Disco de Rihanna: “Rated R”

After a couple of years, the lovely Rihanna returns with a new album (not just a re-release--THANK GOODNESS!!!). After going through the domestic violence case this past year, she claims in interviews that she has grown a lot, and has transferred it into her work. And how did that turn out? Read on for the Track by Track Review.

1. Mad House - Nice Intro..dark tone and setting for the rest of the album (I'm not going to rate this track, though)

2. Wait Your Turn - Very reggae-feeling with Rihanna's voice. Not the normal RiRi that we all grew to know and love on GGGB. The minute I heard the F bomb I was really shocked (I don't really like vulgarity in music that much). The chorus is the best part for sure. 3.5/5

3. Hard (featuring Jeezy) - The beginning is a little awkward. But after that, it only gets better. The chorus, once again, is probably the most memorable part, along with the verses by Jeezy. Stellar production makes this a solid track that is definitely one of the better of the "new-Rihanna" tracks. At first listen, you may not like it (like I didn't enjoy it when I first heard it), but give it a second listen and you might like it. 4/5

4. Stupid In Love - Whew. Now that the gangsta-tracks are over, we hear a ballad by Rihanna. This track, aided greatly by a piano background, is a stand out track. I believe that this track exemplifies the emotions of Rihanna greatly. 4/5

5. Rockstar 101 (featuring Slash!!) - Back to rocker Rihanna. Something just seems to be missing from this track to make it epic. Oh well. Another example of the edgier Rihanna that everyone is talking about...and I'm not a huge fan. But another good track (where you should probably give it a second chance after you hear it for the first time). 3/5

6. Russian Roulette - Lead Single. Two words--simply spectacular. The dark, scary background piano gives this ballad an edge that truly, in my personal opinion, sums up her experiences from the past year. Oh, and just a SIDENOTE..the vocals are AMAZING. 5/5

7. Fire Bomb - A mid tempo song, the title of the song actually deceived me. I thought that it was going to be yet again another song about being a rocker, bad*ss, blah blah blah. But it's not this way, and this song is all about the lower registers of Rihanna's voice that are rarely heard in her music. "The lovers need to clear the road"...I really liked this song. The sirens and crackling fire at the end of the song topped the cake. 4/5

8. Rude Boy - With significant sexual innuendo throughout the song, the production give it almost a Jamaican vibe, most likely inspired from Rihanna's small island roots. A little repetitive, but still a nice track. 3.5/5

9. Photographs (featuring will.i.am) - A slower paced/mid tempo track, this is one of the better songs of the album. The auto-tuned track contributed by will.i.am truly makes it much more memorable. 4.5/5

10. G4L (Gangsta for Life) - Another "gangsta" track, this one gets very very repetitive. One of the weaker tracks on the album. But still enjoyable! 3/5

11. Te Amo - Just to preface/explain this song first. This song was written by a man from a man's point of view, and Rihanna decided to sing it. So this should clear any confusion...hopefully. The story of the song follows one of Rihanna's friends who has deep feelings for her (loves Rihanna), and Rihanna likes her as a friend, but as nothing more. On to the track. This song was leaked a while back in June, and its Latin influences are apparent. This is one of the best songs on the album. (and one of my personal favorites!!) 5/5

12. Cold Case Love - Starts out with old style, organ-like pipes. This is a rather lengthy song for Rihanna, but then again the whole album is about "breaking the rules" in a way. Very minimal backing track at the beginning of the song gives it a cool feel. At 1:30 or so, the backing leads way to quite gorgeous instrumentals and snaps. At around 3:45 then, production really takes over. A REALLY nice track!!! One of my personal favorites. 4.5/5

13 - Appropriately titles with giant vocals. This really just serves some more emotions from Rihanna. A solid track, but overall just an OK way to end an awesome album. 3.5/5

Overall -

Although not as consistent as GGGB, this album is probably stronger overall. It is really about breaking the status quo and using music as a platform for emotional expression (which i thought was the original purpose of music in the first place!!) A great effort from Rihanna. A MUST buy.

Okay, I loved "Good Girl Gone Bad" regular version, and the Reloaded/Remixed version. So, when I first listened to "Rated R", I thought most of the songs were too slow, not enough upbeat tracks. But, with this album "Rated R: Remixed", it changed the songs to be more upbeat, and just plain better. If you're like me and wasn't that thrilled with the original, get this Remixed CD, you'll love it!!!

