Album Review: Rihanna - Rated R (4/5)

We all know the story. Nine months ago, just before the Grammy Awards, an argument between Rihanna and her then boyfriend Chris Brown escalated into violence. She was injured, he was arrested and eventually convicted. Both stayed out of the spotlight for some time. Now it's time for Rihanna to tell her side of the story, first through interviews and now this album.

Rated R could have been musical catharsis, but that's really not the Barbadian singer's plan. For the album is dark, angry and blantantly theatrical, from the title--a reference to the US movie rating for shows that aren't for kids--to the frequent hip-hop-style boasting and profanity. She's baring her teeth, not her soul.

In addition to her mood, Rihanna's sound has changed too. Where Good Girl Gone Bad was a dance pop album with a few other styles on it, Rated R is pop/R&B, with no dance pop to be found. It's hard, cold and edgy, with very little warmth. Introductory "Mad House" sets the mood, during which an announcer warns those easily frightened to turn away. A bit of foreboding music follows, further developing the carnival-like atmosphere. "Wait Your Turn" follows, an "I'm back" declaration over a minor-key electronic R&B production. Both of these tracks were produced by British DJs Chase & Status, who also turned out the rugged "G4L" (gangster for life), a song that includes one of the album's best lyrics ("I lick the gun when I'm done cause I know revenge is sweet").

New single "Hard" positions Rihanna in hip-hop territory, complete with typical boasting ("that Rihanna reign, just don't let up") and guest rapper Jeezy (minus the "young"--apparently showing his age). Slickly produced by The Dream and Tricky Stewart, it's another dark track blending hip-hop beats, piano and deep synth notes. "Rockstar 101" takes the hard-edged attitude even further: "feelin' so good, lookin' so bad....got my middle finger up, I don't give a fuck." Musically, it's little more than guest Slash's electric guitar chords over a modern hip-hop beat. When the more melodic middle section comes, it feels like relief.

"Stupid in Love," written and produced by Ne-Yo and Stargate, is the first song to allude to Rihanna and Brown's relationship. It's a bitter ballad, taking a typical Stargate piano and skittering beats production into much darker territory. Ne-Yo's lyrics rise to the occasion too ("my new nickname is 'you idiot'"). That song's direct approach contrasts with the metaphorical one in "Russian Roulette," also co-written by Ne-Yo, during which Rihanna contemplates her relationship like a game of Russian Roulette which, like the game itself, inevitably ends badly. This is pop music drama at its best, and its quite effective. The gunshot that closes the song still makes me jump.

"Fire Bomb" opens with chugging guitar, but mellows out with some '80s-style synths into one of the album's best tracks. It's warm melody makes it stand out from the mostly cold songs. Rihanna sounds great on it too, stretching her voice into some lower octaves and showing some strength. She's never been the greatest singer, but to her credit, she's getting better all the time. This song comes courtesy of Brian Kennedy, the man behind last year's "Disturbia." It should make a good hit single down the road.

"Rudy Boy" is fairly breezy pop. The synth kettle drums recall Rihanna's island heritage (her accent comes through more on Rated R than it did on her last album--an artistic choice, perhaps aimed at making her delivery more personal). "Photographs" finds Will.I.Am again contributing a winning track to another pop singer (having recently produced the best songs on Cheryl Cole's solo debut). It's another failed relationship song, effectively using the old cliche about having nothing left but the photos. Both of these are good songs that would make good singles.

Stargate-produced "Te Amo" adds a little Latin spice, while recounting a same-sex dance floor flirtation. Lovely Spanish guitar underpins the melody. It's the album's last buoyant moment, which closes with two dark ballads. First is "Cold Case Love," produced by Justin Timberlake's production group, The Y's. A prominent violin adds the right note of melancholy while Rihanna sings "we lost our way, took this too far, and I'll never find the pieces of my heart." Lushly produced "The Last Song" is the perfect close to the album's narrative. The singer and her man in their last moments as she realizes their relationship is over and she needs to move on.

Rated R represents an interesting transformation for Rihanna. Previously she was a breezy island pop singer turned dance pop diva--a plaything for the latest crop of hot producers to ply their trade. She scored quite a few big hits, but she never had a story, a narrative, until now. This makes Rated R her first album in the truest sense of what an album is. It's an impressive switch that some pop artists go their whole careers without achieving. And while I admit to missing the dance pop, it makes sense to not have it right now, and I imagine we'll get some when the inevitable re-release, perhaps Rated R: The Director's Cut, comes out next year.

Best: Fire Bomb, Russian Roulette, Stupid in Love, Photographs, Cold Case Love, Rude Boy, Hard