Formerly recognized as the princess of R&B, Rihanna emerges as a powerful, badass vixen on her fourth album, Rated R. Rihanna’s got big shoes to fill — her own. The 21-year-old songstress is responsible for some of the biggest radio hits of the past few years. While the best tracks on her new album might be too weighty to garner massive radio attention, Rihanna works it like never before. After a trying year, Rihanna is back in the game with Rated R.
“I’m such a fucking lady,” Rihanna sings unabashedly on “Wait Your Turn.” Paired with powerful vocals, this beat feels like it belongs in an adult-themed circus. Rihanna earns her parental advisory label on this album, unapologetically hurling expletives and referencing law-breaking activities. She’s come a long way since “Umbrella.”
The intensely powerful R&B piano ballad “Stupid in Love” seems like a fairly transparent reference to her relationship with ex-boyfriend Chris Brown, who pled guilty to assaulting Rihanna earlier this year. The incident quite obviously shaped Rihanna’s work on this album, but she doesn’t dwell on it. Instead, Rihanna comes across as strong and determined. Songs like “Hard,” and “Rockstar 101,” which features Slash, give her more of an edge than she’s ever had. (In other words, Good Girl Gone Bad becomes Good Girl Gone Badass.)
On Rated R, Rihanna offers a different kind of love song — one that’s tough, confident and heartbreaking all at the same time. These aren’t feel-good pop songs — the emotion in these tracks weighs them down, but listeners will appreciate their raw intensity. The album’s soulful first single, “Russian Roulette,” is equal parts beautiful and dangerous. Justin Timberlake co-wrote perhaps the most unique song on the album, “Cold Case Love,” a ballad that moves slowly at first, building up to an orchestral breakdown.
Each song on Rated R complements the next, and the intensity never wanes. There is not a song worth skipping on this entire album. The taunting dance song “Rude Boy” will remind listeners of Rihanna’s earlier club hits. “Photographs,” featuring Will.I.Am., is a dreamy dance track tinged with reggae. The industrial sounding “G4L” might come across as harsh or threatening when Rihanna sings “I lick the gun when I’m done/ Cause I know that revenge is sweet,” but after another listen, it seems more confident than angry.
On her fourth release, Rihanna weaves R-rated elements of danger into edgy piano ballads and hip-hop beats. Her voice is so smooth she even makes criminal activity sound hot. And while the album’s explicit content is exaggerated (if it wasn’t, Rihanna would be in jail), it really does seem personal; these tracks reveal Rihanna’s insecurities and strengths simultaneously.
In her liner notes, Rihanna calls Rated R “the album of a lifetime.” It’s hard to tell whether Rated R reflects the natural progression of her career or a calculated reinvention, but either way Rihanna succeeds on every level with this album. Together, this cohesive collection of tracks tells a story about her growth as an artist and as a person. Rihanna spins brilliance from tragedy on Rated R, and she does it with confidence and style, all the while establishing herself as a vocal force to be reckoned with.
4 1/2 stars out of 5.
