Album Review: Rihanna- Rated R
Rihanna’s new album, “Rated R” is in stores now and I have the full album review for you folks.
Rated R starts off with “Mad House”. The intro foreshadows that this album will much darker than “Good Girl Gone Bad”. Rihanna is making a statement that this album isn’t for everybody and she is fine with that.
On “Wait Your Turn” Rihanna declares that the “wait is ova”. What were people waiting for? Well you had the people who were waiting for her music, but you also had the people waiting to see what her next move would be. She pretty much went unheard from (though not unseen) for 8 months and this is opening statement to the world. I would actually classify this as a second intro, which is probably why she released the video for this before “Russian Roulette” even though RR was her first single.
On “Hard” Rihanna unveils her much more defiant and fearless attitude. It’s her statement that her tribulations didn’t bring her down, they only made her stronger. You can’t go wrong with blazing hot production, a great verse by Young Jeezy, and a confident delivery by Rihanna.
“Stupid In Love” is incredibly gripping in its storytelling about a woman who goes back to her cheating (and abusive) lover but eventually wises up. The song instantly draws you in with the lyric “Let me tell you something never have I ever been a size 10 in my whole life”. You feel right in the middle of a confrontation. Then the lyrics “Don’t understand it blood on your hands and you still insist on repeatedly trying to tell me lies” really pack a punch (no pun intended) knowing the violent way her confronting Chris Brown about his cheating ended up. The autobiographical lyrics of the song really make it one of the most compelling non-love ballads I’ve heard in ages. However, I appreciate that the song is actually about NOT being stupid in love and walking away from a bad situation. This is a brilliant song with superb writing and an emotionally stirring performance by Rihanna.
Up next is “Rockstar 101″. This song right here…this song right here…is like my crack. I love, love, love, love every single thing about this song. The production is crazy I mean SLASH?! She got SLASH on the track? Pure insanity! The lyrics are so damn bad ass that you can’t help but just want to hop on a table and air guitar, swing your hair around, and do the fiercest Naomi Campbell walk. If this song doesn’t inspire a little bravado in you then please go get your self-esteem checked because this is the ultimate anthem for bad girls.
“Russian Roulette” is perhaps the most polarizing Pop song in the past year or so, and Rihanna hasn’t done much to steer the school of thought into how to interpret it. My personal interpretation is that the song is equating entering a relationship with Russian Roulette. Considering how her first “big love” ended in traumatizing ruin, it’s not exactly a far out there sentiment. In her interviews she has talked about not being ready to date, so I think this song captures that reluctant and fearful emotion.
“Fire Bomb” puts Rihanna in the driver’s seat of an inflamed vehicle on a vengeful road to crash into ex-lovers home. Despite the violent lyrics there is a very real sense of vulnerability in the lyrics and Rihanna’s voice. There is frustration that only way she can get him to feel the pain she is feeling is to go to this extreme. This is another enthralling song that has the perfect combination of production and vocal delivery to maximize the emotional pull of the song.
Rihanna lightens things up with the next song “Rude Boy”. This is a fun little club banger that should appease her “Good Girl Gone Bad” fans. Her voice sounds great on this song and despite it being a Pop/R&B dance track it shows off her vocal growth.
“Photographs” returns the album to a slower tempo. Rihanna gets a little help on this track from Will.I.Am who makes for a surprisingly excellent collaborator. Rihanna’s voice sounds crystal clear and much softer than what we are used to hearing from her. It starts off as a beautiful ballad with Rihanna decrying a love lost but then it gets a little interesting when it gets to Will.I.Am’s verse and the production switches up to a more up-tempo dance style. Leave it to Will.I.Am to always throw in that curveball but I love it.
