Rated R

Pop · 2009 · 15 tracks · 59m

Rated R

A jagged, industrial-tinged pivot into darkness. Heavy dubstep bass and distorted guitars meet vulnerable, battle-hardened R&B.

November 16, 2009 · Island Def Jam Music Group

A jagged, industrial gloom replaces the sleek club-pop of the past, casting a cold fluorescent glare over tales of trauma and survival. The production is thick with heavy, distorted guitars and the dark, syncopated weight of UK dubstep, creating a defensive, military-march atmosphere that feels both expensive and deeply unpolished. It is a record of armor and open wounds, trading polished radio sheen for the raw, threatening shadows of a city at 3 AM.

Tracklist · 15 Tracks · 59m

01

Mad House

1:34

02

Wait Your Turn

3:47

03

Hard

4:11

04

Stupid in Love

4:01

05

ROCKSTAR 101

3:59

06

Russian Roulette

3:48

07

Fire Bomb

4:18

08

Rude Boy

3:43

09

Photographs

4:46

10

G4L

4:00

11

Te amo

3:28

12

Cold Case Love

6:05

13

The Last Song

4:16

14

Russian Roulette (Donni Hotwheel remix)

3:01

15

Hole in My Head

4:05

Moments Worth Listening For

06Russian RouletteThe ominous, ticking-clock tension of 'Russian Roulette' erupts into a literal gunshot sound effect to close the track.

05ROCKSTAR 101Guns N' Roses guitarist Slash provides heavy, distorted metal riffs that anchor the aggressive rock-star posturing of 'ROCKSTAR 101'.

03HardThe military snare roll and booming brass on 'Hard' create a rigid, defensive march that subverts the typical celebratory swagger of hip-hop features.

Reviews

BBC Music

AllMusic

Where This Album Departs

How does Rated R sound next to the rest of Rihanna's catalogue?

Intense+4.0σ

The vocals lean far further into intense than the rest of the catalogue.

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