobody even remembers them. They didn’t do anything chart wise, and bc she took so long to get back to music, I think she’s nervous. Also, her being successful in business, has made people forget about her career in musi. Anti 460 first week sales probably traumatized her. It was so bad, I remember articles talking about how that was the end of her career, so I think that’s why she’s scared. Although people seem to have forgotten how the album was received she didn’t forget and the people who remember didn’t either. To sum up I wholeheartedly agree with you. I’m looking forward to her new era as a matured artist.

Eboni Haynes

personality, stand out looks, and likability takes you FAR.

Lavender1495

This my opinion I’m not trying to tussle with anyone😭😭😭 cuz rih got hella shooters

Lavender1495

Yeppp cuz the disconnect from her singles and the rest of the albums were 🥴 I honestly don’t get the hold rih has on some people

B.Darling

Cheers is a chop?!?! Wrong on all parts. I was in college when that came out and the hype that song created in the functions was so 🔥

Evette

I’m actually dying at the fact y’all in these comments tussling over something that quite frankly isn’t debatable. Rih got taste not an ear for music. And honestly if yall were there for her beginnings yall would truly understand the difference 😭

Eric

As someone fully there in the ANTI era, IKYK she tried to start the era 3 times, ANTI wasn’t that hated. It was more like MEH. People that were music lovers said it could be her best album on release. But Rihanna was a hitmaker and one with a lot of Euro dance hits, she a sizable white fanbase so they weren’t really feeling an album with no dance-pop songs. And the GP didn’t invest much in her albums prior. Appreciation for ANTI grew with time. Everything kind of just hit right for it to get retrospective acclaim. I really like ANTI but I do agree with Kenya that it’s not much Rihanna in there as much as it’s inspired music from others. Also, the ANTI we got isn’t the ANTI it was suppose to be. She redid the tracklist and album after Kanye was removed cause 45Seconds, American Oxygen, and BBHMM flopped.

Stephanie Feagin

I’ll hear you out about Hate That I Love You, but I don’t know about SOS being a knock off Beyonce song girl 😭😭😭 that one def feels more Rihanna

M.rachelle

There’s a reason why even Rihanna doesn’t like her other albums. Sure there are bops but to me I always felt like she music was a means to an end. My favorite albums from are Rated R and Anti. Idk why the Anti album got so much hate.

Chloé

I get why you don’t like Loud but it is sooo nostalgic to me! “Cheers” playing at the party and guys wearing their skinny jeans and shirts with her album cover on them yesssss hahaha it was a *moment* or at least in the UK it was🤣

holyrosé🔪

Yeah I guess but also I just love dance music in general

Nyongbella

Rihanna is proof in the saying 'absence makes the heart grow fonder' because I never saw people talk so much about her music until she seemingly stopped making it. I do think many just say it because it's the trend though.

Anastasia

Get it over with is one of my favorite Rihanna songs of all time

ale

Finally some sense

Imani Branch

i ain't got no dog in this fight i'm just ready for some mess

Onlygreatness18

I don’t care about Beyoncé copy and pasting songs together in her MacBook. I said what I said. Y’all are proving my point.

Chloe Brand

Beyonce would literally merge different songs together what are you on about?😅 if you had not seen the behind the scenes of what Beyonce does or what people say who worked with her say she is an amazing producer based on how she is able take bits and pieces of different songs to make one song whole and complete …idk what u on about and don’t get me started on her vocal arrangements

Robert Holmes

SKIN??? A CHOPPP????? I had to pause the video cuz that's one of Rihanna's BEST songs from her entire discography. You good, Kenya????

Jayden Brown

cheers to the weeknd was my song in 4th grade! WE CANT HAVE FUN KENYA OMG

simone

i like a lot more rihanna songs than u do it seems but i still agree with everything you said about rihanna as an artist 😭 it’s the reason why it baffles me any time someone has tried to argue to me that she is better than beyoncé at anything. it’s just not true

Kemari Ffrench

Hi

Onlygreatness18

I’m definitely not a Rihanna fan. So there’s not bias here. I’ll give Beyoncé her credit but I won’t be delusional.

