Miss Umbrella ella ella ay is back, and she's a little angry. Her celebrity ex-boyfriend Chris Brown beat her up in possibly the most public assault of the century, and the incident has certainly impacted her music. Once upon a time a girl went through a break-up and soppy, heart-wrenching, love songs ensued. Nowadays women like Pink go through a divorce and come back singing 'So What?' Similarly, Rihanna is out to prove she's tougher than ever with her new album, Rated R, in which she may have just created the genre emo-R&B.
The incredibly successful 21-year-old has sold over 12 million records worldwide in her short four year music career. Rihanna's introduction to the scene with hits like Pon De Replay seems a lifetime away from where her music is now.
She was classified as R&B/Reggae, also due to her Barbados heritage. Since then she has been labeled as pop with SOS, and dancehall with Break It Off. She's also been considered pop/rock with Shut Up And Drive, and of course pop/R&B with Don't Stop The Music and the worldwide smash Umbrella. Disturbia, though slightly darker, was classified as dance. Rihanna's fashion sense and hairstyles have changed possibly more often than her music genres. Each look is more daring than the last, with the amount of clothing and hair lessening each time.
Rated R, Rihanna's fourth studio album, is as its title suggests - a lot more adult than her previous efforts. It is her first release to include a coarse language warning, and the album cover speaks for itself. The release has definite shock-factor, but once you get past the initial feeling of 'Uh oh, she's gone all nuts and emo', the album is mostly pretty listenable.
The first single, Russian Roulette, is dark, intense and co-written by songwriter extraordinaire Ne-Yo. Albeit slightly depressing, it's actually a smart concept and a well-crafted song with heartbeat and rolling dice sounds behind the beat. Other noteworthy songs include Stupid In Love, Cold Case Love which was written by Justin Timberlake, and the vulnerable Photographs, featuring Will.I.Am. Te Amo and The Last Song are throw away tracks while most of the others acting as filler.
The artwork for the album booklet parallels the edgier darker music. Rihanna is sporting a blonde Mohawk and cigarette, with little else. Other outfits include fur, sheer panties, leather and barbed wire. We get the hint. She's jaded and attention seeking on a very public scale.
Rihanna is the executive producer on Rated R along with the legendary LA Reid. She contributes to the writing, along with a range of noteworthy writers including Ne-Yo, Justin Timberlake, The Dream and James Fauntleroy II. The record is undoubtedly professional. However, considering her fan base consists of a large number of impressionable young girls, the wrist-slitting direction she is taking might not be the smartest move.
By Marcie Konsoulas (Contributor) http://www.planeturban.com.au/
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Marcie_Konsoulas
Wednesday 3 February 2010
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