You really thought i forgot about Ri Ri!?

After a huge year of controversy, apartment hunting and holding her tongue from any interviews (except for 20/20 of course), Rihanna finally broke her silence on Monday (November 23rd), when she dropped her “fourth” studio album, Rated R.



On Rated R, we’ve found that the “good girl” has completely “gone bad.” As far as her image goes, the new album picks up exactly where the last one left off. She’s fully made the transition into a real live “bad girl,” and no one is questioning why.



We got out first taste of Rihanna’s darkness when she debuted her first single, “ Russian Roulette.” The Chuck Harmoney-produced, Ne-Yo-penned track had fans and critics chattering with it’s edged-out concept and lyrics, very much improved vocal, as well as the implied nude shot, complete with barbed wire. The direction was clear and the tone of the album had been set.





R opens up with “Mad House,” and continues into the second single, “Wait Your Turn (the Wait Is Ova),” which Rihanna released her first video for. And as the album continues into what is seemingly the third single, the Young Jeezy-featured “Hard,” you realize: Wait a minute. This isn’t a pop album! It does have it’s throwback GGGB, crossover moments on tracks like “Fire Bomb,” the Will.I.Am-assisted “Photographs,” and the aforementioned “Rude Boy,” but for the most part, Rihanna touches territories never before charted on her three previous albums.



All in all, the material on Rated R was clearly chosen to prove a point: Rihanna went through something, she dealt with it and now she’s come out on top as a stronger woman. She’s kept the production pretty much in house

, riding out hard with the usual suspects, Ne-Yo, Stargate, as well as The Y’s and Justin Timberlake, while still staying loyal to Tricky Stewart and The Dream, who laced her so properly on her last album. But the album shines best with moments from her new friend, songwriter James Fauntleroy.



And even though the songs may not be as epic as the tracks that she offered us on Good Girl Gone Bad, it’s pretty safe to say that Rihanna has stapled herself as someone that can’t be kept in a box. And four albums deep, she doesn’t plan on going anywhere.



Love ya RiRi