My first few listens rate:

 

08.5 'S&M'

09.5 'What's My Name'

08.0 'Cheers (Drink To That)'

09.0 'Fading'

07.5 'Only Girl (In The World)'

10.0 'California King (Bed)' ON REPEAT!!

07.0 'Man Down'

07.5 'Raining Men'

09.0 'Complicated'

08.0 'Skin' [Reminds me of 'G4L']

10.0 'Love The Way You Lie (Part II)'

 

Very solid album, most tracks seem to be growing, bar 'Only Girl' which seems to have peaked a while a go for me. CKB is my clear favourite though. Very, very good album. (As expected with a Rihanna album)

Album is boring. Eh.

Didn't you say that about Rated R too at first? :drama:

 

Two tracks in and my life is being made.

OK. I definitely appreciate how Rihanna likes to experiment, but this has gone a bit in a wrong direction.

 

10.0 Complicated // Lyrics-wise really close to what i am feeling.

09.0 Only Girl (In The World) // Finally grew on me.

08.5 Raining Men // NICKI bitch makes any song a masterpiece <3

08.0 Fading // The intro is incredible <3 I even forgot it was a Rihanna's album lol.

05.0 What's My Name // DRAKE <3 Still very average though.

06.0 Love The Way You Lie pt. II // MEH TO THE MAX. Overrated as hell, both parts.

05.0 California King Bed // Boring.

05.0 S&M // Rude Boy was in the last album, repeating yourself Ms. RiRi.

04.0 Skin // Forgettable.

03.0 Cheers (Drink To That) // Awful. Don't like the Avril sample, really not suiting the song.

02.0 Man Down // Awful. The worst Rihanna song by quite far. She sounds so fake and try-hard there too.

 

Rated R was slightly better.

Man Down is the sort of music she was brought up listening to and performed before she got signed, hardly fake/try-hard!

10.0 S&M: This is SPECTACULAR. I don't care if it's a bit Guetta-esque at points, that post-chorus/chorus hook is astounding. My existence is MADE WORTHY by 'NANANANANA COME ON'. HOMO PARADISE

09.0 What's my Name?: I think it's being a LITTLE overrated, but this is only my second listen to it and I think it'll grow - and fair enough it's probably already grown on you all!

09.5 Cheers (Drink To That): The sample starts off very 'WTF?!' but makes a lot more sense later on. I LOVE Ri's Bajan accent on this.

08.5 Fading: That intro is absolutely divine. The rest is wonderful and quite…affable? This deserves an 8.0 but while I was listening I could never bring myself to demote it.

10.0 Only Girl (In The World): Was there ever a moment more :disco: and OSHT at the same time than the synth stabs heralding the chorus? I want them underscoring dramatic moments in my life.

10.0 California King Bed: The verses are v. Big Girls Don't Cry, the chorus is v. Fire Bomb. The results are v. fabulous. (BTW THAT GUITAR SOLO MAKES THIS)

10.0 Man Down: I LOVE the tinny Caribbean production and 90s reggae sound to all of this. Fantastic. A VERY clever yin to Russian Roulette's yang!

08.5 Raining Men: It's very Check It Out/Diva/tinny mid-00s rap crossover. Somehow it still works. Because it features Nicki Minaj.

10.0 Complicated: This is very The Last Song on caffeine through the medium of early 00s dance/trance! Which is actually quite shockingly an amazing mix.

09.0 Skin: RATED R LIVES! Very G4L mixed with a bit of Russian Roulette mixed with something else from that album mixed with the middle eight of Question Existing. Lovelove.

09.5 Love The Way You Lie (Part II): I live for this. Apart from the Eminem bits, which I merely enjoy.

 

I think this is really contending for album of the year for me, but I'll give it another few listens. Definitely the best step forward for Rihanna.

THE GAYS are so easily pleased nowadays! TEE HEE

THE GAYS are so easily pleased nowadays! TEE HEE

How does it feel to be the NEW CHRIS BROWN?

08.0 S&M

07.0 Whats My Name

05.5 Cheers

07.5 Fading

08.0 Only Girl (In The World)

07.5 California King Bed

03.0 Man Down

05.5 Raining Men

06.5 Complicated

06.0 Skin

07.0 Love The Way You Lie Part II

 

I'm rather unimpressed in all honesty. I may not have been the greatest fan of 'Rated R' but I'm finding new appreciation for it all the sudden when compared with this.

