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3 Stars for me, it's not the best song on the album, personally I prefer Hard, but at least it's better than Russian Roulette. The whole song feels a little bit flat, not just because of Rihanna's vocals but because of the backing track as well, it lacks the urgency of some other tracks on the album. I hope the next single is either Hard or Firebomb, I'm still hoping though that Cold Case Love will be released even if it wouldn't work as a single. It's just that amazing.

4 stars? You HAVE to be kidding.

Russian Roulette got 4 stars from me. This gets 1. On a good day.

I too preferred Russian Roulette, Liam, and even that was a bit boring to be honest.

Why is it that they always try making the music sound a bit "harder" when they´ve really run out of creative ideas? Always a tell-tale sign... Something ain´t quite right with her new album.

Have to disagree, Mangsy, I love RATED R. It would have been really easy for Rihanna to make another GOOD GIRL GONE BAD but she went for a less commercial direction and I admire her for that.

I think she should release Fire Bomb as her next single, followed by Te Amo and the final single from the album should be The Last Song.

I like Rude Boy because of the slight dancehall feel to it! I've always wanted her to go back to her reggae/dancehall roots.

Has anyone heard her cover of BOB MARLEY's REDEMPTION SONG. It's surprisingly really good. She released it as a promo single with all proceeds going to charity.

Random, anything less commercial is fine by me, and I agree with the going back to the roots idea. But, still, I feel the production always gets overpowering when the tunes aren´t good enough. Like someone´s trying to hide something.

But I hear what you´re saying, and maybe I´ve listened to her new stuff expecting something totally different. Like drinking a glass of milk thinking it´s orange juice. Aaargh...

I´m easy. I´ll give her new direction another chance. But this song... naaaah.

" The songs Rihanna has put out since UMBRELLA lifted her into the fame stratsophere don't tend to vary in tempo too much . "

Oh come now ace reviewer Mr A !

And help me out here fellow fellow chart bloggers .

Does the disco high speed of DON'T STOP THE MUSIC match the tempo of slow number 1 ballad TAKE A BOW ?

Does the lovers duet with NE-YO of HATE THAT I LOVE YOU , match the uptempo SHUT UP AND DRIVE ?

Hey , compare the relatively understated sleeper carriage RUSSIAN ROULETTE to the absolute runaway express train of DON'T STOP THE MUSIC ?

Where are the experts in tempo to pass judgement ?

i'm here spirit. ;)


Unfortunately, i dont want to comment on the tempo thing, because regardless of what i think about Rihanna's differing tempo, this particular song BORED ME TO TEARS. It just doesnt do anything. Doesnt go anywhere. Serves no purpose. Just endless repetition followed by the occasional 'yeaaah'. Abysmal.



Oh and spirit, you used Dont Stop The Music twice, try SOS instead;)

S.o.S was pre Umbrella .

How about using BREAKING DISHES. That was a promo single from the album.

Well, I'm no expert on tempo Spirit. But since GOOD GIRL GONE BAD, Rihanna has released up-tempos such as UMBRELLA, SHUT UP AND DRIVE, BREAKIN' DISHES, DON'T STOP THE MUSIC, DISTURBIA, RUDE BOY, HARD and IF I NEVER SEE YOUR FACE AGAIN with MAROON-5, she's released ballads such as TAKE A BOW, HATE THAT I LOVE YOU with NE-YO, RUSSIAN ROULETTE and REHAB. She's also released mid-tempos such as promo singles WAIT YOUR TURN and TE AMO.

I'm not really sure where Fraser is going with the whole she never changes tempo thing.

Yeah . Don't Stop The Music and Take a Bow are almost polar opposites . I don't understand the never changes tempo comment either .

I think he needs to go on an all expenses paid holiday to Barbados , made to lay on a sun kissed beach , with scantily clad lovelies serving him hourly Pina Colada .

We could have THE BIG F staying in a 5 star hotel , where the room service is quicker and more efficient than Ashley Cole's text finger .

