Album Review: Rihanna - Rated R

Today I am going to be reviewing Rihanna's "Rated R" album. I said that I would be featuring a few reviews, so this is my second review so far. Definitely expect to see more, and if there are any albums you would like me to review, leave a message in the chat box and I will tell you if it is possible or not. I know that this album has been out to buy for a few months but updates are as slow as ever and I think it would be best to get some album reviews in before I am bombarded with updates.
So, moving on...
This is Rihanna's fourth studio album, and is completely different to the other material that she has produced.
The producers who she worked with for this album include; Chase & Status, The-Dream, StarGate - to name but a few. It has already spawned two singles, and her next single "Rude Boy" is expecting a release in February 2010.
This album is a complete change of direction and takes on a much darker side of Rihanna. I believe this is to do with the complications that she had with Chris Brown last year. But don't let that affect you, as I haven't even got onto whether this album is worth checking out or not.
On to the track by track review...

1. Mad House: I don't think you can class this as a song, but more of an intro. This is such a good intro and sets the album up nicely. Already through this intro you can feel the different direction she has taken. 9.5/10
2. Wait Your Turn: When this song first came out people gave it such negative reviews. Rihanna shows where she comes from in this song and creates an excellent track to start the album off. 10/10
3. Hard (Ft. Young Jeezy): What can I say? Another superb track - so catchy and definitely a highlight of the album. 10/10
4. Stupid In Love: After the album has fired up, this track slows the album down, but seriously how good is this song. Another great track. 9.5/10
5. Rockstar 101: I will admit that I did not like this song at first, but now having listened to the album quite a lot over the past few weeks it is much better. Still not good enough to be one of the best songs on the album. 8/10
6. Russian Roulette: Such a disturbing song but such great lyrics. Another great catchy track and one of my favourites. 10/10
7. Fire Bomb: I cannot stop raving about this song. Definitely one of the highlights. 10/10
8. Rude Boy: The tracks keep on coming, and this song doesn't disappoint. This track is definitely worthy of being her next single and I am so glad it is. 10/10
9. Photographs (Ft. Will.I.Am): I am sorry but this track has to be one of the weakest. It is just as boring as Cheryl Cole's single "3 Words". 6/10
10. G4L: This track, for some reason is always playing in HMV whenever I go in there and it made me listen to this song much more now. It isn't the best, but it is a pretty decent song. 8/10
11. Te Amo: I loved this song when it leaked last year. I am glad that it was not changed in anyway for the album as it is great. The song gives a whole different feel to the album after all of the darker tracks. It doesn't really fit in with the other material, but nonetheless, a great song. 10/10
12. Cold Case Love: This is a really long song - 6 minutes. I didn't like it much at first. I guess the length of it was too long. It is a pretty decent track and is one of the last tracks, good enough for finishing the album off. 7/10
13. The Last Song: Another slow song, but finishes the album off nicely. I wouldn't rate it massively but the lyrics are deep like the previous. 7/10

OVERALL: 8.8/10

This album scores an impressive 8.8/10 and beats Ke$ha's score. It is definitely a great album. I would recommend it, so if you haven't heard it yet (where have you been) go and grab a copy and take a listen.

Thanks for reading and let me know your views on this album :)