Released: 2016
Yo, at first glance, “Love On The Brain” feels like it’s sharin’ space with that soulful old school vibe, right? But make no mistake, Rihanna’s laying down a modern tale of raw emotion and the complexity of love’s grip. This track, it’s dissecting the addictive highs and bruising lows of a relationship that’s both toxic and intoxicating. It’s that kind of love that’s got you swinging between extremes, making you feel alive and beaten down all at once.
So let’s dive into the narrative Rihanna’s spittin’. From the jump, “And you got me like oh, What you want from me?” sets the scene of someone caught up, baffled, and stressed over the demands of their lover. It’s like she’s hollering out, feeling the pressure, tryna measure up but the cost – it’s steep. The “pretty heart” ain’t for sale, but the hustle to keep this love alive got her wallet and her soul on E.
Then shorty flips the script, confesses how this love got her fallin’ apart, knowin’ all along her lover revels in picking up the pieces, just to smash ’em again. It’s a vicious cycle, fam – she’s thrown ‘gainst the wall of emotion, feelin’ the full force of their passion, and despite the chaos, she’s beggin’, “Don’t you stop loving me.” The contradiction is stark – it’s like she’s caught in a blaze, fist fighting with fire, risking it all just for that moment of closeness, knowin’ it might just burn her whole world down.
That’s the thing about “Must be love on the brain”; it’s her anthem of addiction to a love that’s hurtin’ her deep, turnin’ her black and blue, yet it’s so damn good, she can’t quit it. It’s a love that’s got her acting out of character, doin’ things she never thought she’d do, hustlin’ for just a taste of that bittersweet affection.
Peep the raw emotion when she says, “I’m tired of being played like a violin.” That line right there? It’s frustration at its peak – feelin’ manipulated, strung along, played on repeat. She’s desperate for a way into her lover’s heart, figurin’ out the melody that’ll unlock what she craves.
In the second go-round of the hook, Rih intensifies her plea for love with the oxymoron of fighting fire with fists, knowing well the futility but driven by desire. Once more, she’s talking ’bout taking extreme measures, running miles on end just for that fleeting taste of love – that’s heavy dedication.
Bottom line, “Must be love on the brain,” it’s shoutin’ out the name of her affliction – love that’s as destructive as it is alluring. Echoing the sentiment that no matter the hurt, no matter the self-compromise, there ain’t nothing like being without this person. Rihanna ain’t holding back; she’s servin’ up the truth of her heart struggle, putting us all in the feels of love’s complex, hurtful, yet undeniable pull.
