Rated RAWR.

HUBBA HUBBA. Girl looks fine. 

Rated: Must Listen.

I've known about them for some time now, but since the whole Mercury Prize hype explosion everyone's talking about the XX. Their debut album X is a hypnotically wonderful collection of minimalistic songs, topped with some of the softest vocals you'll ever hear.

Best Songs: 'Islands' and 'VCR'.

Try, please. 

Rated Only Girl.

She's notched up an impressive tally of billboard number one singles and sold millions of albums all over the world. She's been the driving force in a new wave of 'edginess' and she inspired the name of my baby, 'Rated i'. Yes, Rihanna is pretty big right now and by the sounds of things, she's about to get even more immense.

Her latest morsel, 'Only Girl (In The World)' is the first song to be lifted from her next studio album Loud and hops on the dance bandwagon that's circling the scene right now. No doubt the 'lady of cool' will be accused of copying Lady Gaga, because let's face it, who isn't? Thus I must remind everyone that before Gaga popped up in full force, RiRi was pounding out foot stomping delights like 'SOS' and 'Please Don't Stop the Music'. The Stargate production is uplifting and fresh, immediately inducing a desire to dance. Once we get through the sexy sounding verse we fall into an exhilarating chorus that shows off Rihanna's growing vocal abilities. The song is as club ready as can be and is a total contrast to the dark tone of much of her Rated R material (bar 'Rude Boy').

I'll miss the R rated Rihanna, but I'm quite excited about the step back and simultaneous step forward that she's taking. Back to the dance floor and forward to one more million seller. RiRi is back, even though she never left.

5/5

Rated Rihanna Impending.

[MINE. Last Girl on Earth Tour, Glasgow, 2010]

So I've heard, on the 'grape vine', two snippets from Rihanna's new batch of titillating material. Turns out it's completely different to the epic dark brooding of Rated R which everyone knows was my favourite album of the last year. Loud is a step back to the dance pop of Good Girl, Gone Bad, but also a step forward to a unique dance pop that identifies Rihanna as an artist doing her own thing in the genre. The first track I heard was 'Only Girl (In the World)' which is an immensely satisfying club ready beast, that sounds a bit like some of the dance music that came out in the early noughties. If you can, listen to it, because it's really quite a pleasant surprise and new direction, plus her voice sounds the best it's sounded in her entire career. The second 'Who's That Chick?', a David Guetta collaboration (therefore it's going to be huge), which has the coolest, most entertainingly fresh video at this end of 2010. Riri's voice is manipulated to sound robotic but it works well for a one off tune that's both exciting and as catchy as swine flu. So far, I am impressed. Keep it up baby cakes!

Loud is out in November. I am going to hibernate until the glorious release date.