Onlygreatness18

She’s credited on everything because her daddy taught her that. 💁🏾‍♂️

Onlygreatness18

But didn’t Kenya say that would be considered having good taste???

Sara

I never saw ANYONE mentioning Rihanna sneaking Cockiness into her SuperBowl Performance and it was one of my favorite moments cuz it was so cheeky. Also, Bitch Better Have My Money was SUCH a Rihanna song, like that was such a perfect song for showing her attitude and choosing songs she could relate and connect with without writing to them .

risa kim

see where did you hear that beyoncé doesn’t write her music? how do you back that up, she’s been writing songs since destiny’s child? and there’s not a song on cowboy carter where she not on the credits. and to say that beyoncé doesn’t have the gift of artistry…hm. hmmmm no.

Aminata Diouf

Baby cheers to the freakin weekend I drank to that yeahhh yeahhh I disagree with only that take queen that’s a bop

Ky

I always felt like good girl gone bad was her transitioning era. I remember rated r being so highly anticipated since it was the first project after the Chris brown incident . I feel like rated r we got a better understanding on who she is sonically but good girl gone bad was a turning point. im also biased because to me good girl gone bad is Rihanna's first album

aliya

you spilled but ntm on willing to wait!🤫

Rigo

Bias cuts both ways. You are clearly biased against Beyoncé. All opinions are valid, because art is subjective at the end of the day.

Ky

It's crazy how far her taste has brought her. The fact that people mention Rihanna with the greats (they shouldn't) like Beyonce is crazy and I know JLO wishes. The only thing Rihanna is best at is being Rihanna

K Said

Oh this is tea

K Said

Shut up and drive is NOT that girl. I can't tell you a lyric besides "shut up and drive"

K Said

Thisssss

K Said

It's suuuuch a bop!! it always gets the girls up. I love it too

Jordan

A Rihanna b side came on randomly while I was driving and omg I was like “this shit is ass”😭😭😭

Rajamani Kinard

Loved Rated R, loved Unapologetic, loved Loud as full bodies of work. I wanted to be Rihanna during her Loud era. But Anti is definitely her best work. I think the fact that all the songs are so different but yet, at least from my perspective, it totally makes sense why Rihanna would choose these songs. To me it encompasses all these different sides of Rihanna that we had not seen on her previous works. I believe that's why people connect with it so much because it's all these songs that shouldn't work together but they do and only someone with Rihanna's taste could make that happen.

Jordan

To be honest it is edm slop but in the way fast food you had as a child isn’t good but you enjoy it for the nostalgia for it😭

Jordan

Wait how do not like cheers omg ??😭😭

Taylor Haynes

no i took that personally watch n learn is my fav non single from her

Braxton Bell

Like you’ve mentioned it’s not even about writing lyrics. Knowing music theory and having a natural ear for music is what makes people with taste different than having an ear for music.

K Said

Watch'n'learn slop ???? You're kidding right? Say sike

Taylor Haynes

cheers drink to that now hold onnnnn

tay w

kenya omg. you are so right that people are confusing a good ear with having good taste. i couldn’t agree more actually. and a prime example (to me) of beyonce having the best ear is her demo of ariana grande’s r.e.m. vs the version ariana ended up releasing. like the layers she adds in, nobody else thinks of that kind of stuff. also thank you for creating a safe space for things to just be mediocre lol like anti is mid and that’s simply ok

Taylor Haynes

It might be a lot of nostalgia talking in this conversation too because like you said... yall not listening to Rihanna like you swear yall are!!! I don't ever see a spotify/apple music link to a Rihanna deep cut, like yall are being disingenuous

Abbie Nuñez

You made a comment many many videos ago. That people should stop asking Riri for an album if they have not heard all of her discography (I'm not a huge fan, so I fell under that category). So, I was like you know what, I'm gonna listen to all of her stuff. You're right. I didn't like all of it. Not all of it is good.

