Trendy Music News: Rihanna’s ANTI is Finally Here! Brit Girl Group All Saints Reunite!

After keeping fans in suspense for what seemed like an eternity – Rihanna’s ANTI – her first LP since 2012’s Unapologetic is now available for download on Tidal after the album was mistakenly uploaded Wednesday evening – giving eager and impatient users an early preview of what the singer has been perfecting for the past four years.

The Bajan trailblazer’s single Work, which was released early Wednesday is another prophetic result stemming from her collaboration with Drake. The tune is energetic and catchy and a clear indication that RiRi is back in full force. Her latest offering has already been lauded with praise – proving that it was well worth the wait.

Tidal is definitely taking full advantage of all the hoopla by providing codes to subscribers and non-subscribers that can be used to download ANTI which will stream exclusively on their platform for about a week. Once that deal is over – you can buy the album through Tidal’s regular channels.

You can also purchase a deluxe version of the LP which will include three bonus tracks on January 29th.

The buzz over when the multi-faceted artist was going to bequeath us with another musical gem started back in 2013, when after years of regulating a timely delivery – an abrupt silence with the occasional droppings of hit singles kept industry insiders intrigued and fans pleading for more.

Well, our wishes have been granted and as usual we are being gifted with more than we bargained for but that is precisely why Rihanna remains the baddest chick in the game. Sorry Jay Z – you know it’s true!

In other music news, if you were a fan of 90’s girl groups then The Spice Girls were definitely on your radar but the IT Girls from Londontown were not the only band of gorgeous misfits dominating the landscape. All Saints also presented a healthy dose of hits that include, Pure Shores and Never Ever –  they also revolutionized the art of harmonizing by making it look and sound effortlessly cool.

In 1993 Mel Blatt and Shaznay Lewis had signed with British label ZTT and the group’s name was All Saints 1.9.7.5., both girls ended up reuniting with Mel’s schoolmates – Natalie and Nicole Appleton which completed the group and led to a lucrative deal with London Records. The end result was an explosive entry into the already crowded world of pop as All Saints demolished competitors with their special brand of delivery anchored by the genius antics of Lewis who possessed the futuristic skills necessary to be the group’s resident visionary.

The Spice Girls may have enjoyed more exposure on a global scale but All Saints didn’t suffer from being the preferred underdogs as evident in their impressive roster of achievements that include two multi-platinum albums and record sales that soared in the millions.

(from left to right) Melanie Blatt, Natalie Appleton, Shaznay Lewis and Nicole Appleton

But the wild ride came to an end due to the expanding friction between the girls as the need to develop individual pursuits took hold and forced them apart. They staged a brief reunion in 2006 with the release of Studio One which seemed like a goodbye effort to fans like me who were still in denial and clinging to the possibility that there could be more to come.

Who knew it would take almost a decade for our dreams to be realized. In 2014, the group came together for an impromptu tour that started the rumors that maybe – just maybe All Saints would be tempted to consider a full scale reunion.

Now, with confirmation that their fourth album, Red Flag is set to drop sometime in April – it looks like the wait is over. The new single One Strike is already dominating every major playlist in Europe due to its nostalgic vibe that recalls the signature tempo that made the group irresistible during their hey days.

This time around the girls are older and bring with them a wealth of life experiences that undoubtedly will be etched in every song featured in the track list.

Lewis who wrote One Strike divulged that she was inspired by the trials and tribulations of member and friend, Nicole Appleton who endured a very public and bitter split from ex-husband and Oasis singer Liam Gallagher. “It’s about conversations I was having with Nic at the time when she was going through personal things in her life, and as a friend I was just inspired to write about it. When you write songs it’s all about feeling”.

Another single Ratchet Behaviour is also garnering a lot of buzz. Thankfully April is not too far away and in the meantime you can catch up on the past and present musings of the group we love to love.