Rated R (Rihanna album)

Justin Timberlake, one of the writers and producers of the album, stated that Rated R significantly differs from Rihanna's previous album and represents a different sound for her.

Rihanna's previous album Good Girl Gone Bad (2007) was a commercial success[1] and received generally positive reviews from most music critics.[2] The album featured five top ten hits—three US number one hit singles—including the international breakthrough single "Umbrella". Following the assault of Rihanna's boyfriend Chris Brown on her, there was much speculation as to whether any song featured on the upcoming album would be about him.[3] In an interview with MTV News, regular Rihanna collaborator Ne-Yo clarified that he would not write a song for Rihanna about Brown, because he considered the idea unnecessary.[3] Producer Chuck Harmony mused that no matter what song Rihanna released as the lead single, it would immediately be looked at as a song about Brown.[4]

During an interview with Marc Malkin at the MTV Video Music Awards, Ne-Yo stated that listeners should expect an "edgier" and "angrier" Rihanna on the album.[5] He later told In Touch Weekly that the album is definitely more menacing than Rihanna's prior work, describing the album as "liberated".[6] American singer Akon, on the other hand, stated that he was "going to lighten her up" and didn't want an angry Rihanna.[5] With the success of her last album, Rihanna wanted to make sure that she didn't fall into one sound or vibe.[7] At the "Justin Timberlake & Friends Concert in Las Vegas", Timberlake told MTV News that the Rated R is a whole new sound and that the new material significantly differs from the one on her last album.[7] "She broke onto the scene so hard with the last record — to have that many songs on the charts is impressive. I think that the smartest thing she's doing is not trying to emulate what she did but move forward", Timberlake explained.[7]

After the release of the lead single, "Russian Roulette", Harmony was aware of the mixed reaction from fans who had heard the track.[4] He assured fans that the song was not fully representative to the rest of the album, though it reflected Rihanna's growth as an artist.[8] In an interview with Rap-Up, Tricky Stewart announced that he had collaborated with The-Dream on the project. He described the album as a whole as "uptempo and edgy", stating that the album is different from her past works.[9] In February 2010, Rihanna expressed a positive opinion on the album, but commented that her future work would be less intense. She asserted, "I really like the bottom, the grime of it. But if I were to combine that with more energetic, up-tempo pop records, then I think that would be a happy marriage. And that's where we'll probably go next".[10] When asked what the most important song to her was, she stated that she doesn't have one, however, "Fire Bomb" and "Cold Case Love" were cited as her favorites.[11]

Rihanna began recording songs for the album in April 2009.[12] The recording sessions for the album took place at Milk Studios in Manhattan, New York, Metropolis Studios in London, England, Studios Davout in Paris, France and at Westlake Recording Studios in Los Angeles, California.[13] Rihanna worked with several different songwriters and producers on the album, including Chuck Harmony, The-Dream, Christopher "Tricky" Stewart, Chase & Status, StarGate,[12][14] Demo, and Justin Timberlake.[15][16][17] Rihanna wanted the album to be less influenced by synthpop, attempting to avoid the "lighthearted commercial pop" of her previous albums.[10] By doing so, she incorporated a production style with more bass, and utilized Gothic imagery.[10] In the early stages of the production, she worked with Adonis Shropshire, who stated that Rihanna had brainstormed a large number of ideas over the course of a few weeks.[18][19] Rihanna also worked with Norwegian producer duo StarGate, who mused that the collaboration was "very rewarding" and "inspiring for us", commenting: "I don't think we should talk about titles just yet. We don't really know which songs are gonna make it, but it feels exciting."[12] It was later revealed that StarGate originally produced a collaboration between Rihanna and Canadian rapper Drake,[20] however, the song did not make the final cut for the album.[21]

Rihanna performing "Russian Roulette", a song with dark and morbid elements.

Rihanna was involved with writing most of the lyrics on the album with the help of Timberlake and Ne-Yo, who helped the singer to translate her emotions into the songs.[10] She worked with Ne-Yo on a number of songs although he was often unclear as to which songs would actually make the album.[22][23] While working together, he felt that Rihanna wasn't the same girl as the one he worked with a few years before, complimenting her growth musically.[23] In terms of musical direction, Rihanna requested more somber songs for the album.[24] Ne-Yo and Harmony co-wrote the lead single, "Russian Roulette", pushing a darker and more morbid aesthetic.[4] Rihanna responded positively to the darker style and lyrical content, wishing to replicate the style throughout the entire album.[4]

