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.
I love Ceremonials and I love 'Spectrum'. In fact it's one of my favourite songs on the entire album and so when I heard the remix was being presented as single I was of course a bit anxious as to the result. However, Calvin hasn't disappointed me before and thankfully he hasn't this time. The remix of Spectrum is brilliant, summery and totally infectious. Rather than stifle the song's charm it lifts it up and in true Calvin style, gets a scream when it blasts onto a dance floor (yes, from me). Nothing will ever satisfy or elate me as much as 'We Found Love' did, but this ranks damn high on my tracks of 2012. Good job.
Hi hi! So Rihanna finally made the right move and released an epic single from Talk That Talk. After 'We Found Love' the other two singles seemed lack lustre on their own, but new cut 'Where Have You Been?' is an immense dance floor mercenary of a song, that starts of in a teasing down tempo fashion, only to build into an intense and epic electronic break down. I just hope she whips out 'Drunk On Love' next, to really tip the scales back in her direction.
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.
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.
Talk That Talk is ready. People, I won't see the light of day for weeks once it drops. If 'We Found Love' is anything to go by we're in for a treat. Expect a full review as you got with Rated Rand Loud. That's full dependent on me not having a heart attack waiting in the queue to pay for my copy.
I know I post a lot about Rihanna these days, but it's because she's the only one ripping up the music charts right now. When 'We Found Love' dropped I was very pleased and excited. Now, I have a brilliant music video to swoon over and by brilliant I mean brilliant.
I know I'm slightly biased, but this is by far the best video to get released in 2011. It's a smart approach to visually portraying the song, which otherwise seems like a positive one. I thought the video was going to be Ri running about in fields being happy about loving some fit dude. Alas, only half of this is right. The video shows how poisonous loving someone can be and self destructive it can make you. We see Rihanna throwing up in the streets (presumably after taking drugs) but it's ribbons that come out of her mouth, so cool. We see her going crazy on pills and we see her get dirty at a party in someone's farm yard. It's by far the best video she's done so far and the most meaningful.
Rihanna isn't bad at acting and the guy she's with is hot. It's a bit like watching an indie British film; like a mini-Trainspotting style affair. Take a look.
The video above is the uncut version (the one on TV is boring).
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. 
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. 
