Rihanna's RATED R - Album Review

The past two years have certainly been some of the most life-changing for R&B/Pop singer Rihanna. From a seemingly disposable pop starlet a mere two and a half years ago to international mega superstar with more number ones under her belt than any other female artist (with the exception of Beyonce, of course), things never looked brighter for the Bajan princess. But that pristine bubble burst shortly before the 2009 Grammy Awards Ceremony, a time at which her life would forever change. The famed Chris Brown altercation mystified the public and the sheer cringe-worthy details made it all the worse. Whether Rihanna would use music as an outlet to vent the emotions she had and continues to undergo was an obvious question the listening public was interested to hear shortly after it was made public that she would resume work on her fourth studio album a mere weeks after the attack. Fast-forward nine months and the final product is here, a new album, a new proclamation of edginess, and a new, darker Rihanna quickly shedding the remnant innocence one might have still imagined of the 21 year-old. So what about Rated R?



Rated R opens up with an intro, a first for Rihanna, entitled "Mad House" with its eerie arrangement of extra bass and light synths that does two things. First, it tells that listener that this is no umbrella-twirling Rihanna, begging that DJ not to stop that house-techno music of Good Girl Gone Bad. Hell no, this Rihanna is warning you to "come on, come on, come in," but at your own risk and with a promise to chuck fear at the gate. Second, it introduces a new reincarnation of Rihanna, where she sets her own rules and is daring enough to break even those she's established for herself. It certainly is one of most bizarre and yet intriguing intros and fits so perfectly for this album. Next up, Rihanna's promotional single, "Wait Your Turn."

It's Rihanna's first experimental track with little to no pop fluff. The forewarns are resounding that "it's just the way the game is played, it's best if you just wait your turn." The song is a different sound but Rihanna manages to make it all hers and sell it successfully. However, it pales in comparison to the swagger-strutting "Hard" featuring Jeezy, where Rihanna proudly proclaims herself as the "hottest bi*ch in heels right here." And just when it seems obvious that she is here to portray herself as a strong, powerful and untouchable woman, she unveils her vulnerabilities on "Stupid in Love." In not-so-subtle but never explicit references to her relationship with Chris Brown, she reflects on how a blinding love that left her hurt and lost. But back to swagger-strutting on "Rockstar 101", one of the strongest tracks on the album and an amazing feature with Slash. The song isn't too rock to draw charges of being disingenuous but has enough rock for Rihanna to accomodate some extra sexy, as Rihanna wants to make sure you frisk her good, "check my panties and my bra."

Then back to her vulnerable side with the album's lead single, entitled "Russian Roulette". While the song's title was evocative of something dark, the actual song proved to unveil an even darker, edgier side of Rihanna. Heavy breathing, strumming guitar strings, repeated sounds of a spinning revolver chamber, emotional lyrics, and that one gut-wrenching final gunshot to end the song pretty much sum up the four minutes of anguish and pain. Sure it was uncomfortable to hear the song at first. We never imagined fun-filled, danceable, umbrella-toting Rihanna would project the solemnness and pain of this song as her return to the pop world. Yet, to deny the stunning beauty and awe of the song would be an outrage. The song, the sixth track on the album, is a timeless song of swirling metaphors to reflect the danger of being in an abusive relationship. It's obvious what Rihanna and Ne-Yo were going for with this number.

Rihanna's choice to go more pop rocker with "Fire Bomb" is not the strongest point of the album, even with the strange piano strings and electric guitar mix, resembling a ballad accidentally dropped in puddle of Finger Eleven's pudding. The song would be more appropriate for Kelly Clarkson, but she does a nice job with her vocals. Then, a surprising up-tempo number with "Rude Boy", which is certainly reminiscent of Rihanna during her Good Girl Gone Bad or A Girl Like Me days. The song is littered with sticky, overtly sexual metaphors, but is fun, even if at times I am startled by the vocal resemblance to Beyonce on this particular track. The song is tons of fun, but doesn't aid the album's cohesiveness. Next up, Rihanna and Will.i.am on "Photographs", a softer song further displaying the vulnerable Rihanna.

While we may be more than two-thirds through the album, its most interesting tracks have yet to come. First off, "G4L" or Gangsta for Life, where Rihanna claims to be gangster for life. It's grimy and bold, and we even hear Rihanna send expletive after expletive at one point in the song. Now it becomes obvious that this is yet another persona that Rihanna has chosen to slip into as a chance of strengthening herself. A little later, we hear "Cold Case Love", arguably Rihanna's most revealing song of the album and of hers to date. Here she goes through the emotions of living through a relationship that has fallen off the deep-end with references to a crime scene. At this point, it is obvious that Rihanna isn't gangsta for life, or a rockstar. She doesn't go as hard as she claims, but rather is trying to rebuild for herself the image of a strong woman after suffering the damaging blows that have gone her way this past year. She puts on different personas, only to fall back into her own vulnerabilities. One minute, Rihanna is licking the barrel of a gun, the next she's stumbling through the crime scene of a cold case love. She's high atop her pedestal at one instant, and picking up the pieces of blind love the next. Rihanna wants you to know that she may be as weak at times as the average Jane, but in the end, all she ever wanted to be was a rockstar, with her "black guitar" in hand, "six-inchers" under her heels, and sexy gangster lingerie (and not a gun) around her waist.

Strong Track(s): Russian Roulette, Wait Your Turn, Rockstar, Hard, Rude Boy
Weak Tracks(s): Fire Bomb, The Last Song

Rating: 4/5