Rihanna's "Loud": A Review

On Tuesday, November 12^th, pop singer Rihanna released her fifth studio album entitled "Loud." The album follows her 2009 smash, "Rated R," and is much more promising in its potential appeal. The album is chock full of upbeat pop songs and thoughtful ballads and solidifies the singer's place amongst the top artists of today. Here's a rundown of the CD:

The singles...so far

Only Girl in the World

I absolutely love this song! It's one of those special tunes that's made for the dance floor, with a great musical track and a sing-aloud chorus. The song became Rihanna's 9^th number one single (Making her the quickest female ever to reach that milestone!) and has become a favorite of club deejays everywhere. Check out the video for "Only Girl in the World" here.

What's My Name?

The second single off of "Loud" is a collaboration with currently hot R&B star Drake. The song is mid-tempo and very melodic, with Rihanna's "oh na na's" providing a head bouncing good time. Watch the video here.

S&M

The planned third single opens the CD with a hard driving, funky musical track and fiercely wicked vocals. Preview the tune here.

Power Ballads

Complicated

"You're not easy to love..."

This one is a tender tune that I think many people can relate to. The heartfelt vocals, along with some effective musical accompaniment, tell the tale of frustration that often comes with the highs and lows of being in love.

"Sometimes I get you, Sometimes I don't understand.
Sometimes I love you, Sometimes it's you I can't stand.
Sometimes I wanna hug you, Sometimes I wanna push you away."

Love the Way You Lie (Piano Version)

This acoustic version of the hit song with Eminem appears as a bonus track on the iTunes version of "Loud" and is a killer of a sad song!

Fading

"Fading" is a poignant ballad of realization that a relationship is finally over. The music is ethereal and the lyrics moving.

California King Bed

This is yet another tender ballad about the loneliness that accompanies a long distance relationship.

Skin

This fiery ballad has been dubbed as "buzzworthy" by the folks at MTV.

The rest...

Cheers (Drink to That)

This second track on the album is nothing but feel-good music!

Man Down

This reggae flavored song tells the sad tale of an unfortunate skirmish turned tragic.

Raining Men

This one, featuring hot female rapper Nikki Minaj, is the one song on the album I can't seem to wrap myself around. Try it out for yourself here.

"Loud" is one of those albums that's easy to learn. The mid and up tempo tracks are easy on the ears and the slow jams are all heartfelt and wonderful. If you're a Rihanna fan, you'll definitely love this one!

Sources:

Personal experience

http://buzzworthy.mtv.com/2010/11/09/rihanna-skin/

http://www.directlyrics.com/rihanna-complicated-lyrics.html

http://www.directlyrics.com/rihanna-skin-lyrics.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loud_(Rihanna_album)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Only_Girl_(In_the_World)

http://www.lyricsmode.com/lyrics/r/rihanna/sm.html

http://www.metrolyrics.com/california-king-lyrics-rihanna.html

http://www.metrolyrics.com/man-down-lyrics-rihanna.html

http://www.metrolyrics.com/whats-my-name-lyrics-rihanna.html

http://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/13740-rated-r/

http://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/14897-loud/