Suck her cockiness

There are albums like Blackout Beach’s uncompromising “Fuck Death,” which grapples with the nature of beauty and war. These albums ask challenging questions like why we run away from ourselves or make music. They force their listeners to come to terms with listening.

Then there are albums like “Talk That Talk.”

“Suck my cockiness/Lick my persuasion” is a fair representation of the lyrical concerns here. And why not? There’s little need for nuance when the music is this fun. On “Talk That Talk,” Rihanna further establishes the distinctive power of her voice, dominating the territory between Beyoncé’s empowered pop and Nicki’s ferocious quirkiness.

By now you’ve heard the pitch-perfect dance single “We Found Love” and its bombastic Calvin Harris beat. The entire album delivers on that track’s party mentality promise.

“Where Have You Been” demands movement. Oral sex ode “Watch n’ Learn,” perhaps the best song on the album, bounces along on more killer hooks than I can count.

Rihanna gave us just what we needed from her: a short and sweet pop record light on substance and heavy on style.