displayed a new maturity for an artist whose innocence was seemingly lost. In many ways, the album was Rihanna’s-- her declaration of independence from Brown and her taking charge of a narrative that had turned her into a victim. Rocking a new attitude, swag and edginess, this was Good Girl Gone Badass.
That could be heard right away on the horrorcore-ish opener “Mad House,” which welcomes you into the madness that her life had become. Even in just a minute and a half, it’s clear that it’s about to get real. Then on the pimp-strolling “Wait Your Turn,” Rihanna doesn’t waste any time dropping a not-so-veiled reference to her domestic-violence incident. “I pitch with a grenade/Swing away if you’re feeling brave,” she sings, clearly itching to swing back.
But it’s on “Hard” -- the third track and second single -- that the new Rihanna truly emerges, stronger and tougher, the “hottest bitch in heels” . “No fear/And while you’re gettin’ your cry on/I’m gettin’ my fly on,” she boasts over the menacing G-funk groove. She hardly needs Jeezy to take this banger to the streets. It’s here that you can see the boss that Rihanna was destined to become.
She keeps up the gangsta moves on tracks like “G4L,” which stands for “gangsta for life,” and “Rockstar 101,” which cranks up the guitars and the hip-hop braggadocio. The latter makes Rihanna’s rock flirtation ons “Shut Up and Drive” seem like pure bubblegum. After having zero writing credits on 2007’s hit-ladenAnd tunes like “Fire Bomb,” about a combustible relationship that is “ready to blow,” are no doubt fueled by her personal experiences.
Even songs that Rihanna didn’t write at all feel like they came straight from her life. The piano ballad “Stupid in Love,” written and produced by Ne-Yo and Stargate, is all bruised emotion seemingly aimed at Brown. Elsewhere, “Russian Roulette,” another Ne-Yo collaboration, and the Justin Timberlake cowrite “Cold Case Love” explore the dark, dangerous places that the heart can take you.-- is an outlier here.
The nerve you have to post Rihanna
Coooool ♥️
Hi
Rihanna à frente do tempo mores 🙆
And changed my life
such a shame that it took TEN long years for you recognize the impact of Rated R and how jaw dropping this album is. If you would had released this in 2009 maybe she’ll achieve way more than two 2 with this era
ICONIC ERA
Her best album
10 years to recognize the importance of Rated R album and 4 more years to recognize the importance of ANTI. When it comes to Rihanna's work you only value it when it's gone.
Giving her best album the respect it deserved
The way history was made...what a moment! The girls just don't do it like this anymore
I love this picture 🔥
slatt3rn