Rihanna's latest album finds herself again wandering into a slightly different style of music and emotion. While no doubt some of the songs on the album are a bit angrier and edgier, her music hasn't really depreciated greatly. It is great to see her take new directions in her music and not leave us with the same stale stuff. That said, you can't blame a girl for saying how she feels and I applaud it. Those who can't handle Rihanna's anger and are offended by a few curse words here and there should stick to listening to the radio friendly singles (try Photographs and Russian Roulette) and skip the rest of the album this time around.

Best tracks: Hard, Wait Your Turn, Russian Roulette, Rude Boy, Photographs

To be honest, I was really disappointed when I saw Rihanna debuting her first couple of singles on various awards shows, and I was worried her latest album would be a disappointment, especially after her excellent last album. I got it on sale on Amazon because it was just too cheap to pass on, but I've found myself loving it more and more with each listen. Whew! It's not quite as dance club friendly as the last album, but it is very well done, and there's a heart and soul here that wasn't quite as prevalent in previous efforts. She's come a long way since Pon De Replay!

I was pleasantly surprised by this album. Being a newer Rihanna fan who hasn't consistently listened to GGGB in its entirety- I didn't quite know what to expect when "Rated R'was constantly hailed as "darker". Sometimes it's best when you don't have anything to directly compare a project to, since it allows the art to be somewhat isolated.

I had already heard "Wait your turn" and loved it. It hits very hard at first, showcasing Rihanna's accent in a rap like cadence. Then the chorus comes in with beautiful melodies - a real delight. Very balanced and unique, usually female artists have to enlist the help of a male hip hop artist to create this sound - Rihanna stood her ground by creating the sound solo. I also loved the message behind the "Wait your turn" lyrics - the phrase "sometimes it takes a thousand tries to win" really spoke to me and my own attempts at my goals. This song is one of my absolute favorites - a stunning declaration of strength and perserverance wrapped in a hard beat and flowing lyrical delivery.

"Hard" featuring young Jeezy is infectious - I am admittedly not "hard" myself, but find myself rockin' with puffed up bravado when listening to this track. Harnessing my inner "hard" chick. Russian Roulette is dark yet beautiful - another gem that drew me to buy the album. Beautiful vocals and interesting metaphor that is not lost on those of us who do not take art as strictly literal.

I enjoy "Rock star" quite a bit, being a black woman who has always loved rock music - the fact that Rih blends genres truly speaks to that part of me. It's a fun and lighthearted song - with an egotistical rocker twist of course.

"Firebomb" - wow... this song is so atmospheric and the vocals are quite lovely. "The lovers need to clear the road" - this is one of those songs that transcends beyond whether you like Rihanna or not. The lyrics are solid, and musically it is classic - edgy soft rock at its best.

"Photographs" - I really love this song - will i am did his thing on this one. Rihanna uses a higher pitched sing-song voice that makes the song poppy - a welcome anecdote to the sad break-up nature of the lyrics. It makes me want to dance - and how often do nostalgic break-up songs do that?

"Te amo" is just lovely with it's Latin rhythm and Rihanna once again showcasing her beautiful accent. The subject matter is also very appropriate for the times we live in - with Rihanna gently spurning the affections of a woman who wants to be more than her friend. Very sensual yet sophisticated song.

"Cold Case Love" is very haunting and beautiful. The parallel between a murder investigation and a perilous relationship is a unique one. Talk of crime scene photographs allude to Rihanna's own disturbing photograph taken after she suffered domestic abuse. Good song.

Now for the bad - I am not a fan of gratuitous cursing or vulgarity, therefore G4L did not appeal to me at all. I could forgive the cursing in other songs, as I really like those songs a lot and did not find it overwhelming. However, artistically, I believe Rihanna deserved to express the aggressive/angry part of her, especially with all that has occurred in the past year. I mean, I did buy the explicit version after all - hence the five star rating in spite of...

In closing, "Rated R" is a smart album that has continuity and depth. I, for one, am glad that Rihanna kept it real regarding her artistic evolution, and did not try to reproduce the same album twice. I am also impressed that she did not appear to try to prove to everyone that she is "okay, peachy keen" - but allowed her pain to morph into real, honest, and delightful music. I look forward to what is to come from her over the next several years. She strikes me as genuine and strong as steel - a great combo for any musical artist.