Taylor Haynes

I definitely get what you mean about taste vs. ear, like Beyonce comes from a place in music where she truly is a student of music as an art and is able to translate her knowledge through what she does, that is an ear. In Rihanna's defense for taste, she absolutely knows what people want to hear sans the music appreciation. You using ANTI as an example of this completely hit it on the head because yeah lets really talk about how her most critically acclaimed body of work is actually devoid of her typical Rihanna-isms...

Tyy Li

I always say artist have an old testament/new testament era once in their career (nicki with the pinkprint, beyonce with self titled, ciara with evolution, miley with bangers, ariana with sweetener) but rihanna had so many with albums that could be that for her such as good girl gone bad, rated R, and anti. but ultimately, i think rated R was that 1 album that signified her good girl gone bad era more than the good girl gone bad album itself. she was still that innocent girl from music of the sun with GGGB, but rated R? that’s the rihanna we know of till this day and that’s why it’s her new testament album. but kenya, please don’t go to crazy on Loud. to think that you can go from rated r to a loud album without an album in between just showed me why rihanna is who she is. but i have personal love for loud so i can’t critique it in a way you can without being bias BUT i will say those songs are good. i rebuke you on that

holyrosé🔪

I disagree with your opinions on her edm slop music 😭 maybe it’s because I’m genz and I grew up on those songs in the background in my bedroom ❤️ but I can see how the influx of edm music in the early 2010s was played out. I have a very fond memory of that time period.

Eva

completely off topic bc i Love whitney houston DOWN but her albums are so bad like its no reason some of those songs saw the daylight. her voice was too good to be singing that bs and everyone looks at you so crazy when i say this but ask them to name 3 songs that arent singles and not a word 💀 speaking of taste, i would love to hear about people past and present who you think have it! i fear none of the new girls i wanna like have it. Tinashe has it but the gp only likes to hear it through terribly done copies. i see sparks in tyla but her colored hands tooooo deep in everybody cookie jar and she makes STRANGE choices. normani has something too i think but she should be two albums deep by now and she is nowhere to be found so i cant respect it. i cant even say sabrina bc she was flopping for 10 years straight and as much as i like billie i feel like finneas has the real ear there. the raps girls are a bit more inspired but there are some standouts and some people doing anything 😭

Nikki

Sell me candy is one of my favorites!!! It feels like summer idk. And breaking dishes too. I’m not a rih Stan musically but when she’s good, she’s good

jaleel

The Walmart explicit conundrum!!! Takes me back to

Alissa Jadyn

You doing the “eh eh” made me realize Umbrella was written by The Dream 😭 he does that so much on the Love/Hate album

Alissa Jadyn

Yessss! Good Girl Gone Bad was a moment in time for me! My sister’s name is “Riana” so my mom was inclined to buy it because they had the same name 🤣 so we would dance around listening to the album as if my little sister was Rihanna! Say It was my fav off there though but it had mannyyyy good songs for me

Liz Huerta

I remember someone on tumblr said Rihanna had a good ear (which i think she meant taste) and it made me understand rihanna better. Because while someone like rita ora has a better voice than rihanna she doesn’t have her taste hence why Rita could never reach a Rihanna level

Alissa Jadyn

Radio has always had my heart! People talk about Single Ladies being the most obscure beat but that was Radio for me and I was in LOVE! I used to not like Why Don’t You Love me but it grew on me 😅 I had to mature

Bryce Ancil

Kenya if I can make a request 😭 we need you to run down the pop girls and tell us who has an EAR who has TASTE and who has BOTH…… and who has none (t*te mcr*e)

Blank Page

thank god she fired Kanye chile

JT

Kenya we are truly one in the same bc I was JUST telling my homegirls Rated R is eaaaaaasily Rihanna’s best album! You described Anti perfectly as a mixtape, but my goodness Rated R is absolutely perfect

Riffy

RADIO!!!! I also need it but I will be cool if we get radio for act III I want 16 Carriages/World Wide Woman, and act III I want Work It Out/6 Inch (or DHY). I love Let Me Get That off GGGB. “Got a house but I need new furniture”

Blank Page

Waittt I like fading 😭

Abbie Nuñez

VIRUSES ON THE FAMILY COMPUTER!!! SAME

Davonte

SAY IT AGAIN! That song will never get old to me and only has gotten better with time. Kenya saying that was funny cause i have nothing for shut up and drive 😭

Shady Tyrell

And she would rather die than give the fans their chosen single.

