Rihanna has blessed us with another hit. I like the beat. I like the feel. I have no idea what she is saying. Doesn’t matter, the rhythm feels good. And I thought, this is very much like Chaucer. Not sure what he was on about, but the rhythm is great. I grabbed some prose from each, read them side-by-side and tried to imagine each singing or reading each other’s words. I think it could work.
Rihanna:
Dry! …Me a desert him
Nuh time to have you lurking
Him ah go act like he nuh like it
You know I dealt with you the nicest
Nuh body touch me you nuh righteous
Nuh badda, text me in a crisis
Chaucer:
As wisly he gye alle my joyes here
As I am youres, and to yow sad and trewe,
And ye, my lyf and cause of my gode chere,
And deeth also, whan ye my peynes newe,
My worldes joye, whom I wol serve and sewe,
The only Chaucer that ever hit home for me was from Bill Bailey:
Rihanna sounds like Justin Bieber. Interesting they’ve scaled the drum beat way back. Less is more in production. How un-80s.