Then when he is fully relaxed , on a set of golden headphones , we would play all of Rihanna's singles post Umbrella , and give him aural pleasure .

Then , when he realises there ARE changing tempos , he will realise the error of his ways .

Coming back to Rude Boy , another commercial tour de force by Miss Fenty , with that huge chorus and that huge " take it , take it " hook . When the video and physical release are in full swing , this song will be in or around the top 5 , no problem .

And this will garner more interest in the already platinum Rated R album .

Totally agree with Random's comment at 4 .

Rated R marks a change of style and direction from the all out pop of Good Girl Go Bad , as the new songs are harder and with largely more adult attitude .

Listening to Rated R , is not an artist who has run "out of creative ideas " , it's the sound of an artist , a management company , and a marketing team , who have moved Rihanna's style a little to keep her at the top for years to come .
Stay the same in the pop world , year after year , and you can flounder.

Madonna has honed the changing style with commercial songs , to stay relevant and comtemperary in the pop world for 27 years .

Rihanna is NOT going away for a while .

I expect Rated R to at least go double platinum by the end of June.

I must say Mangsy , your example :

"Like drinking a glass of milk , when thinking it's orange juice "

Absolutely brilliant !

I will no doubt , use this in the future and claim it as my own in some glossy magazine.

That said, I'm not the biggest fan of Rude Boy.

But I understand why it's a single, its obviously the only really club banger on Rated R except for perhaps Hard.

I don´t understand either what Fraser was getting at with the tempo thing. He was too busy shovelling out stars to stop and think, probably. I think he´s a bit too nice these days. Where´s the biting irony and sarcastic put downs? They all deserve it, these pop superstars, don´t you think? They´re not gonna get away too easily...

And about the song, I still think it´s an underachievement considering Rihanna´s track record. I so much prefer Umbrella, Take A Bow, Don´t Stop The Music, Hate That I Love You, not to mention the ones B.U. (Before Umbrella)

But I agree Spirit, it´s gonna continue to climb (maybe top 5) and be a commercial success. But then again Spirit, that´s a whole different kettle of fish!

I also disagree with the tempo thing.

Rhianna has got massive staying power as an artist. But let's not beat around the bush. This track is truely terrible.

Agreed Liam. I like Rihanna, I do, especially the unique tone to her voice, but I hate this song, majorly disappointing. I do agree with spirit on the tempo thing though...

I agree with Liam here, Rihanna can generally make what would be otherwise a horribly boring song, Russian Roulette, sound engaging (to some) but here the whole song feels anonymous, anyone could have penned these lyrics, anyone could have sung this. Shame though I do like her voice.

Knew this would be a commercial hit .

NUMBER 6 AND climbing !

@ 12 .

I said RUDE BOY would be a top 5 hit , it is now NUMBER 3 !!!

GO AWAY RHIANNA AND COME BACK WITH A BETTER SONG THANKS.

Turns out Rihanna is intending to come back with some better songs for her new album due for release this summer, which will apparently be 'sunnier'. Thank God!

No rain songs for this summer then?

Wasn't UMBRELLA number 1 for 10 weeks during our wettest summer ever ?

Yup and Rihanna cursed us all by making the following 2 years rainy as well. If Summer 2010 is as bad as the Summers of 2007, 2008 and 2009 then I'm emigrating to Barbados.

Yeah RANDY go and release the song " Feelin Sexy In a Rainmac " , in Barbados this Summer , rocket up their chart , and totally mess up THEIR weather !!!!

Revenge is a meal , best served WET !!!

ahhh not her greatest song, for some reason it makes me think of those annoying chavs that drive around all night in their done up 1.0 saxo's, hopefully she will release something better this summer. (prays)

Rihanna's next single from Rated R will not be Photographs with Will.I.Am. Instead it will be the island tinged mid-tempo about lesbian love Te Amo, one of my personal highlights from the album.

I would prefer it if she released Firebomb instead, it's easily one of the best tracks on a reasonably poor album. Even though it'll never happen I would love her to release Cold Case Love as well, only problem is you couldn't edit it 'cause you'd end up losing the tension that makes it so brilliant.

