Rihanna’s Friend of Mine: Don’t Look a Gift Smurf in the Mouth

Have you ever heard the phrase, don’t look a gift horse in the mouth? Its origin is not looking at a horse’s mouth to check on its health, if you get it for free. In essence, don’t ask too many questions, it’s a free horse buddy! I’ve heard it in the context of getting a gift I was a bit sceptical about and my friend nudged me and said “Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth.” Like, don’t ask questions and take the gift…figure it out later. Sometimes it was a gift you weren’t planning on and it is a pleasant surprise…while other times you take it and quickly realise why that grape flavoured toothpaste was being given away at the mall. Well, Rihanna is the new voice of Smurfette and a new track just fell out of the sky, so of course I listened to it 27 times in a row right when it dropped. So, which is it…a pleasant surprise….or grape toothpaste?

Now, this gift needs its proper context. Ever since she dropped two outstanding tracks on the Black Panther: Wakanda Forever soundtrack in 2022 and performed at the Super Bowl talk about an upcoming Rihanna record has been swirling around. Rihanna herself perpetuates her Navy’s thirst for a new record with countless interviews about how it’s almost done. It’s all there, she says…I’m so excited to put the record together she says…Hype for a new record is ever present.

All of this brings us back to our original question, fun surprise or toothpaste? Musically, it seems that the track is going for a Beyoncé Renaissance vibe. Which is a crunchy club pop that comes across as a cocktail of three parts Kylie Minogue and one part Nine Inch Nails. This is a hard club mix that is poppy enough to play in a kids’ movie, but not that glittery pop club fare I was expecting. It seems a bit hard for a Smurfs movie, but I’m not sure what context it plays in the movie…so it might make more sense in the movie. I prefer either acoustic Rihanna or some neon soaked hip hop / club Rihanna. This seems a bit out of place in some parts, but when she hits the verse and the hook the track settles into a familiar pop groove.

Like all Rihanna tracks, it is all about the vocal. Now don’t get me wrong…it does sound like Rihanna went into the studio for 2 hours and banged out this vocal for $1.45 million. Having said that, it gives you all the touches you want. It has attitude, a soothing tone and a little edge. They give it a slight electro tweak, which might be to give it more of a “Smurf” vibe in order to fit her character in the movie…but I can look past that. It still soothes my soul. She gets a little more freedom in the hook, which plays really well. I don’t think this track shows off the best of Rihanna’s vocal, but it gives you enough that you can’t wait to hear the track again.

So, what’s the final verdict? Well…it’s kind of like nice toothpaste…like a minty striped one with edible glitter in it. It’s still just free toothpaste and I would rather a car, but it is at least fun toothpaste I like. In other words, there are countless Rihanna tracks I would go to before this one and the tracks she dropped for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever had real weight to them. This is a fun track that has me getting excited about Rihanna recording a vocal, but not much more than that. Take this song as it is, a fun song that keeps the excitement going for more Rihanna, not something that holds up against her other work…and will most likely not make my top 50 for 2025. So, keep those expectations in check and just have a Smurfing good time with a fun track.

Listen to Friend of Mine