“G4L” which stands for Gangsta For Life is up next. She starts the song off with a bang instantly “I lick the gun when I’m done cuz you know that revenge is sweet”. What’s so smart about this song is that you have the people who will instantly start talking sh!t “who is Rihanna gonna shoot” and TOTALLY miss the not all that subliminal if you’re paying attention meaning of the song. The song is really an ode to the women (or gang, army, navy as she refers to them) who have been abused and how Rihanna is down with them for life. Again the production is top notch thanks to Chase and Status (London producers who also did MadHouse and Wait Your Turn) and Rihanna’s delivery has a convincing menace to it that holds your attention in the song.
“Te Amo” is about a stalker lesbian woman who has fallen in love with Rihanna on the dance floor and won’t let Rihanna go on her merry little way. It’s kind of a surprising twist, because the title would have you expecting a love ballad. Not my favorite, but the story is an interesting one.
“Cold Case Love” is another deeply personal song about lost love. I think this song is better than Rehab, but I will admit it doesn’t have as much repeat back to back appeal as Rehab. Nonetheless, the lyrics are much more real which makes it more intruiging.
The album closes out with “The Last Song”. This was a fitting way to close out the album, because it is a series of “what ifs”. It harnesses all the ambiguity and uncertainty in the album as well as where Rihanna is at in her life and career and puts it in one song. It doesn’t tie up the album in one neat little box with a ribbon on it, it leaves the door open for what is left to come.
Overall…I have to say that this is one of my favorite albums in a very long time. When you peel away the shock value, the controversy, the image, what you are left with is a very honest, vivid, and fascinating diary of what Rihanna has gone through in the past 8 months. While so many artists love to deny any ownership in their songs “it’s not what I went through or how I feel but I know people who went through it” she goes full throttle telling her story. I find that extremely refreshing and I applaud her for that. What’s more, this album is really, really smart. The writing is superb and there are so many riveting stories on the album. I should also say it’s not meant to be taken literally since clearly Rihanna hasn’t put anybody in body bags lately. (Sidebar: I think there is a huge double standard when it comes to people’s criticisms of some of the violent lyrics when nobody flinches at the countless violent movies and TV shows. Everything on the album is done in a very cinematic way so I think that the criticism is unwarranted.) Anyway, Rihanna’s voice has grown leaps and bounds since her last album as well. No she doesn’t have the range of Beyonce, but her talent definitely shines on this album and there is an emotional depth in her delivery that wasn’t quite there before. The best thing about this album is that it is not “woe is me, my man done me wrong”…it’s really a very defiant take on heartbreak. It’s nice and actually quite different for a woman to make an album about a relationship gone bad and not be totally pathetic and victimized by it. As I have said before…I love, love, love this album and if what I wrote about sounds like something you can get into then check it out.
What do you guys think of the album? What is your favorite song on the album?
Posted by Reecie
Reecie,
I’ve been waiting to read your review, thank you for your thoughts! I agree with you, best album in quite some time. Everyone who is hating on it, they are hating on it because it’s nothing at all like GGGB. However, a true artist is one who grows and develops musically. I wouldnt want another GGGB album.
I agree with this review for the most part. (Sidenote: I’m so glad you mentioned what G4L is actually about. I get so tired of people saying “Rihanna’s not gangsta blah blah” when the song isn’t even about that..that’s when I can tell that ppl arent really paying attention and just hating for the sake of it)
Rihanna put to the side big beats and major hits for an album that is cohesive album that focuses on lyrical content and telling a story. After listening to this album I feel like I know her, which I never got from GGGB.
I just bought the album a few days ago. I need to listen to it a few more times to make an opinion about it, but I think the album is an improvement from her last album and that album was good. rihanna is sure to dominate with this album.
Anybody here heard the bonus song hole in my head?
@ reecie, I have to agree with u and say that this is one of my favorite albums in a long time…actually in a VERY long time. You are RIGHT on point with your review. Rihanna has said herself in a recent interview that she does not like to be considered as victimized and helpless. And another thing is that am sure that MOST people thought that she was going to “put Chris Brown” in the dog house with this album but instead she sang about her pain, her love for Chris Brown and why she had went back to him and why she had to let him go completely.