After listening to the track "Saxon" performed by Nicki Minaj and production duo Chase & Status, Rihanna got in contact with the latter and wanted to collaborate.[25] Chase & Status had a pair of sessions with Rihanna and worked together for a few weeks in an undisclosed location.[25] The songs they worked on had a dubstep vibe, although Rihanna had some disagreements with the duo.[17] In October 2009, she concluded recording sessions with Tricky Stewart and The-Dream.[26] Dream and Tricky flew out to Paris and played a few songs for Rihanna which included "Hard" and "Rockstar 101."[27] She felt that "Hard" stood out from all the songs, due to its arrogance.[28] In the song "Rockstar 101," guitarist Slash contributed a bass guitar on the track while "Photographs" is a duet with singer-songwriter will.i.am.[29] In addition, Ester Dean co-wrote the fourth single from the album, "Rude Boy".[30] "The Last Song" was one of the last tracks crafted for the album. Rihanna recorded the song within the final twelve hours of the album's conception; "when the label finally said we had 12 hours to turn in the album, I was like, Okay, I have to do it. I just drank some red wine, dimmed the lights, got in the booth and sang it", she explained.[10]

Rated R features a darker and more foreboding tone than Rihanna's previous albums.[31] Primarily a pop,[32] hip hop[33] and R&B album,[34] it also incorporates musical elements of rock music.[35] The album's production is typified by a sleek sound and incorporates ominous synthesizers, intertwining guitar licks, tense beats, minor-key melodies, and polyrhythmic vocal harmonies.[31][32][36] Songs such as "G4L", "Mad House", and "Wait Your Turn" incorporate elements of dubstep, including brooding synths and grumbling basslines.[37][38][39] The album also incorporates other musical genres, such as dancehall in the Jamaican inspired "Rude Boy" and Latin music-infusion in "Te Amo".[40][41] Rihanna discussed the musical direction of the project in an interview for Glamour magazine, stating "The songs are really personal. It's rock 'n' roll, but it's really hip-hop: If Lil Wayne and Kings of Leon like my album, then I'll feel good."[42]

The lyrical content of the album features generally bleak views on love and boastful lyrics concerning perseverance and overcoming adversity.[36][43] Its lyrics are characterized by grim, raw and angry tones,[44] and songs that contain boastful and persevering themes are characterized by images of violence and brutality.[35][45] While several music writers perceived its lyrics as allusions to Rihanna's assault by Chris Brown,[35][44][46] journalist Jon Pareles wrote that the album "doesn't specifically address those events, but it hardly ignores them".[43] According to music writer Ann Powers, regret is a significant theme on the album: "The songs on 'Rated R' never have their singer apologize for the man who so seriously wronged her, but they do acknowledge the other emotions that come with separation, even from a partner who's also a perpetrator. Those feelings include regret, tenderness and deep sadness".[35]

A promotional picture from the Rated R photoshoot which visual style took inspiration from the film The Omega Man and the book The Lathe of Heaven.

On October 8, 2009, Rihanna shot promotional pictures in Berlin in a nude body suit and white fur coat.[47] The photos were initially thought to be on the front cover or booklet of the album.[47] The final image from the photoshoot for the album was made by fashion photographer Ellen von Unwerth, who stated that Rihanna was looking to create "something a bit new for the look of the album."[48] Von Unwerth, who has also shot other album covers such as The Velvet Rope (1997) by Janet Jackson, Back to Basics (2006) by Christina Aguilera, and Blackout (2007) by Britney Spears,[48] went on to say that Rihanna was involved in every aspect of the shoot and was ready to push content boundaries.[48] The album cover was released on October 27, 2009 and features Rihanna in a moody, contemplative pose wearing a leather top with her hand covering her right eye and each finger wrapped in an intricate set of rings.[48] The black-and-white cover was compared to the 1980s album covers by singer Grace Jones.[48]

The brand and styling of Rated R was conceived by British artist and director Simon Henwood, who also was a creative director of the promotional campaign.[49] "We spent a lot of time developing ideas, yes. We went to Paris for Fashion Week, met with designers, sat and made drawings/designs together for the photo shoot/costume pieces, etc," Henwood revealed in an interview with MuuMuse. "Everything comes from the music, and this is her most personal album to date—so everything draws from it in one way or another."[50] For the visual creation of the era, Henwood took inspiration from the film The Omega Man and the book The Lathe of Heaven, "We wanted to create her a world that was personal... The whole thing was a dark dream; a chance for her to express all these things without being specific/literal."[50] Henwood also conceived the look and feel of the album's artwork, videos and TV spots, and also contributed to Rihanna's Last Girl on Earth Tour, including the show's stage design, costumes, and background visuals.[50]

On October 15, 2009, Rihanna released a statement along with a picture of a metal 'R' on her official website saying, "The Wait is Ova. Nov 23 09", indicating the release date for Rated R.[51] The following day, Rihanna shot a music video for "Wait Your Turn" which premiered on her official website on November 3, 2009.[52][53] A snippet of the song with the title "The Wait is Ova" also appeared as background music for a promo video of the album as well as a countdown clock on her website.[54] On November 5, 2009, Rihanna's first televised interview since her altercation with Brown aired on Good Morning America in support of the album.[55] In addition to appearing on Good Morning America, the interview continued the following day on ABC's 20/20.[56]

Rihanna performing "Rockstar 101" on the Last Girl on Earth.

