After a huge year of controversy, apartment hunting and holding her tongue from any interviews (except for 20/20 of course), Rihanna finally broke her silence on Monday (November 23rd), when she dropped her “fourth” studio album, Rated R.
On Rated R, we’ve found that the “good girl” has completely “gone bad.” As far as her image goes, the new album picks up exactly where the last one left off. She’s fully made the transition into a real live “bad girl,” and no one is questioning why.
We got out first taste of Rihanna’s darkness when she debuted her first single, “♫ Russian Roulette.” The Chuck Harmoney-produced, Ne-Yo-penned track had fans and critics chattering with it’s edged-out concept and lyrics, very much improved vocal, as well as the implied nude shot, complete with barbed wire. The direction was clear and the tone of the album had been set.
R opens up with “Mad House,” and continues into the second single, “♫ Wait Your Turn (the Wait Is Ova),” which Rihanna released her first video for. And as the album continues into what is seemingly the third single, the Young Jeezy-featured “Hard,” you realize: Wait a minute. This isn’t a pop album! It does have it’s throwback GGGB, crossover moments on tracks like “Fire Bomb,” the Will.I.Am-assisted “Photographs,” and the aforementioned “Rude Boy,” but for the most part, Rihanna touches territories never before charted on her three previous albums.
All in all, the material on Rated R was clearly chosen to prove a point: Rihanna went through something, she dealt with it and now she’s come out on top as a stronger woman. She’s kept the production pretty much in house, riding out hard with the usual suspects, Ne-Yo, Stargate, as well as The Y’s and Justin Timberlake, while still staying loyal to Tricky Stewart and The Dream, who laced her so properly on her last album. But the album shines best with moments from her new friend, songwriter James Fauntleroy.
And even though the songs may not be as epic as the tracks that she offered us on Good Girl Gone Bad, it’s pretty safe to say that Rihanna has stapled herself as someone that can’t be kept in a box. And four albums deep, she doesn’t plan on going anywhere.
♫ OTHER TRACKS YOU’VE GOT TO HEAR: “Cold Case Love,” “Fire Bomb,” and “Rockstar 101.”
I love Rihanna! I’ve bought all her CDs and I really love this one. Whenever I have a hard day of working my a** off at a job that makes me wanna slam my head in a wall (which is like every day), it’s nice to find a cd that I can find a song (cold case love) that I can play over and over while I’m driving around on my lunch break to calm my a** down. Thank you Rihanna, today you may have saved a life, cause I was about to go postal. And to all of you who wanna talk bad about her new album.. just remember there are people like me out there, so you should count your blessing she put this out
alrite here’s my opinions;
1: u say she’s expressing her feelings…I guys the bitch didn’t write them songs.
2: he “I’m bad” look is turnin me off, have unseen her video The Wait Is Ova? she holdin her cooch like she gotta dick, wavin up her arms and shit like she goin hard when she actually look a hot Ass mess.
3: the album price was 3.99$ and is now nein sold for 99cents. Ain that great?
But yes home girl is gunna have to stop and deal with it, just like Chris has to deal with it for the rest of his life(I dnt even like the dude) will the reAl Rihanna please stand up and stop truna be the shit? wat happened to the girl in 2005?