I like ALL of her songs and that’s very rare of me to do on any album. On this album she delieveres vocally and emotionally on EVERY song. But my Favorite so far is “STUPID IN LOVE”. The song is gripping and addictive and i can not stop playing it. The lyrics are Brillant and the Production by Stargate is Perfect. This is one of the best songs that NE-YO has ever written so far in his life>
“Russian Roulette” is also another favorite of mine’s. The lyrics, video and Production by Chuck Harmony (of Compound Records) are very haunting and unique. Nothing like it.
“Rockstar 101″ is FIYAH!!! Love it.
“Photographs” is a beautiful ballad and i agree that Will.I.Am was the perfect choice to collaborate with. I also like how they changed up the beat,,,,,Genius….
“Fire Bomb” is an emotional song that Rihanna delievers on and the Production for this, is off the chain. Excellent. You are drawn to this song, as if you are in a movie.
“Cold Case” is a nice song and Justin Timberlake’s Production delievers.
‘Mad house, Wait your turn, Hard, Rude boy, G4L, Te Amo and The last song are also excellent songs that not only deliever production wise, but vocally by Riri.
All and all i give this album as many thumbs up that is possible. Brillant, Supberb, Captivating, Unique, Haunting, Emotional, Deep are just a few of the words that describe “Rated R”>>>
Bravo Rihanna, you deserve a STANDING OVATION!!!
http://utube.smashits.com/video/KgaLUZpnhEg/Rihanna-stupid-in-LOVE.html
” STUPID IN LOVE”
I actually like the album and I just think Russian Roulette was a bad choice for a first single. I love the song Stupid in Love and I feel like everyone can relate to that song. Rude Boy is catchy and funny, but it’s a definite going out song. Te Amo is interesting but it is catcy. She has a lot of good tunes on the album with the exception of Russian Roulette which I just can’t get into.
Now where I disagree is that Rihanna put all of these subliminal meanings into her songs. Her and Beyonce are alot alike her, with the exception that she doesn’t actually try to take credit for it. OTHER PEOPLE wrote the songs for her and she just happens to have the right people behind her; Hell she has Jay-Z in her corner so of course she’s going to get some of the best. Her album is decent and I really wish her marketing team would have thought out their campaign process for her better. People are going to buy the album just for the hell of it because it’s .99 cents. The only reason I listened to is because someone sent it to me through yim. Her whole attitude just turns you off, but her album IS SOLID.
Money does do wonders for people, including cranking out hit albums. She is merely a persona that just happened to get lucky enough to get a team to put her at the top, which is being threatened by people that can actually sing. Take a look at her when Pon De Replay came out to her Russian Roulette days, you can’t tell money didn’t have a factor in it. Otherwise she would be another artist whose name would be long forgotten.
Sommer good points…if she just did another GGGB it would’ve been way too formulaic and contrived. It’s not the easiest thing to do, but growing musically and pushing the envelope is what gives people real longevity and not being reduced to gimmicky music.
Katherine, I think one of the reasons why this album really captivated me is because it makes me feel like I know her and what she has gone through. It’s not safe, it’s very exposed and those are the types of albums that make people true fans of your music and not just fans of hot songs. It’s the reason why people like Mary J can release a not so great album but still go platinum and sell out tours, because her fans know her and can identify with her.
JW- Excellent points and very well said.
Collegechick- I hear what you are saying, but if you look at the album credits and the songs I pointed out as being the most loaded, Rihanna co-wrote them (9 out of 13 songs). From all accounts (her own, Chase and Status, Justin Timberlake, Ne-Yo) she is very involved in the album making process. For the songs she may not have wrote herself she was clearly the muse (as Ne-Yo has stated about “Stupid in Love”) so I think she deserves credit for that. I think to reduce her to being a persona that is lucky enough to have money behind her is a bit unfair because her music delivers far beyond a blockbuster budget. She didn’t go out and get the Timbalands and Neptunes, she got little known in the US producer Chase and Status and worked with them to craft a sound for her album.
