Rated Unapologetic: Apology somewhat needed

'I do my own thang, phresh of the runway' bites Riri on the opener to her seventh studio album Unapologetic. It's fierce, a bit indecipherable but full of the bad girl attitude she's developed rapidly over the past two years/albums. Many think she's in overkill at the moment and needs to take a serious hiatus to give everyone else a break. Others are delighted that she keeps popping out albums like a toaster hooked on pop tarts. I fall in with the latter category, or so I thought I did until I heard Unapologetic.

For a major Rihanna fan such as moi, one who has been hard for her music ever since the wonderful Rated R graced airwaves, Unapologetic is a disappointing, somewhat annoying collection of songs. The opener is quite cool, but when the haunting dark beats of 'Numb' (feat Eminem) kick in the album is thrown off track. Repeatedly stating 'I'm going numb' for what seems like an eternity I just pray for the song to come to a swift end. Then we're presented with the duff 'Pour It Up', a song that irritates with its horrendous lyrics and arrangement. The negatives keep coming with 'Get It Over With' and the poppy snorefest duet with ex/not ex lover Chris Brown 'Nobody's Business'. You're right it is nobody's business and also, no one fucking cares.

The album avoids a 1/5 rating because of some moments of brilliance. Lead single 'Diamonds' is a triumph of a song, perhaps a career best. Rihanna's vocals are on point, the production is gorgeous and the lyrics are strong. Chase & Status number 'Jump' is another top track, with its electronic dub step onslaught an absolute joy to absorb. 

The poor songs noted earlier don't showcase any vocal talent. Songs like 'What Now', 'Stay' and 'Love Without Tragedy/Mother Mary' show off the vocals that have grown over the past 3 albums. The first track is an infectious, mid tempo anthem that would fit perfectly onto Loud. The third is an interesting track and is perhaps one of the album's most powerful performances. 'No Love Allowed' sees Rihanna embrace her Bajan accent just like she did on the brilliant 'Man Down' a couple of year ago and is just as loveable. Album closer 'Lost in Paradise' is average dub step pop, but certainly maintains the relief the latter part of the album injects into the sore spot left by the jagged/unpleasant earlier segment.

Unapologetic is not an improvement on Talk That Talk, which albeit wasn't a perfect album, and it certainly doesn't serve as a worthy successor to Loud or Rated R. It does show that Rihanna, even now in a state of over exposure, still holds the iron fist as the most powerful pop singer in the world. Her last three albums have given fans different music, new experimentations and in some cases a new Rihanna to play with. However, Unapologetic doesn't manage to remain cohesive and has too many mishaps littered throughout its track list to hit the top end of the review scale. There are, as previously said, moments of brilliance here. Songs that remind you of why you fell in love with dirty Ri in the first place. Right, now it's time for your holiday love!

Download: Diamonds/Jump/No Love Allowed/What Now

2.5/5

Rated Rihanna: Unapologetic incoming!

Ri - y'big dirty!

It was easily predicted that I'd be stratospherically high on the news of Rihanna's upcoming 7th album Unapologetic. With the first single being so bloody perfect and a refreshing step away from the dancey Calvin Harris days, how could I not be?

 

Anyway, I thought I'd just highlight that there are only 16 days until the album drops.

Yes, 16! 

Rated Cheryl (Cole?) - Under The Sun

So Cheryl (just typod Cherly - how amazing would it be if she was called Cherly?!) is back again with new single 'Under The Sun', taken from her sort of successful album A Million Lights (it could have got to number 1 but didn't) and following on from the immense lead single 'Call My Name'. I love that song.

I don't love this song so much. Aside from the awful single artwork where Cherly looks like she's about to have an aneurism holding a light-saber, it's not a terrible single choice. It's totally different to 'Call My Name', mainly in that it isn't as good, but it's got a pretty catchy chorus and some 'Woooah woohh' going on. Its saving grace is that it has Rihanna producer Alex Da Kid twiddling his knob(s). I'm at a bit of a loss with this woman as a whole to be honest.

