Rihanna’s Rude Boy gets some rude boys on this unofficial remix. Cassidy and Jag join the Barbadian beauty for an unofficial remix to her latest single. I know I’m not the only one waiting on a new record and some fresh heat from Cassidy… CMON SON! Read the rest of this entry »

Rihanna’s had some on and off moments with her performances but this one was definitely ON! I love the way the band goes IN on this live version of her new single Rude Boy. Check out the official video here and you can find this single on Rihanna’s latest album Rated R, in stores NOW! Read the rest of this entry »

Rihanna tastes the rainbow with tthe vivid array of colors in the new clip for Rude Boy off her Rated R album. This video is just okay for me, I expected a whole lot more after this wait. I mean, it’s not bad, but it’s a bit anticlimactic. Reminiscent of 80’s style, Caribbean flavor and a tinge of sex appeal… I think she looks great, but the video is just aight… Read the rest of this entry »

This monster of a song was unveiled last night during George Clooney’s Hope For Haiti Telethon (video and download after the jump), which featured performances from some of today’s top music stars while the Hollywood A-Listers took calls from donors around the world contributing to this massive effort. Swizz Beatz produced this track and it’s awesome! Totally appropriate and perfect for the time. Again, the Yele Haiti banner is at the bottom of this post and at the top of the main page, click it to donate. Read the rest of this entry »

Say what you will about her version, but in this video Rihanna does the song some absolute justice! I’m glad she chose this song to do because it’s so meaningful and you can tell she feels it. I really enjoyed her vocals and I could feel her emotion as she sang it on Oprah yesterday. Again, this is a charity single to assist with Haiti relief efforts, so click here to purchase it on iTunes! Shouts to UrbanMusicDirect for the vid kid! Read the rest of this entry »

Amazing how artists are pulling together for the stricken country of Haiti in their time of need. Here, Rihanna covers a Bob Marley classic, Redemption Song, and all proceeds from the sale of this single will go to Earthquake Relief efforts in Haiti. Stream it here (after the jump), but be sure to purchase the song on iTunes, RihannaNow, and Oprah.com. and continue to do your part to help the folks in Haiti! BONUS: She will also perform the song live today on Oprah! Read the rest of this entry »

Gotta be one of my favorite joints off the album. The beat knocks, the hook is simple but means so much and Jeezy’s verse seals the deal. Hard is the latest single off Rihanna’s fourth album Rated R. In this high-fashion meets military clip, Rihanna struts her stuff touting the song’s infectious line “I’m so HARD!!”.

So I’ll admit, Rihanna isn’t the best vocalist in the world, I got no problems with that. HOWEVER, you can’t tell me she doesn’t hold her own. This is the live performance I’ve been waiting for, to see her perform Russian Roulette. Rihanna belts out the big ones with very few flaws in this performance on the UK hit series X-Factor. Judge for yourself, but I think she did it justice…

Check out this bonus cut off her new album Rated R, available now. She works with Mr. Timberlake on this joint, not bad, really and it sounds like a mix between her old and new content. Decent track, but really shows how much Timbaland has rubbed off on Timberlake…

Audio: Hole In My Head

Artist: Rihanna
Album: Rated R
Release Date: 11.20.09

After a tumultuous year in the public eye, Rihanna emerges from the darkest period of her life with her fourth album Rated R, a journey inside her intimate velvet rope where personal becomes public. Like her previous albums, Rated R is predominantly pop but it folds in other genres including some grungy and soft rock, R&B, and hip hop to create an easily accessible sound. With this project, Rihanna’s growth as both an artist and a woman are quite evident: the production is a lot deeper as is the lyrical content, giving her a sound that is much bigger and a lot bolder.

Much of the content is reflective of her life under the intense media spotlight over the past 9 months, introduced by the grim lead-single Russian Roulette. The metaphors in this Ne-yo-penned song translate her public and personal transformations chronicled in photos, interviews and the speculations of the media while the pain of her entire ordeal is felt in the vocal delivery. The other ballads on Rated R are equally as strong, including Ne-yo’s offering of Stupid In Love, and Justin Timberlake’s Cold Case Love. Timberlake’s contribution is one of the standouts of the album with its excellent composition and progressively building instrumental and vocals. Rihanna teams up with Young Jeezy on Hard, the follow-up single produced by her faithful collaborator The Dream. The air of confidence on Hard makes it a definitive comeback anthem as she takes shots at her detractors, naysayers and mostly her competition. The most disturbing of the album’s 13 tracks is G4L (Gangsta 4 Life), a gritty and raw song with a surprisingly violent undertone – very far left of the pop image we’ve grown to know.

Despite the dark undertones, Rihanna stays true to her longtime fans on slightly less-heavy cuts like Rockstar 101 alongside Guns N’ Roses guitarist Slash and the promo single Wait Your Turn, one of the album’s weaker tracks despite a few good one-liners. Photographs features Black Eyed Peas front man Will.I.Am and is sure to be a dance hit although it sounds like recycled content from the Peas’ latest album The E.N.D. (complete with Will’s signature beat switch). Newcomer Ester Dean scores a hit with Rude Boy, a toned-down pop jam with yet another infectious beat and more great vocals. The Latin-flavored Te Amo grooves into new ground sonically and lyrically, as Rihanna seems to ward off advances from a female admirer (it might make for a nice video).

Throughout the album, it’s easy to hear semblances of Rihanna’s previous works and style, but instead of resting in that comfort zone she takes everything to the next level. Her ballads soar higher, her beats hit harder and her lyrics are a lot edgier this time around. The vocals on this project are also a lot more intense, born out of deep emotion – both love and hate. Gone are the days of bubblegum pop lyrics and sweet stories. Rated R is the product of a seasoned professional, and bears the pain and vulnerability of a scorned woman. The emotion transfers into the music and although this album isn’t flawless, it gives her fans an intimate peek into her life and could be considered her best and most congruent project to date.

Sound-Savvy rates Rated R with 4 out of 5 platinum headphones.