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