2/5

Rated Song of the week (W/C 6th Feb)

This week I cannot stop listening to Rihanna's 'What's My Name?'. Literally re-hooked, to the point of notching up 14 listens last night. I think it might be partly to do with the awful weather and the images of a Caribbean beach it conjures up when the West Indian tune kicks in. Love love love it.

Rated Talk That Talk!

Rihanna closes her 6th studio album with the pounding beat of epic ballad 'Farewell'. If this is a literal, but temporary, goodbye from the Bajan sex nuke then it can only be labeled "well earned". Reaching album number 6 in as many years is an impressive feat, yet it's one which concerned many as the world seemed to go under a Rihanna tidal wave. Thankfully, Talk That Talk doesn't disappoint after its predecessor Loud racked up 7million+ sales world wide, stole heaps of critical acclaim and produced a sold out world tour. This is a feisty r'n'b romp, with lots of cheek and charm and some really satisfying cuts.

Opener 'You Da One' is a West Indian flavoured, mid-tempo number in a similar vein to 'What's My Name?'. It's not quite as brilliant and hypnotic, but it leaves a warm sensation that is certain to prove vital this winter. Teaming up with Calvin Harris on epic floor filler 'We Found Love' proved to be a damn good decision as both are bound to see their bank balances notch up a few more zeros in the coming months. Lending a hand to Cirkuit and Dr. Luke, the Scottish DJ helps birth the wonderful, exhilarating 'Where Have You Been?'. One of the strongest songs on the album, this is more or less the 'Only Girl (In the World)' of Talk That Talk. Not quite as enormous, but packed with a grimey edge that we've not really heard on a Rihanna song before. "Where have you been?/All my life/Where have you been all my L-i-i-i-fe?", belts Ri over dirty electronic synths and a pulsating beat, with top form vocals on show. 

Notorious B.I.G sampler, 'Talk That Talk' is a brilliant song, with Jay Z opening up the classic sounding r'n'b track and Rihanna kicking into a catchy as hell chorus, "One and two and a three and four/Come on let me know if you want some more/You know what I like/Now get right/Boy talk that talk to me all night/...love it when you talk that talk to me yeah". This is the first instance of where the rasp of Rated R shows its welcome face. 

Rated 'You Da One'

6 albums in 7 years and now 2 singles from one album within a month of eachother. It seems Rihanna really is taking over the world. New album Talk That Talk is dropping in 8 days (stupidly excited right here) and just to tease us there's a summery new single for us to sink our nails into. 

This scenario reminds me of the Loud release, when the immense dance floor behemoth 'Only Girl (In the World)' was followed by a mid tempo, West Indian flavoured hook fest. Lead single 'We Found Love' is a huge, summery dance hit and now with 'You Da One' we have a more chill reggae-ish r'n'b effort. "You Da One that I think about all day-ay-ay", Rihanna sings in her ohsoaddictive Bajan tones, harking back to the "eh-eh-eh" of 'Umbrella' and the kettle drum beats of 'What's My Name?'. It's not as instantly brilliant as WMN or 'Man Down', but it's a relief to know that there is some classic sounding Ri on the upcoming TTT. WIth a few more plays this will become one of the catchiest tunes this winter.


4/5

Rated Loud Tour 2011

BABE

It's been just over a year since Rihanna toured her 4th studio album Rated R . We've been in the midst of a Rihanna tornado since then with a constant stream of singles, a new album and yet another tour. It leaves one wondering, how does she do it? Where does she get the energy from? Where do all these tremendous songs come from? Apparently some ether of pop brilliance.

The Last Girl On Earth tour of 2010/2011 was a great showcase of the darker material from the Rated R era. It featured songs like 'Russian Roulette', 'Rude Boy' and 'Te Amo', performed against a robo-apocalyptic backdrop. There was latex, lots of war imagery and a huge amount of rockstar charm. Now, on the Loud Tour, supporting an album that has now sold in excess of 8 million copies worldwide, Rihanna is cranking the pace up a notch.