Charlie

Please!!!

Shady Tyrell

? She has to pick the songs don’t she? That requires an ear….

It's a Jar

THE TASTEEEE OMG. Such an underrated album, almost three decades into her career at that point and she made that???? That goes back to having an EAR for music

Shady Tyrell

You know who cannot pick a single to save their life? Gaga. The singles be flopping and then you listen to the album like….the hits were right there. Come to find out, the label TOLD her and she insisted on making the boring songs the singles.

Gabriel Benton

I see what you’re saying Kenya. In my defense, I hadn’t finished the video yet lol when I commented. Rated R is one of my favorites too.

kungfu

I could go on for hours. JUSTICE FOR CAUTION

kungfu

AHEAD OF ITS TIME

kungfu

kk :)

kungfu

none of these is point im making. I start the video giving tens on having that many number ones AND being highest selling single artist. Rihanna has 14 #1's because no one has better taste than her. that is not what people mean when they say you have "ear" for pop music. I have ZERO issue with Rihanna not wiring her music didn't even bring up having issue with it in here. I actually bring ups hat many of Rihanna's hits are because SHE is singing them. so I dont see your point. Aaliyah and Whitney both have weak catalogues just like Rihanna bte.

It's a Jar

One day, I would loooove a full video on Mariah Carey and her discography. You have such a unique perspective on music

kungfu

ONE OF MY FAVORITE ALBUM OPENERS OF ALL TIME

kungfu

afraid to want anything because it means you might have to get better.

Tochi 👼 💌

Im not his biggest fan, but Timothee ate down with that speech. Anyone that was offended probably is fine with mediocrity . More artists should be honest about it

Brianna

MAD HOUSE JUSTICE!!! THANK YOU !!!

Gabriel Benton

Rated R, GGGB, and Loud are her best albums to me.

Gabriel Benton

Onlygreatness18

Love you Kenya, but I have to take everything you say about pop music with a gain of salt. You are a Beyoncé Stan and yall are extremely bias. How does Beyoncé have the “best hear” in pop music, when she doesn’t even write her music? She barely plays an instruments. Beyoncé is a very talented person without the gift of artistry. That’s why she always rely on being inspired. Her no good daddy just taught her to put her name on everything. lol

Nysh

liviiiiing for the rate r love! it’s been my favorite album by her since forever. i remember playing it all the time on my ipod touch 🤭💕

Dean Riley

Not liking Loveeeee Song is criminal🥺💔💔

Diana

Oh I think Rihanna is absolutely lying about this album but I love the spirit dsndsjdjdj. If I have multiple business ideas, I would never admit to being retired from the main thing people associate me with. I'd be like, 'mhm yea yall that album coming but in the meantime... get into this lip gloss!!' (I'm open to being wrong though. I love her music) I agree, Desperado does deserve way more love

Gio

Exactlyyyyy, there's gems up in there

Jayden Brown

braids are eating btw

Jordan Nwokeafor

Yessssss Cockiness was excellent!. She was tapping into excellence!!!!!!!!!!

Dee

remembering how I went to ANTI tour knowing she ain’t have one project I thought was cohesive in full EXCEPT for ANTI. (I do have MANY BSIDES I LIKE AND HER FEATURES LOL)

Korli Bridges

I thoroughly enjoined this video and im lovinggggg the longer content!! Thank you🥰

Shahara Seimah

It’s like you took the thoughts out my head. I loveee Rihanna down but I’ve been saying this for years. I listened to all her albums as they came out and she gave us enough music. It always gave good songs that made no sense on an album together.

