Umbrella remix rihanna chris brown album

#Umbrella remix rihanna chris brown album series

Be it the young singerвЂ™s first foray into lyrically exploring her sexuality or simply a not-so-subtle round of homophobia, вЂњTe AmoвЂќ proves about as earnest in its replay value as RihannaвЂ™s unrequited love. вЂњIвЂ™m all for feeling the love, but I donвЂ™t feel that way,вЂќ Rihanna pleads as the songвЂ™s bridge fades. In fact, Rihanna delves into a host of other topics and issues including the triple-take worthy вЂњTe Amo,вЂќ which follows a female suitorвЂ™s unsuccessful attempts for the singerвЂ™s affections atop a swaying, Latin beat. This album is not, however, the confessional many thought it might have been. вЂњStupid in LoveвЂќ is both the albumвЂ™s only traditional ballad and also the most skippable part of Rated R, as the singer plods through a somewhat embarrassing chorus: вЂњThis is stupid / IвЂ™m not stupid / DonвЂ™t talk to me like IвЂ™m stupid.вЂќ Other slow numbers, including the masterful, six-minute вЂњCold Case LoveвЂќ and the guitar-heavy вЂњFire BombвЂќ all offer subtle clues as to how sheвЂ™s feeling: вЂњYour love was breaking the law, but I needed a witness / So wake me up when itГўв‚¬в„ўs over, it donГўв‚¬в„ўt make any difference,вЂќ she coos through вЂњCold Case Love.вЂќД«ut if anythingвЂ™s meant for Brown, itвЂ™s the soaring, gut-wrenching вЂњThe Last Song,вЂќ the albumвЂ™s outro which may also go down as RihannaвЂ™s most overlooked, artistic piece of work yet.

#Umbrella remix rihanna chris brown album series

The album isnвЂ™t completely icy however, as the artist breaks down her defenses more than a few times for a series of introspective, though somewhat uneven jams. Regardless of whether one is inclined to accept RiriвЂ™s new-found street cred, itвЂ™s all but impossible not to want to play along in the meantime. вЂњHardвЂќ finds Rihanna at her most defiant, pulling out all the stops to prove just why sheвЂ™s soвЂ¦well, hard: вЂњIвЂ™ma rock this shit like fashion, as in goinвЂ™ til they say stop / And my runway never looked so clear / But the hottest bitch in heels right here,вЂќ she proudly proclaims over a grinding series of industrial beats, horns, and piano chords. On the roughest of cuts, including the menacingly paced вЂњG4L,вЂќ Rihanna letвЂ™s loose a deluge of blood-chilling statements: вЂњI lick the gun when IвЂ™m done, вЂ™cause I know that revenge is sweet,вЂќ she purrs before the song begins before later announcing вЂњWe got our guns, got our guns / We got our guns in the motherfucking air.вЂќ Lyrically, Rihanna has all but rejected the meaningless dancefloor romps like вЂњDonвЂ™t Stop the MusicвЂќ and вЂњS.O.S.,вЂќ instead greeting us with an in-your-face attitude, ballsy statements and sarcastic quips: вЂњIвЂ™m such a fucking lady,вЂќ she taunts on top the repetitive, winding thuds of buzz single, вЂњWait Your Turn.вЂќ Trading in her umbrella for a few gats and a razor sharp tongue, RihannaвЂ™s weapons of choice have evolved significantly over the past year as she goes on the offensive for a large part of Rated R. SheвЂ™s in a murderous mood for sure, which is why at a certain point I began referencing the artist by a new, more fitting nickname: вЂњRihannoir.вЂќ In her video for вЂњRussian Roulette,вЂќ the camera flashes between scenes of her partaking in the deadly game of chance to inside a padded cell, awaiting execution in the aftermath of the game.

One needs look no further than the moody, high contrast Ellen von Unwerth-shot promotional photos for the album that feature the singer in a variety of S&M-lite poses, pointing her fingers like a gun and taking aim toward the camera in a skin-tight corset and standing bare-breasted within a lasso of barbed wire.

Rated R finds the singer in a dark place. Lucky enough for us, sheвЂ™s gone ahead with the latter. In the aftermath of the Chris Brown incident, Rated R could have gone one of three ways for Rihanna: A schlocky, inspirational ballad-filled account of her experience, an ignorance-is-bliss continuation of her winning 2008 dancefloor formula, or something much, much more daring than anything sheвЂ™s ever done before.