Rihanna premiered her new glossy single We Found Love three days ago and I do not like it one bit, and furthermore, I believe it’s not the right musical direction for Rihanna. And this is why.

1. It’s a dancefloor single

This song was obviously written for all the clubs out there, which would’ve been fine if it were a Dance/Club-promo, but when it’s the lead single it’s not a smart move. Fact of the matter is that they seem to skip the remix part and just ship a dance mix to the radio channels, and I don’t think that formula will work. A bass heavy dance mix won’t sound satisfying on a poor sound system and let’s face it, most people listen to the radio in their cars, not on a hi-fi sound system. I’d also like to compare it to Leona Lewis’ Avicii collab Collide which similarly to We Found Love also sports dancefloor credentials. The reception of Collide was mixed and it didn’t hit off very well across the globe.

2. She’s tapping into an audience she already has

Rihanna doesn’t need to make a single for the clubs, because she’ll get played anyway. S&M and Only Girl (In the World) both topped the Dance charts over in the US and they’ve been rotated heavily in clubs in Sweden as well. Releasing We Found Love as her lead single won’t give Rihanna a larger fanbase, but it might alienate some of the fans she already has.

3. Calvin Harris

I don’t mind Calvin Harris’ style of production but I don’t care much for him either, and I don’t think he was the best producer to go to. The sound of Calvin reminds me a lot of the sound of David Guetta, who just released a new album and flooded the American market with several danceworthy singles. Rihanna might find herself having to fend herself against songs to similar to her own. 

I think Rihanna should have stuck with working with Stargate. The production team has a solid record of making smashes for Rihanna as well as others.

4. The ballads might be making a BIG return

Dancable pop-music has been the formula for making a pop smash hit for several years now, much due to Dr. Luke, but that might be changing. Adele has proven that you no longer need a dance beat to make it to no. 1 in the US and this should’ve been considered when they decided to put out We Found Love. Unfaithful, Hate That I Love You and Russian Roulette are all proof that Rihanna can pull off a good ballad. But I’m guessing that Roulette performed worse than the record company has expected and that is why they are hesitant to put out a ballad as a lead single. The success, or lack thereof, of Man Down and California King Bed might also have made them hesitant. I’d still argue that a ballad would’ve been a better fit for a lead single at the moment. A ballad would also present an opportunity to tap into the adult pop radio channels, which would give Rihanna a new audience.

All in all I don’t think this will be the single that will keep Rihannas flame burning as strongly as it has been the past year. But then again, I don’t really see what keeps David Guettas career afloat either.