Things kick off with a 3/4 minute film, which has the Bajan babe in a bobbed red wig and black outfits, screaming as loud as possible. It crescendos, the screen splits in the two, and out she pops in a neon lit, transparent orb. Belting out the tremendous 'Only Girl (In the World)' , she makes the crowd insane, all the while strutting up and down the stage in a tiny blue glossy coat, leaving very little to the imagination; that's why we love her! Her vocals are on top form, better than they have ever been in fact. She engages with the crowd, bellowing 'Glasgoooow', more frequently than she did on her last tour, making the whole affair that little bit more exciting. De-robing to reveal a rainbow coloured, beaded bra and pant combo, she slips into 'Disturbia' and 'Shut Up and Drive', before sitting non-chalantly against a wrecked car to show off her West Indian tones on the Bob Marley inspired 'Man Down'.

The tempo at this tour is much higher with less balladry and more big beats. There is the essential ballad segment, but it takes up very little time for the pace to quicken again. A revved up rock cover of Prince's 'Darling Nikki' slips into a raunchy performance of 'S&M', identical to that she performed with Britney Spears at the VMAs. 

The pink tank of the previous tour returns, but it's smaller and fires projectiles into the audience. Getting G with 'Raining Men' and 'Hard', Rihanna rides her ad-hoc army vehicle to the front of the stage, surrounded by gun-toting topless dancers.

Rated RiRi - FAIL.

Due to painfully unfortunate financial failings on my part, I can no longer afford to go down to London to suck up the immense aura of my favourite bitch, Rihanna. I am now left, cold and lonely on October 5th...completely Rihanna-less. In her place I will blast her back catalogue and down a bottle of Cava, maybe two? 


Should anyone be interested in two standing tickets for the O2 Arena on the 5th October 2011, please let me know via twitter and I will sort something out for you. We can discuss price at the time, I don't like quoting figures online, it's so messy.

Just a picture to rub salt into my Rihanna shaped wound.

I love you, woman.

Rated California King Bed

Loud has, so far, provided us with uptempo, feisty, booty shaking beauties. 'Only Girl' is, perhaps, Rihanna's most anthemic song to date and 'What's My Name?' and 'S&M' are sexy, sassy songs about the kinky stuff and a little bit of love, obviously. The big debate amongst her burgeoning fan base was "what will she release next?". Apparently the US is getting the epic reggae inspired 'Man Down'. Not us though, we're getting a ballad, a country ballad. It's not all as bad as you think. In fact, 'California King Bed' contains Rihanna's strongest vocals so far and the most authentically emotional performance she's given since 'Russian Roulette'. "In this California King Bed, we're ten thousand miles apart", sings Ri on this song about the crumbling foundations of a failing, yet intense romance. It's a bloody brilliant song and is one of the main reasons why Loud is a must have album.

Check out the lovely video too. Just lovely.

Rated 10 Day Song Challenge - Day 4

Oops, got side tracked yesterday and failed to keep the flow going with this post. 

Day 4

Rihanna - Man Down

It's no secret that I love a bit of the Bajan bogle queen. 'Man Down' from Ri's latest album Loud is an original moment for the new queen of dance-hall inspired pop. It's mid-tempo reggae ramblings allow her Bajan accent to slip through at its thickest to date, easily heard when she sings "Pull the trigga pull the trigga BOOM". With its Bob Marley inspired 'Rom papapom', 'Man Down' is an interesting, intelligent and damn charming moment for the pop-tart. 

Rated - LOUD.

