The pop-diva Rihanna is about to set new records regarding the rapidity of making and quality if her albums. Within a short while since 2005 to now, she has delivered already four studio efforts including the brand new album Rated R. It is her own closely guarded secret how fast her career is developing. Rihanna is only 21 and yet she has already reach prominence working with most established producers and musicians. Apart from recording her own albums, the singer finds time to tale part in massive commercial campaigns of expensive trademarks and tour many countries with sold-out gigs. But the most amazing thing here is that Rihanna has shown no signs of exhaustion of loss of creative activity. However, recent events in her private life could have had a very negative impact on her musical career. It is about the singer’s breakup with the R&B performer Chris Brown in February 2009. Nevertheless, this never thwarted Rihanna’s plans concerning the new CD; and Rated R hit the stores timely.
The cover of Rated R is a separate story. It features Rihanna as a dangerous, if not deadly, woman to be shunned. This already may give an idea of emotions what will fill the album. Indeed, the singer’s music became rougher. She, naturally, remained faithful to darling Caribbean themes, yet the beats turned more aggressive and the electric rock-guitar is as tangible as never before. The combination of these forms a kind of angry, juicy electro-pop. After the first listening you will remember Russian Roulette best of all, a song where love is similar to the well-know game and may also lead to the most grievous results. Backed by the piano and synthesizers, Rihanna’s voice sounds particularly sensual. The culmination of this impressive track is the sound of a gunshot. Another dismal song is G4L, a confession of a person whose life turned into revenge. There is no chance this composition could be on any of the previous albums bof this singer. Rihanna continues growing professionally. On Rated R, her skills are promoted to a higher level compared to the former efforts as she draws all the attention to her vocals that used to be only an addition to the music of her earlier works. It is nicely showcased by calmer tracks where electronic beats are pushed aside by gentle piano passages. Stupid In Love is a perfect example.
Rated R is, perhaps, Rihanna’s most personal and emotional album. Even the pain and bitterness from the broken relationships may come in handy. All the negative things that Rihanna had gone through since the start of the year are reflected in these compositions, which makes the album very natural, touching and intriguing. Rated R is a reply to those who keep saying that pop-music is all about faking and pretending with singers indifferent to what they sing about. Moreover, listeners never expect anything interesting in lyrics of albums pertaining to dance music, a domain where Rihanna’s songs are considered to be. But this is already the fourth long player by the twenty-one year old singer, and one has to admit the changes in her music that remains in within the stylistic limits it was once put in. Rated R is difficult to compare with Rihanna’s former efforts for it is has many differences from its predecessors. However, the young singer’s progress is obvious. She is good at making the best out of her voice, and the producers who have already worked with her arrange the music ever better. Now the main question is whether Rihanna conserves her strength and rates her abilities correctly. An impressive start like hers sometimes is followed by a weak continuation; and it is our sincere wish that Rihanna’s career should go a long and glorious way.
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Strange Mercy 2011
American performer St. Vincent, one of the brightest representatives of New York indie-rock scene, released her third long play. It seems that Strange Mercy has all chances to become the singer's best work
