The greatest mistake Rihanna made with Rated R was releasing it on November 23rd. The Bajan pop princess isn't just competing against highly anticipated albums by Lady Gaga, Susan Boyle and Adam Lambert; she's competing against albums that are easily digestible. And to be quite frank, some listeners are going to have a "Hard" time listening to her latest effort.
Even outside of the context of her relationship with Chris Brown and the gut-wrenching domestic violence case, the somber themes and sound are rampant on Rated R. Then when you put it all into perspective, it becomes even more unsettling. "Fire Bomb" invokes images of Brown bursting into flames. "Cold Case Love" provides flashbacks to the courtroom, as Rihanna sings "Your love was breaking the law".
If the regretful confessions and revenge fantasies aren't enough to put you in "Disturbia", the Will.i.am collaboration "Photographs" just might take you there. With tabloids creating romances left and right, it's clear that the public blatantly wants Rihanna to move on. The mere thought that she might still miss Brown, or even missed him at some point in the recent past, is a fact that some folks will have trouble grasping.
A few critics have suggested the biographical elements on Rated R may skew your perspective on the music, but that's kind of the point–this is a personal album. It's intentionally pulling on our heartstrings, and this shouldn't be mistaken for being manipulative. Rather than retreating from the spotlight, Rihanna has made the brave decision to verbally and musically speak out on her abuse. Obviously, she can't speak out for all individuals who have been physically, emotionally or sexually abused, but maybe–just maybe–she'll give at least one person the strength and courage they need.
FYI: Every track on Rated R isn't weighed down with darkness. If you're a fan of Rihanna's dancier tunes like "Don't Stop The Music" and "S.O.S.", be sure to check out the club-ready track "Rude Boy".
– Dewitt
the album is pretty good overall. it’s quite heavy (the girl has had a pretty heavy year…), “photographs”, “te amo”, “rude boy” are just a few of the really hott tracks on this album. get it listen to it and form your own opinion(s)
people from barbados are called “bajans”
Thanks for the correction, aferaskajamie. I can always count on you! 😉
I actually knew that it was Bajan, but it totally slipped my mind when I was writing this.
This album is a grower. I hated it at first but slowly growing to like the most of the songs. Def must check out Rude Boy, Rockstar 101 and Cold Case Love
not a fan.
and of course, my luck
she will be at the SNL I go to on 12/5
I actually really like the album. There are some crap songs (Photographs, Te Amo, Stupid In Love), but overall I think it’s good.
It did take a few listens to really like a lot of it, but Fire Bomb, Rockstar 101, Rude Boy and Hard are great.