So I think she doesn’t get enough credit for her work because there is this narrative that Rihanna is a contrived persona. I’ve listened to quite a few of her interviews and I think she comes across very likeable and confident. I like that she pokes fun at the ridiculous rumors (i.e. she is sleeping with people though she has never met them) and has an “I don’t give a f*&k” kind of attitude. After seeing the non-stop vitriolic comments directed towards her on every blog and every website I can’t imagine how it would be possible for her to survive without any other kind of attitude. I also think it’s cool that she isn’t plastic. She doesn’t have a fake smile plastered on at all times and she says what comes to mind.
I had the album in my hands and decided to listen or hear a review on the album. I am still iffy. Still don’t know if its a good album. It’s a grower, from the snippets I heard.
Also, I think rather wait for the deluxe since I heard there is going to be one later on, why get some new music when I can have it all. I have one song that is on the deluxe and it sounds great, so for me the wait isn’t over.
But you do have to look at the fact that if she didn’t have all of this promotion behind her, we wouldn’t have even really cared about her album. You just did a post about a week or so ago on Latoya Luckett, who has a way better voice range than Rihanna and a solid album as well, and it does show that MONEY is a MAJOR factor in why her album has done well. Ne-yo writing on her album, has in part to do with her budget. Yes she may have gotten some unknown producers, but her writers are very well known.
i really dont get the ’size 10′ line off stupid in love
can someone please explain that?
@stallion, yeaa i couldn’t get through the whole song though :/ i don’t know, i just wasn’t really feeling the beat but her delivery at certain parts is pretty cool though
I agree that Promotion plays a major role…even Mariah flopped because she barely promoted her album. There are a lot of good albums that go unnoticed due to lack of promotion (ie Teedra Moses who has mixtapes hotter than 99% of the R&B albums of the past 4 yrs but no record label). However….all the promotion in the world does very little good if the album sucks. Trust me if Rihanna made a bad album it would be a much bigger story…instead her album has been quietly getting good reviews.
However…just being picky I have to point out that Letoya did start out in 1 of the biggest girl groups in the past 15 years, so it’s not like she didn’t have a head start. With a lot of these artists they have a lack of promotion because they lack the hustle. You gotta do shows, radio interviews, etc. Teedra Moses does that….LeToya….not so much.
Oh yeah and I forgot to mention that Rihanna also worked with a little known writer/producer on GGGB…The Dream who was catapulted by writing Umbrella. So I maintain that it’s not all about budget it’s having an ear for what works. She took more creative control with her music and image starting with GGGB and has seen bigger heights with her career as a result.
901- The size 10 is a reference to finding the clothing of another woman and confronting her man about it. He is trying to tell her the clothing is hers but her reply is “I have never been a size 10 in my life”. I know that’s a lot of blanks to fill in but if you think about why a woman would say that in a confrontation with her man it makes more sense.
@stallion…i like hole in my head but like most of the songs on her album…i play then a few times then im done with them
I will give her credit on her cohesiveness cause she has def lacked that on her past albums.
Hard is my absolute fav song on this album and i knew it would be before i listened to her album. (I want a song like that for myself…hard beat and lyrics all about me:) lol)
I think she has a lot of cool tracks on here but nothing classic. I think her delivery on this cd is alright. She still lacks vocal capabilities. I would say she is 2 steps above Ciara. The songs I enjoy are Hard, Stupid in love, Rude boy, Te Amo, Photograph. and i kinda like Fire Bomb (rock is my fav genre). Cold case love is cool but too long and drawn out for me. The rest either didnt catch me and I did listen to the lyrics..just weren’t my songs.
I can not say that this is the best album that i have heard in a long time because its not. I think that Def Jam released the wrong songs and that her album would sell better if they dropped diff singles. I wish her the best.
