Dear Rihanna,Huge fan of your Good Girl, Gone Bad album here. I realize you are still going through a really difficult time in your life. I couldn’t even imagine what it would be like to go through what you have this past year and to have done it so publicly. I applaud that you are moving on with your life and handling yourself in a dignified manner. You are a positive example not just for young women, but for anyone really.
Let’s be honest though for a second. The three songs that have leaked off your new album Rated R, are a letdown. The sound that you adopted with your last album fit you like a glove and this brought you so much success and so many new fans. It baffles me why you would make such a drastic transition with the sound of this new album. It’s way too dark and although I hate to say it, you are isolating those new fans you worked so hard to gain.
A true “comeback” is about rising above something adverse and moving forward. I’m not quite convinced people really want to see you dwell on the pain, but that is the type of energy your songs are giving off. True - artistic expression is about taking real experiences and making metaphors for life, but your fans want to see you do well. Perhaps if you aren’t ready for this, then this new album could’ve waited a bit longer. I’m honestly not expecting much of Rated R. It’s out in two weeks and I don’t really care.
You do look amazing though, as seen in this new cover for your second single HARD.
xW
http://mrwillw.blogspot.com
Heaven knows I WANT to support Rihanna on this new album campaign. She's only gotten better musically with time, she's got all of our sympathy, the photos for this era have generally been amazing (though I don't like this new one for the "Hard" cover), she chose a great album title...
ReplyDelete...everything's there except the songs. For me, I don't know that it's a matter of them being too dark; they just aren't as strong.
Like you, I've got barely any enthusiasm for this album left, and if you'd told me a month ago that would be the case, I never would have believed you.
I'm bad about commenting, Will, but I love your blog.
Aww Thanks Poster Girl! I appreciate your honesty and believe me it's not about quantity of comments for me. So thank you for visiting and sharing your thoughts. I will reserve any more judgment about this album for now. But she'll have some tough competition for my attention in Susan Boyle's album :')
ReplyDeleteWhy can't an artist have a "dark" album??? why does she always have to sing happy songs??
ReplyDeleteI'm looking forward to the album and i think the two songs I've heard are great! Give it a chance and hold off on comments/reviewing until you hear the whole album!
thanks!
Hey Anony,
ReplyDeleteThanks for dropping a line. Honestly I have no issue with a dark album, but as Poster Girl quite eloquently pointed out, these are just not the right songs for her to express these emotions. They lack melody. Her voice doesn't shine at all on them and frankly, I did give "Rated R" a full listen this morning and my opinion remains unchanged.
Don't get me wrong, I love Rihanna and am rooting for her. But just not on this album.
WORDDD on this. I had so many high hopes for her followup ever since "Disturbia". THAT is the type of 'dark' I can get behind.
ReplyDeleteAs the role model that she apparently so ardently wants to be (conveniently, now that she is in album release mode -- but I'm not cynical), I feel that this gangster posing and spouting of I'm so strong is a mask for the confusion she is feeling inside...
If she really wanted to be revolutionary, she would put pen to paper about how she really feels, rather than stating how fly she is (even if she is fly...but don't we know that already?). Sigh.
Glad someone agrees! Do you think this will be her "My December", for lack of a better comparison?
Right on, Mel! That's what I'm talking about.
ReplyDeleteAnyhow, we'll re-visit this again in a couple weeks when the sales tally is up.
I didn't mind "My December" too much honestly. At least that had a few decent songs.