'Good Girl Gone Bad' is More of the Same for Rihanna

Bahamian songstress Rihanna has been a fixture at pop and R & B radio since her breakthrough hit "Pon De Replay" hit the airwaves in August 2005, which made it all the way to number 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

"SOS" from her sophomore effort "A Girl Like Me" topped "Replay" to land at number one. Rihanna hopes to continue her string of chart successes by teaming up with megaproducer Timbaaland, along with Jay-Z, Ne-Yo and Justin Timberlake on her third release, "Good Girl Gone Bad." The album's release date has been set of June 5.

There isn't much on "Gone Bad" that separates the set from Rihanna's previous two efforts, nut "Umbrella," the first single from the CD is garnering significant airplay and may well join "SOS" at the top of the charts. The song has already hit number one of the U.K. charts "Umbrella" transitions smoothly to the upstempo dance track "Push Up On Me." The song should make the rounds at the clubs and will add to Rihanna's credibility as a dance artist. It seems to be made for remixes, so be on the lookout for the inevitable maxi-single.

Rihanna goes techno for "Don't Stop the Music," and keeps up the pace with "Breakin' Dishes," a song that will speak to every woman who has ever been done wrong. The pace slows down for the Ne-Yo duet "Hate That I Love You." It's a syrupy sweet ballad that will make the young girls cry while the rest of us roll our eyes.

Justin Timberlake puts his stamp on the CD's standout ballad, "Rehab." There have been rumors circulating that this could be the next single from the album. If the rumors are true, this could be the slow jam of the summer. "Sell Me Candy" and "Lemme Get That" break up the ballads with refreshing beats and sunny vocals.

"Good Girl Gone Bad" winds up with the mid-tempo title track. It's an odd way to the end a CD filled with stronger songs. You could say it ends with a whimper instead of a bang.

At the three album mark, Rihanna should be establishing who she is as an artist, and while the CD is fun, it, like her two CDs before, sound like she is a fashion doll for producers who hang beats and hooks on her voice. With three CDs in two years, Rihanna is pushing hard to make a name for herself, but with if the rushed feel of this project is any indication, she would be better served by slowing down.