Korli Bridges

Not too much on Loud, Kenya…

Don

“Best ear in pop music” yet half of those hits are either features or Britney rejects. Also PS I’m still not over you is the real standout on AGLM talk about a b-side

Parker

I love Desperado and Te Amo with my whole heart! I liked multiple songs off her albums since Anti so we disagree there, but Desperado?! Desperado has my heart!

carly gill

The way Kenya was going down the list and giving song after song the “chop” and “slop” was hurting my feelings a little bit. ngl

carly gill

Wait Your Turn is so good! I had no idea it wasn’t one of Rihanna’s top hits because it went platinum in my house. The way I thought she was 100% going to open the superbowl with it…😆 delulu!! Also Photograph is too underrated imo, BUT I am dead and buried on the hill of Unfaithful being Unlistenable™️—I cannot with her voice on that song. I shudder at the thought, honestly.

Ray

I love age of pleasure it's such a cute summer album! I had sm fun when it came out

Dolly

Kenya pls are you seeing the discourse on twitter about that half white half Indian girl who was claiming to be black to get into a gaming tournament?

Jade White

Talk That Talk was my ringtone for the longestttt

Keith Primas

I had the most fun during the LOUD era. It is so of the time and it takes me right back to high school 😫🥰🥳. The red hair was so gaggy and cunt ugh.

honeybee

As a black lesbian , I will always fight for the fact that dirty computer should've won album of the year !! And yess I hope she finishes off the trilogy but her last album it seemed like she was dipping and dabbling into other sounds .

christian

Rated r is excellent

Mariah L.

Yes justice for Desperado!!

christian

Yess to blaming Kanye before anti!!!

Danielle A

Timothee’s SAG speech definitely reminded me of Beyoncé and her goals

Manna Steel

OH WERE GETTING FEDDD! This is longgg

Iv

No because when you said a while ago "she doesn't have the ability but what she has is taste." Changed the way i saw her because wait I get it

Danielle A

Please break down Beyoncé’s albums like this with ratings I BEGGGGGGGG

Dairus Wilson

oh ntm on watch n learn

Birdie Wolf

I’m reeling!! I am already devastated from finding out yall hated Hip Hop Star , but not Radio too?? Yall really wasn’t on the hot line like everyday?? I’m sick to my stomach. It was one of my favorites off Sasha Fierce. Anyway I definitely agree that those songs need to be on the tour. Y’all need to learn the truth. Shame on yall!

a.sierra

Now hold on cause Please Don’t Stop The Music is my favorite Rih song 😭😭😭. What happened to fun? 😭

Ray

I also want to add Janelle Monae to this list. I do understand that she wasn't at the same level as Beyonce/Rihanna/Gaga in terms of household names in that late 2000s early 2010s, however, her music was so ahead of its time. There are so many layers to the arch android and electric lady albums like her using a sci-fi storyline to address real life societal issues with innovative amazing sounding music that still sounds fresh today ugggggh. For anyone else who enjoys her music in these comments do you think she'll put out the final act of the arch android saga? Because I haven't forgotten. I will happily wait another decade for it honestly. (For the record I do also adore dirty computer and the visual album/emotion picture for it but nothing can compare to the suites for me).

William

Let me stop you Kenya. Let me from music of the sun is thst girl. 😂😂

Danielle A

Beyoncé saying she hears opera in Flawless????? YEAH. EAR

Heidi Diaz

This is literally history, they need to put this video in the national archives

Keith Primas

An hour?? “Girl who is going to be ok”

Dynasty Andrews

Rihanna crafts her image, persona, and sound impeccably well, and that makes up for the fact that she’s not the most amazing vocalist out there.

Danielle A

Also have you considered writing pop culture blogs?

Sarah Uwagbai

Hey Kenya I’m not sure you take video requests but it would be great if you talk about different fan bases like Beyoncé and Janet fans or Niki Minaj fans and how their different also I. Would love if you talk about older music 90s and before I’m old school and yea!❤️

Danielle A

Also you look so good in that turtleneck omfg

Danielle A

YES HER TASTE AND DECISION MAKING - she has a pulse on what matters and that’s why she’s so successful despite not being abundantly talented in the ways an artist should be talented

beeg

53 mins purr