I just gave this album a listen the other day. Although it isn’t my favorite album to come out this year it was better than I expected. As Reecie pointed out It does takes a few listens to get a full understanding of what’s being said in each song. She does sound a lot better and this is definitely a very defiant type of album which I think is a really good thing. But It’s funny that the one track I like the most is the bonus song Hole In My Head.
@collegechick205…R u sure ur in college or that’s just a blog name…HELLO read the credits. Rihanna DID help and write most of the songs and this was clearly stated by Ne-yo among others…And heck NO she is NO-way like Beyonce with the exception that the two of them are the hottest chicks on the planet . The two of them are two completely different artists. And furthermore if u LISTENED to the words of every song on that album, u could tell that those words were formulated from HER experience so obviously for them to have been written, she had to have some GREAT input.
And PLZ stop comparing Latoya because she is nothing like Rihanna. I live in Houston and not even here in Houston, people are supporting Latoya and going out and buying her records. She is just NOT that interesting….And yes if she was promoted, she would prob have faired better in record sales but she still would not have reached the status that Rihanna or even Beyonce has reached. They are in their own brackets and to try and sit up here and compare Latoya to them is just plain wrong, stupid, idiotic, ridiculous….
And futhermore its obviously CLEAR that u do not like Rihanna has a person so y do u spend so much time following her and digging up her music?! If u ask me that is clearly pathetic!!! I am NOT a Lady Gaga fan so i DO NOT spend my quality time tracking down her every move…C i have better things to do unlike u, who spend most of ur unavailable time stalking Rihanna and her EVERY move. My advice for you is to use ur time and concentrate on idols Gaga and Latoya and leave Riri alone!!! Or here’s one for ya, actually go do some studying,,,if ur ACTUALLY in College.
PS; I know my statement to u is going to fall on def ears seeming as how u can not help but to stalk down Rihanna…..WE all know your nothing but a Chris Browns stans… get a life chick!!!.
Reecie just wonderin if you bought/listened to Jay Sean’s new CD which was also released on November 23.
I love it and would like to see him get some more exposure as it is primarily an R&B CD, it would be great to hear what people think….. I know Rihanna is huge and hot but I am over dissecting her!
thanks xx
Reecie, I’m loving this record. Though I’ve only listened to it once, I think it could go down as a classic in the future. A couple things though:
1. I get what you’re saying about “G4L” having a deeper meaning, but I still ain’t totally feeling the gangsta concept. I personally find it cheesy when R&B singers talk about gangstas and thuggin in songs whether it’s literal or not. It’s bad enough when rappers constantly do it. I probably just have to give it time and have it grow on me. The “licking the gun/sweet revenge” line was smart though.
2. I didn’t care for the switch up Will.I.Am did on “Photographs.” I liked it by itself when it was soft.
But overall I ‘m loving this. My favorite songs were “Cold Case Love,” “Rockstar 101″ (101, really? lol) and “Hard.” Oh and did you notice that transition from “”Rockstar” to “Russian Roulette.” Who ever mixed this album was a genius for that!
On another note, has anyone also noticed how 2009 is becoming a great year in music. At least in quality. You got heat coming from Trey Songz, Drake, The Dream (Album of the year in my opinion), Jigga, Kid CuDI, Wale… I mean even 50 stepped it up. 50 CENT stepped his game up! I Mean Seriously!
@JW….I was expecting you to respond to that being as though you are a Rihanna stan. And for the facts I never said that I didn’t like her as a person, I don’t even know her to make that kind of statement.
For the record, I think what Chris Brown did was wrong, but I feel that both parties had an equal part in what happened. Therefore, I’m not too pleased with how she is allowing the media to portray her as an innocent victim, when there are discrepancies within the report. My mother and I had a short conversation about it, because she really doesn’t care for either one of them, and made a very true statement: “it’s clear that he didn’t really want to hurt her because it would’ve been way worse”.
Yes I’m college and I will be obtain my B.A. in Mass Communication with a Concentration in Journalism with a minor in English and Communication Management from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. So let’s not go there.