Agreed on Fire Bomb and Cold Case Love but Te Amo is obviously been released following the success of Rude Boy (which also seen Rihanna return to her Bajan roots) and because Summer is coming. Also, Rihanna needs to distinguish herself from all the current pop divas at the moment.

I am hearing that Rihanna's next single will be ...

Rockstar 101

As Randy has not mentioned this , I am guessing that some may call this news ,a bit of an exclusive .

Well I sort of have, I've just been hearing rumours that Rockstar 101 is a US single and Te Amo is an international release. There's also rumours of Photographs being the next single.

Please not 'Photographs'....

At 32 ,

It looks like Rockstar 101 , is a single primed for waaaaay in the future and I should not have revealed this .

*Wrist slap from John at Def Jam Records !!! OW that really hurt !! *

Rihanna's next single will be Photographs with will.i.am released on May 24th 2010 .

Is it just me or is will.i.am appearing on EVERYONES singles at the moment ?
Super Blaq , Usher , Cheryl Cole , Black Eyed Peas , Rihanna etc etc .

I am half expecting Curtains's Mum , Fraser , Thranjax , Oddone , Liam , Harrythedog and George Scrafton to all release new singles next month , that ALL feature will.i.am in some shape or form !

Should make Randy's review diary even more interesting !!!

:)

OMG what happened to 'Te Amo', is much better than 'Photographs' and it's 'not-content-with-one-tempto' production that will.i.am as hated for.

And wait a minute, isn't (CAREFUL TYPING) '[[[Zuper Blahq]]]' one of will.i.am's other, less successful solo careers under a different alias?

My new single 'Will.i.am Also Wrote This Record' is released on May 24th and includes sixteen different tempos and plenty of spitzy claps, 30-second long good bits, followed by lots of boring auto-tuning and vocoding. Happy listening! Should be 5 stars maaaate.

Oddone feat will.i.am - "will.i.am Also Wrote This Record "

What a pleasant surprise ! I was expecting to hate this song , but since seeing them perform it on Jools Holland , with those exotic dancers and that dynamic Russian orchestra , that huge chorus hook just screams top 10 hit !

I am not sure of Oddone's see through revealing leotard in the video , but hey it already has 10 million views on You tube !

It's a fun song and Oddone's unique voice gives it a dream-like and alien type quality .

5 stars .

:)

my song would probably be called Harrythedog feat. Will.i.am - I Would Much Prefer It If Taboo or alp.de.ap Featured On This Song As They Are Much More Exciting Musician And I'm Sorry For Offending Them In Anyway

Curtain Jerker's Mum featuring will.i.am - Breathe the Scottish Ayr .

Now come on be honest , who saw this collaboration coming ?
On paper it shouldn't work , but everything on this track exudes pure magic and wonder .
The understated instrumentation , the whispered intro , and CJ'S mums auto tuned vocals that sound haunting yet romantic at the same time .

You wait for the chorus hook and when it arrives , the power of the tune sends a shiver right up your kilt .

And come on , just when you thought you could write off will.i.am as a shallow two dimensional musician , he comes up with THAT bagpipe breakdown !
Awesome !

5 Stars .

Ooooh, Curtains, I think Spirit is subtly making a "Your mother" joke in her Grammy winning will.i.am collaboration. Who knew that Curtains' mother would go on to replace Fergie in the BEP.

Fear not, Fergie's place in the group is safe. My mum's record label just thought that a high-profile collaboration would help her first mainstream single be a bigger hit (though she's been a regular on the underground mixtape scene for a while now).

Def Jam Records have changed their minds again !

This has been an ongoing saga all through Rihanna's Rated R UK promotion campaign .


Her next single has been officiallly comfirmed as Te Amo and is released on May 24th .

In this campaign , there have been more U TURNS , than on the elaborate piping under the kitchen sink of Curtain Jerker's Mum .

:)

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