Hear Me Out: "FourFiveSeconds"

It seems Kanye West shares his wife’s penchant for breaking the internet. Just weeks ago, the Kardashian Klan’s latest addition unexpectedly collaborated with music deity Paul McCartney on “Only One,” an introspective, heavily auto-tuned tribute to his daughter North. Perplexing? Yes. Polarizing? Oh, yes. Quintessential Kanye? Absolutely. And now music’s most exciting odd couple has struck again, teaming up with Rihanna on “FourFiveSeconds,” the catchy, folk-tinged lead single from the reigning princess of pop’s yet-to-be-titled eighth studio album.

On this effort, Rihanna and West ruminate on their drunken mistakes of the previous night before acknowledging that they’ll continue to make said mistakes so long as their “kindness / Is taken for weakness.” Thematically, the song resembles those which display Rihanna’s flashes of youthful regret and vulnerability (“Russian Roulette,” “Stay”). Instrumentally, however, “FourFiveSeconds” marks a radical change to her signature sound. The singer eschews her trademark pulsing beats, Caribbean flourishes, and dessert-themed sexual innuendos for simple acoustic guitar and organ, creating a minimalist, almost campfire sing-a-along feel.

To her credit, Rihanna’s vocals have never sounded better. In sacrificing dance-happy production for a more organic arrangement, she allows her imperfect but refreshingly soulful voice to shine. The same can’t be said for the men, however—West and McCartney’s presences feel gratuitous. The rapper provides a verse and a half of lackluster rap-singing, while the former Beatle contributes nothing but steady guitar strumming. Disappointingly, their appearances seem to be based less on artistic integrity and more on generating buzz.

As the stripped-back, country and gospel-influenced ballad of a Barbadian party queen, a British rock icon, and America’s flashiest rapper, “FourFiveSeconds” is a conceptually baffling mélange of disparate sounds.. Despite the high-concept combination, however, Rihanna makes the song somehow work. West and McCartney may not help much, but the latter’s simple accompaniment does propel Rihanna’s rawness into the spotlight. While the single suggests a drastic shift in Rihanna’s aural aesthetic, it stands as a testament to her talent both for crafting a killer hook and for surprising her audience.