The first half is most definaly stronger than the second, S&M I'm quite taken with due to it's gaymazingness and Only Girl remains very good. Whats My Name and California King Bed are also enjoyable but unworthy of their hype, Part II of LTWYL is decent but bumbles along as a bit of a non-event.

The sample in Cheers does bizzarly enough work but it doesnt stop the song from not being very good, Complicated isnt too bad but the rest well, even Minaj cant save Raining Men and Man Down is just awful.

 

I did want to like this album (mainly since it's been 2 years since I posted anything vaguely posistive in the Rihanna forum) honestly but sigh, I'll just have to add her to the list of female artists who's BJ topics I come and ruin with my NEGATIVITY.

I did want to like this album (mainly since it's been 2 years since I posted anything vaguely posistive in the Rihanna forum) honestly but sigh, I'll just have to add her to the list of female artists who's BJ topics I come and ruin with my NEGATIVITY.

NU MUSHYMAN

My current ratings:

 

09 S&M

09 What's My Name

08 Cheers (Drink To That)

09 Fading

11 Only Girl (In The World)

08 California King Bed

07 Man Down

06 Raining Men

05 Complicated

11 Skin

07 Love The Way You Lie (Part II)

NU MUSHYMAN

 

GOOD GOD.

 

Does this mean I now get to look down on EVERYONE else, randomly shout abuse at members who fall into line of limited view and occasionally threaten to leave due to a conspiracy to have me killed by the Girls Aloud loons? Oh actually, I think I might enjoy this.

Man Down is the sort of music she was brought up listening to and performed before she got signed, hardly fake/try-hard!

Well since she got rid of this sound ages ago, which was not really a profitable thing surely, i still think she tried too hard putting that monstrosity into a pop album. However I'm all for variety, so i guess that is just my hate for the song talking.

GOOD GOD.

 

Does this mean I now get to look down on EVERYONE else, randomly shout abuse at members who fall into line of limited view and occasionally threaten to leave due to a conspiracy to have me killed by the Girls Aloud loons? Oh actually, I think I might enjoy this.

You will have to get rid of capital letters in your posts too, oh and start believing that finishing 5th at Eurovision is a flop.

Ok. 'Complicated' may be giving 'California King (Bed)' and 'Love The Way You Lie (Part II)' a good run for their money as the highlight of the album. It's something Alexis Jordan should have recorded instead of that 'Happiness' thing!

I'm with the majority of prefering 'Rated R' which is my favourite Rihanna album and one of my favourite albums ever. This is still pretty strong, but feels like her most rushed album, still has amazing tracks in 'Cheers', 'California King Bed' and the two singles though.

Funnily enough I can quite easily imagine Rihanna recording Happiness and it fitting nicely on this album LOL

I've fallen in love with 'Complicated' :heart: I've grown on liking 'Man Down' too ^_^

regardless of what ya'll think, the album will sell well, she's had a ww hit with only girl, she's about to have a ww hit with what's my name and she'll undoubtedly have a ww hit with s&m so i'm sure her label are happy.

 

i'm a fan of the album personally, i found rr too dark.

09.5 S&M

10.0 What's My Name?

07.0 Cheers (Drink to That)

08.0 Fading

09.0 Only Girl (In The World)

10.0 California King Bed :heart: :heart:

07.5 Man Down

08.0 Raining Men

08.5 Complicated

10.0 Skin

10.0 Love The Way You Lie Part II :heart: :heart:

 

Overall, another incredible album from Rihanna, not sure if I prefer it to Good Girl Gone Bad or Rated R yet, after first listen, but I have a feeling I'll end up preferring it. :wub:

She is becoming one of my fave Artists ever atm :wub:

And mine, and I never thought I'd say that a few years ago. I positively disliked her up until the Good Girl Gone Bad era, Unfaithful and SOS aside. I found Pon De Replay, We Ride and If It's Lovin' That You Want all truly awful, so I never thought I'd be a fan! But since 2007 she seriously hasn't put a foot wrong in my eyes, even if I don't 'get' her songs at first, they always grow on me to the point of love, without fail. Loud is another stunning collection imo, her third absolutely brilliant album in a row.