Rihanna Rated R Album Review

I have always been a Rihanna fan, but my level of interest in her increased after the Chris Brown incident took place. So when she announced the release date of her "comeback" CD, Rated R, I almost slit my wrist in anticipation. Thanks to the advancements of technology, and probably some clever PR work, Rihanna's CD, Rated R has leaked before the Nov. 23 release date, and it is definitely FIRE!! When i pushed play, i expected the regular "Pon De Replay", "SOS", and "Umbrella" which has made Rihanna the queen of catchy dance floor anthems, but I quickly discovered that this time around she pushed herself to a whole other creative level.

If Rihanna was the Good Girl Gone Bad last album, this one she is Good Girl Gone Hard and Provocative. On songs like "Rockstar" ft Slash she defiantly boasts,"Got my middle finger up, I don't really give Fuck," and "G4L (Gangsta 4 Life)", she warns, "Any mother fuckers wanna disrespect/...we dont play that shit." . The track,"Rude Boy", introduces the world to Rihanna's sexual side. She candidly talks about her sexual rendevous with her lover saying "I like the way you touch me there, I like the way you pull my hair," and "Come here rude boy, is you big enough/ come here rude boy, can you get it up." Unlike "Shut Up, and Drive", from her previous album, which disguises her sex-capades with a clever metaphor about a car, Rihanna is embracing and putting her sexuality out there which is evident by her song lyrics and artwork.




Of course one of the big reasons why Rated R is so highly anticipated, it is the first project after Rihanna's widely publicized domestic violence incident with her now ex boyfriend, Chris Brown, earlier this year. Like the rest of the album, Rihanna is not subtle or unapologetic in her lyrics and Chris was no exception. "Stupid in Love" is an extremely emotional and candid song about her emotions after the domestic violence incident. She shamefully admits, "My new nickname is you idiot," referring to how she went back to her abusive relationship despite everything. Resentfully, Rihanna says in "Fire Bomb," "I wish I could set you on fire, so I wouldn't have to burn alone." She then drastically changes the pace in, "Photographs," a reminiscent song about the good times, and how life without the love of her life is difficult, saying "today would be better babe, if they were our yesterdays." "Cold Case Love" is a blatant stab at Rihanna's and Chris' relationship, saying, "What you did to me was a crime," is referring to the actual crime Chris Brown infamously committed against her.

Her other songs like "Mad House," "Russian Roulette," "Te Amo," and "The Last Song," all tell different stories with eerie metaphors, same sex crushes, and a haunting intro, which i personally feel is out of place.

Overall the Rated R experience is a pleasurable one, and it is a definitely Rihanna's best CD to date. It might not have the same hit producing tracks as Good Girl Gone Bad, but it is filled with lyrics relevant to the place Rihanna is at right now. This album shows her growth as a vocalists and as an artist. This is a must get CD.