Rihanna - Rated R (2009)

Madhouse
A Thriller-esque spoken introduction encouraging those who do not think that they can take it to turn away from the Madhouse. Rihanna then invites you in amongst a chorus of ahs and nahs. Unecessary.

Wait Your Turn
A similar electronic sound to Madhouse introduces us to this single release. The vocal is a lot harder and, with the language that Rihanna uses, we are made very aware of the fact that this album is going to be like nothing she has released before. Her Barbadian accent is exaggerated for the verses but the choruses are more subtle, more catchy and more enjoyable. This could easily have been the first track of the album, without the need for Madhouse. The eye patch in the video is somewhat questionable but this is a good, hard song. Speaking of hard....

Hard feat. Jeezy
Another release from the album and another song with choice lyrics. The Barbadian tone is there once more but this is grittier than Wait Your Turn. The video in which Rihanna is firing machine guns and driving tanks underlines this. The sound is quite rocky, with grating electronic sounds and harsh piano notes. It takes a few listens to get into this. Jeezy's rap helps, along with the vocal that it gives way to, where Rihanna asks where everybody is at.

Stupid In Love
A welcome respite to Hard, Stupid In Love is a ballad with a soft vocal, deep lyrics but a disappointing chorus. The verses are very vivid, no doubt influenced by Rihanna's personal experiences but the repetitive chorus steals away from this rather than building on it. The message that the song has, despite the events that it documents, does have light at the end of the tunnel. There comes a realisation that rather than being her that is stupid, it is the other person that has done nothing but bad.

ROCKSTAR 101 feat. Slash
The title and featured artist give away the direction of this track. The cursing is back in a mid paced vocal over what becomes a fast sound. This song is quick becoming a favourite of Rated R and I would love to see this get a release. The lyric is about Rihanna being a Rockstar and the fact that she sleeps all day and goes all night. The bridge hints at a softer sound, which is short-lived before the guitars and drums drop again.

Russian Roulette
The lead single from the album and an absolutley fantastic song that went to the top of the charts in numerous countries. The electric guitar provides the introduction with drums dropping only after we here a gun chamber revolving and Rihanna heavy breathing. Rihanna is caught up in a game of Russian Roulette and the song gives us an insight into her state of mind and how terrified she is at the prospect of losing. The chorus is very powerful, as is the video clip and the song is a must have. Rihanna sounds great.

Fire Bomb
Fire Bomb is even more rocky than Rockstar and could easily feature on a Bon Jovi or P!nk album. Once the vocal comes in, the music drops to a quiet drum beat and a piano melody. The electric guitars are back for the chorus but grate during their solos. A nice touch is the sound of a fire burning at the very end of the track, though this is not one of my favourites.

Rude Boy
The video for this song is the best that I have seen in a very long time and this latest realease from Rated R is currently sat at Number Two in UK charts. I wouldn't be surprised if it doesn't climb to the top spot, where it deserves to be. The vibe is summer, the electronic sounds are just like that of the steel drums and the drum beat is a real head nodder. I love this song!!

Photographs feat. Will.i.am
The acoustic guitar introduces us to this collaboration with Will.i.am. Back are the soft vocals, sung quite fast over what is minimal accompaniment. The beat doesn't drop until after the first chorus but when it does, we know we are on to a winner. The lyric describes how that all that is left of an old relationship is photographs and how they are not worth anything without the former partner. Everything stops after what can be described as a virginal bridge, only for the sound to change completely for Will.i.am's rap. The backing for this is straight up The E.N.D. This is another good track.

G4L
Weird is the introduction to this song. The vocal is fast, low and starts and ends with 'I lick the gun when I'm done cos I know that revenge is sweet'. The song is dark and G4L stands for Gangster For Life. It's another track that needs a few listens and the jury is still out on this one.

Te Amo
The Barbadian sound features once more in both the lyric and music. Sang in the first person, the song is about a female lover than ends things with the protagonist, telling her Te Amo. The singer is asking what this means, correctly assuming that it means I love you. I like this.

Cold Case Love
The organ provides the only backing for the track, with a slower pace and smoother vocal. The chorus makes the song and, as it progresses, more and more instrumentation joins in: drums, piano, strings and finger snaps. The sound is almost orchestral, though the street element comes back with the final part of the song being beat boxed. The lyric is to a former partner whose 'love was breaking the law but I needed a witness'. This is a good and will have you thinking.

The Last Song
This is the only song, despite the subject matter of various other tracks, that Rihanna has gone on the record to say deals with her turbulent relationship with Chris Brown. It's another slow song, with little accompaniment at the beginning. The song is about the ending of a relationship and how, giving up on real love means that they may never experience it again. Despite the goings on with the two of them, Rihanna sings about not regretting anything and that she would do it all again. Rihanna seems to have made a new friend in the electric guitar and the instrument pops up again on this track. The vocal is on the money and it's another song that will have you thinking long after it has ended: the perfect finish to a solid album.

Rihanna has come a long way from her debut and so much has happened to her that this was bound to come across in her music. Fans have asked, and Rihanna has promised, that her next release be more similar to 'Good Girl Gone Bad', which is a shame as Rihanna has proven that, when given the freedom to record the kind of music that she wants, she is capable of turning in some truly remarkable material. Russian Roulette is one of the most original songs that I have heard in a long time and, although some of the album may be a little out there for my taste, it is a good thing that she is pushing both herself and the listener. With a few more plays, I am sure (as has been the case so far) that the songs that are a bit harder to digest will be finding their way into my playlists and establishing themselves as songs of choice. I would hate for her to take a backwards step at this point when it seems that, by taking a giant leap forward, she hasn't put her foot wrong. On the contrary, Rated R is a brilliant album, all be it edgy and dark in places. The darkness is countered by songs such as Rude Boy and this is well-deserving of a purchase.

Rihanna's Official Website: www.rihannanow.com