The one album Ana de Armas couldn’t live without: “I love every song, it’s just so good”
We’ve all got that album that makes us tick – one record that we can’t put on without letting it play out in full, desperate to take in each song as they flow into one another.
Whether it’s a classic album by the likes of The Beatles or David Bowie, or perhaps it’s a more recent number in the form of Kendrick Lamar or Radiohead, it’s not uncommon for an album to become a cherished piece of art that exists in our lives, permanently occupying a space in our brains as pure musical brilliance.
For Ana De Armas, whose career began with appearances in Spanish productions until she made her break into Hollywood – even earning an Oscar nomination in 2022 for Blonde – it’s a more recent pop classic that she considers one of her desert island discs, so to speak. The Blade Runner 2049 actor, who has recently appeared in the John Wick spin-off Ballerina as the titular character, Eve Macarro, has revealed her go-to album, and it’s one that is set to turn ten years old in 2026.
Talking to NME, De Armas shared her love for Rihanna’s eighth studio album ANTI, which was released to acclaim in 2016. It marked a stark change from the early years of the singer’s career, which featured many instant hits that were incredibly radio-friendly – think ‘Shut Up and Drive’ and ‘We Found Love’ – but as tracks like ‘S&M’ have shown, Rihanna certainly isn’t bothered if her songs have wide commercial appeal or not.
While ‘S&M was polarising because of its suggestive lyrics and NSFW music video, ANTI was a step in a much more mature direction, polarising certain fans and critics because of the wider musical palette that Rihanna boldly drew from. The Barbadian singer wasn’t afraid to experiment with something that would shock more than lyrics about “chains and whips”, exciting her – truly vulnerable lyricism.
While the album certainly spawned some popular hits like the (rather annoying) earworm ‘Work’ featuring Drake, which hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100 charts, it also featured some more slow-tempo tracks that showed a new side to Rihanna. ‘Love on the Brain’ is a particular highlight with an almost Amy Winehouse-quality to the instrumentals, while ‘Kiss It Better’ took inspiration from retro synths that back the singer’s poignant lyrical explorations of a complicated relationship.
Discussing some of her musical favourites, including artists like Childish Gambino and Leon Bridges, De Armas also highlighted her love for Rihanna, specifically ANTI, explaining, “I love every song on that album, it’s just so good.”
ANTI is Rihanna’s most recent album, with the singer spending the past decade working on various different endeavours, such as beauty and lingerie lines, as well as various acting roles in movies like Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets, Ocean’s 8, and more recently, Smurfs (she is the Smurfette). However, what fans really want is another album – especially one as varied and well-written as ANTI, which demonstrated true skill from the acclaimed musician.