Once upon a time, I dismissed Rihanna’s musical merit, that was until last year’s stunning Rated R, which features some of the best songs of 2009/2010, ‘Russian Roulette’ and ‘Fire Bomb’ to name two. The album was dark, brooding and contained material covering suicide, sex and swagger. Now, just one year on, Rihanna’s back with Loud, a step back to her days as a pure pop artist. Ditching the sharp edge of its predecessor, Loud is a delicious collection of uptempo dance numbers and great vocal moments for a singer whose talent has frequently been questioned.

Opener, ‘S&M’, is guilt free electro-dance pop about dirty sex. Rihanna sings, ‘I may be bad but I’m perfectly good at it, sex in the air I don’t care, I love the smell of it...’ in a sexually predatory purr. New single ‘What’s My Name?’ is sumptuous, West Indian flavoured, r’n’b and with its “oh na na” hook it is a well deserved hit. Lead single ‘Only Girl (In the World)’, is a colossal orgasm of a dance track and the album’s highlight. It features some of Rihanna’s most convincing vocals and the Stargate production would make David Guetta brown his Calvin Kleins. Avril Lavigne sampling ‘Cheers (I’ll Drink to That)’ is destined to become a party anthem and is one of the Bajan beauty’s most original moments. ‘Man Down’, a Bob Marley inspired reggae infusion burgeoning with gun metaphors, is another superb, reggae style, song. It’s clear that Rihanna is pulling her roots back into her musical folds.

‘Complicated’ and ‘Fading’ are strong songs about mixed messages and failing relationships, and the hip-hop beats of Nicki Minaj duet ‘Raining Men’ are annoying at first, but become irresistible. The vibe of Loud slips slightly with ‘Skin’, a grower that would have sat more comfortably with the rocky concept of Rated R.

Loud isn’t just about big beats, no sir. There are two lovely ballads in the form of ‘California King Bed’ and the stunning ‘Love the Way You Lie (part 2)’. The former has Rihanna blasting out some notes unheard of in her past register and the latter is more stripped down than the rest of the album. It’s a step forward from the rap heavy ‘part 1’, with Rihanna taking the helm. These are two pretty significant moments on the album, standing out amongst all the club ready dance tracks and showing off Rihanna’s vocal development.

This is quite a big moment in Rihanna’s career. Rated R was stamped as a flop (even though it sold millions) in comparison to her enormous hit Good Girl, Gone Bad. Loud succeeds by landing in two different places. Firstly, it stands between the two aforementioned albums, featuring lots of dance-pop a la ‘Please Don’t Stop the Music’ laced with the dark tones that made Rated R such an interesting album. It also leaps over its predecessor and re-establishes Rihanna as a true commercial pop artist.

It will please those put off by her last endeavor, and will probably win her some new fans (thanks to ‘Only Girl’). With a ‘loud’ new look and a new tour, this release is sure to enhance her status as a live act and make the production value of her shows erupt. Containing some quite brilliant pop music, Loud is the ‘success’ Rihanna’s been waiting for after the polarizing effect of Rated R. So pop it in and do as the album title suggests; turn your volume up, because you’re in for a treat.

4.5/5

Rated 'What's My Name?'

Rihanna, no?

Rated R was an expression of the turmoil of a rough year in the world of Rihanna. Its highlight however, the fantastically filthy ‘Rude Boy’, was a refreshing morsel of dance-hall pop. The latest taster from the impending 5th album, Loud, and follow up to the immense dance smash ‘Only Girl (In the World)’, ‘What’s My Name?’ is an instant pleaser, sounding a bit like ‘Rude Boy’ on valium, reaching orgasm.

“Hey boy, I really wanna see if you can go downtown with a girl like me...”, Rihanna sings on the chorus, letting her Bajan accent lace the lines more comfortably than ever before. With the delicious hook “Oh na na” constantly infiltrating your consciousness, you’ll be singing this to yourself uncontrollably for some time to come. It’s not as huge as ‘Only Girl’ but here we find Rihanna somewhere between Good Girl, Gone Bad and Rated R, a pretty funky place to be.

4/5