With all the praise (all of like 3 posters x) American Oxygen has gotten on here recently, this week actually marked 5 years since it's release! Relieve the single that flopped so badly Rih disappeared for months :cheer: (bar the BBHMM video of course, a MOMENT) and along with the other two 2015 singles was cut off ANTI.

 

Like I said in the underrated songs thread, I get why this wasn't a hit at all (was it pushed hard though?) as it doesn't need to be over 5 minutes lol but the production elavates it so much, there's something so powerful in it and that combined with the even-more powerful video = :wub: it makes me wonder if Rih intended to go for this political edge on other songs that were scrapped from the album. A social affairs queen, we love to see it.

I still find this song so fascinating. To me it sounds like an absolute smash and also a mess at the same time :lol: I just could never have fathomed a Rihanna song, in 2015, with a political message, getting completely overlooked the way this did, but clearly this wasn't the one.

I think it would've done better in 2016/17 possibly when these issues were more at the forefront

I really think this is like an example of a way ahead of its time kinda anthem what just for some reason went under the radar.

 

In the day and age of today’s issues and politics it would definitely get more attention.

 

Rihanna is such a interesting artist though. She’s huge singles wise and has so many smashes yet the times she underperforms with tracks they happen to be really interesting (and occasionally) better tracks than her monster smashes.

 

Like I’d take this over Work and Needed Me from ANTi. I wonder had this slayed the charts and performed the way those two did (particularly in the US) could the result of ANTI had been a more political album or was this always just a stand alone track?

I absolutely ADORE this song. Her vocals are stunning and the lyrics are so powerful. I only wish it could've featured on an album because without that, it doesn't get as much attention or regular plays as it should. :( Regardless though, it's certainly a favourite Rih track for me!

I unashamedly love this. But wow how her music took a turn between 45S, BBHMM, this and ANTI.