I used Latoya as a mere example, there are numerous places that BLATANTLY state that Rihanna can not sing. Her vocal abilities are EXTREMELY limited as I have stated before. My response will go upon deaf ears as you seem to like to personally attack a person that does not agree with your statement. On that note, I suggest that you expand your music horizon to things outside of what the media portrays and then maybe you can hear what REAL singing and entertainment sounds and looks like.
@JW….Oh and by the way I didn’t dig up her music….that’s what you do on EACH AND EVERY POST. My friend gave it to me through YIM….I wasn’t even going to listen to it because at first I only like one of the 3 songs that came out. So please get your facts straight. I comment on various things besides topics of Rihanna, you could look at my post on the AMAs and what I thought were good performances….did I mention Rihanna’s name…NO.
Get your lips off Rihanna’s ass and get a damn life.
RIP AUNTY MADGE!!! I LOVE U AND MISS U:(
@ Reecie my aunt passed away un-expectantly in Jamaica. Just wanted u to know…sadness…………..
@collegechick205 ama ignore u on this one because i have alot more important things to deal with now than responding back to a smart-@ss like u!!!
aw come on guys, its the holidays, there’s no need for internet beef
and jw i’m really sorry to hear about your aunt =( that must be really tough
oh and thankss reecie; that makes a lot more sense now
LOL@ 901…..never any beef here lol. I’m too focused on my graduation in 2 weeks from undergrad to be worried about be. I like a friendly debate but when someone goes out of their way to try me….don’t expect me to be silent about it.
aww congrats CC! good luck with that =)
haha no i was just trying to ease up the tension; i mean we’re all HM fam, there’s no need for insults or name calling
happy thanksgivingg everyone. and eid mubaarak to anyone who’s celebrating tomorrow with me =)
JW I’m really sorry to hear about your aunt. My prayers are with you and your family.
Happy Thanksgiving to all my HM fam out there! I hope it brought you lots of love and good food!
Collegechick Congratulations on your upcoming grad! Good luck with finals girl!
You can get her album on amazon.com today for a dolla…so if any of yall wanna support..they are giving this cd away for almost free!
@CC good luck with graduation…i just finished not to long ago myself and gl with the job search!
I decided to get the album and it is cool. I don’t know how much she used to curse in her songs, but if didn’t feel it was needed in a lot of her songs that I heard it in. I did say that others could sing better, but still the on Rated R music is cohesive and sounds good for what she did. With artist that I think sing better but, their albums don’t necessarily have good songs, it just feels like ok songs with great singing.
I don’t sing that well but that doesn’t stop me from writing and making songs people can enjoy. Rated R has a good amount of enjoyable songs, with not great but cool singing.
@ CC Good luck, I’m am close to the same boat at you, I’m about to get my BA in one last semester. We seem to think a lot on the whole Rhinna thing. Maybe it has something to do with being in college and about to graduate, lol.
@Jam Wo- my condolenceses
@ Soda- That was a good observation. Rihanna is not the best singer but she did step it up vocally. And though her voice is not great, she made a great album. A lot of people who are great singers do not always make great albums.
@CC-Good luck, as a graduate myself I know you will be relieved when it’s all over. And good luck on your future endeavors.
@JW-I’m sorry about your loss
Thank you all for the good wishes!!!
@JW….sorry to hear about your lost. My prayers are with you and your family!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IItFfZYN4Ps
@t EVERYONE thanx a million and GOD bless all of y’all!!!
from ” rated r” i like “hard” then “wait your turn” & then “russian roulette(which i didn’t really of the lyrics,cuz in the lyrics it doesn’t say “russian roulette”, but it’s still my favorite song from rated r”). but my really favorite songs are “sell me candy”, “let me”, “pon de replay”, “music of the sun”, “if isn’t lovin you want”, “s.o.s”, “disturbia”, “rehab”, “take a bow”, “we ride”, “unfaithful”, “umbrella” & “hate that i love you”.what’s your favorite rihanna song outta these?….