Spencer Kornhaber of '' The Atlantic '' wrote of Rihanna 's vocals : " Listen to the ragged squeak in her voice in the first verse , and how she maintains control as she alternates between contemplative trills and gospel shouts during the bridge " . According to Kornhaber , the song showcases " how distinctive her timbre and phrasing is " , something that was n't heard on her previous songs like the 2010 single " Only Girl ( In the World ) " . Travis Grier of Def Pen Radio thought that the song is a good choice for Rihanna to achieve legendary status , as , " she 's tackled pretty much every genre under the sun and ' FourFiveSeconds ' just expands her versatility even more " . Crotty of '' Elle '' wrote that the song is " awesome " and " sweet " . In June 2015 , Jason Lipshutz of '' Billboard '' named " FourFiveSeconds " one of the " 10 Best Songs of 2015 ( So Far ) " stating " It 's the end of June , and we 're still waiting for the new Rihanna and Kanye West albums … as well as some indication that either will be coming soon . To tide us over , however , the pair of music superstars linked up with a legend and recorded a durable , folked-up soul sing-along . Ye and Rih always zag when we expect them to zig , and we 're forever grateful for it . " The song received a nomination for Collaboration of the Year at the American Music Awards of 2015 . Although " FourFiveSeconds " was described by a writer of '' LA Times '' as " tailor-made for multiple Grammy nominations " the song failed to receive a nomination in any category for the 2016 Grammy Awards
American Music Awards of 2015
American Music Awards of 2015
FourFiveSeconds