In November 2009, Island Def Jam convened with Nokia for a special promotional concert held on November 16, 2009, in the United Kingdom.[57] Rihanna shot a promo video for the event which took place at the Brixton Academy in London. She premiered songs from the album during the event which was her first solo concert since the incident with Brown.[57] Nokia gave away free tickets to fans for the show[58] and hosted listening parties around the globe on the same date of the event.[57] The Nokia Music Store offered an enhanced version of the album on its release date, a remix and exclusive track titled "Hole in My Head" which featured Justin Timberlake.[57][59] Rated R was released on November 23, 2009, in North America and the United Kingdom.[60][61]

On February 4, 2010, Rihanna performed at the Pepsi Super Bowl Fan Jam on VH1 along with performers Timbaland and Justin Bieber.[62] Rihanna performed "Hard", "Rude Boy" and "Don't Stop the Music" at the Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards on March 27, 2010.[63] To further promote Rated R, Rihanna embarked on her third concert tour titled Last Girl on Earth Tour (2010—11).[64] It started on April 16, 2010, in Belgium, Europe and also visited North America and Oceania.[64] Several singers including Pixie Lott, Kesha and Travie McCoy served as opening acts on different concerts from the tour.[64][65][66] Ten songs from Rated R were remixed by New York-based electronic disc jockey Chew Fu and released as a remix album under the title Rated R: Remixed.[67] The majority of the remixes were remastered to incorporate sounds from the genre of house music, and incorporate heavy usage of synthesizers as part of their instrumentation.[68]

"Russian Roulette" was sent to US radio stations on October 27, 2009 as the lead single from Rated R.[69][70][71] The pop ballad[72] received positive reviews from music critics, many of whom praised Rihanna's vocal performance and its lyrics.[73] It reached the top-ten in over 25 countries and peaked at number nine on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart,[74] and at number two on the UK Singles Chart.[75][76] The music video for the song was directed by Anthony Mandler[77] and features American actor Jesse Williams.[78] "Hard", which features rap vocals by Jeezy, was released as the album's second US single, being sent to radio on November 10, 2009.[79][80] Critics praised the singer's vocal performance and the decision to include Jeezy as a featured artist.[81][82] It became Rihanna's thirteenth US top ten Hot 100 single, peaking at number eight.[83]

The album's third single, "Wait Your Turn" was released three days after "Hard" on November 13, 2009, in Australia, Brazil and select European countries.[85] Mandler shot the song's accompanying music video, which was filmed in a black and white grainy fashion.[86] "Wait Your Turn" peaked at number 17 on the UK R&B Chart.[87] "Rude Boy", the album's fourth overall single and third international single, was released to US urban radio stations in the US on February 9, 2010.[88] The song reached the top ten in 28 countries, reaching number one in Australia, on the UK R&B Chart and the US Billboard Hot 100 chart.[89] Rihanna equaled Paula Abdul and Diana Ross as the female artists with the fifth-most number one singles on the Hot 100 chart in its fifty-one year history.[90]

"Rockstar 101" was released as the fifth single overall on May 18, 2010.[91] The song peaked at number 24 in Australia and number two on the US Hot Dance Club Songs chart.[92][93] An accompanying music video was shot in April 2010[94] and was directed by Melina Matsoukas.[95] "Te Amo" was released as the sixth and final overall single from Rated R. The song was sent to mainstream airplay in Canada on June 7, 2010,[96] It received positive reviews from critics,[97] and peaked inside the top ten of national charts, including the Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland, and attained top forty positions in Australia, The Netherlands and Slovakia. The Mandler-directed music video was shot at Castle of Vigny in Paris[98] and featured French model Laetitia Casta as Rihanna's love interest.[99]

Professional ratings

Aggregate scores
Source	Rating
Album of the Year	70/100[100]
AnyDecentMusic?	6.1/10[101]
Metacritic	75/100[102]
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[31]
The A.V. Club	C+[103]
Chicago Tribune	[104]
The Guardian	[105]
Los Angeles Times	[35]
NME	7/10[106]
Pitchfork	6.1/10[107]
Rolling Stone	[108]
Slant Magazine	[44]
Spin	5/10[109]

Rated R received positive reviews from music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 75, based on 21 reviews. It is currently her highest rated album on the site.[110] Ed Potton of The Times viewed it as Rihanna's best album,[38] and Jody Rosen, writing in Rolling Stone, called it one of the year's best pop albums.[108] Allmusic's Andy Kellman said that Rated R is exaggerated, but "compelling" and performed convincingly by Rihanna, who sings "many memorably belligerent lines".[31] Greg Kot of the Chicago Tribune called it "powerful and moving art" that Rihanna personalizes in a way that suggests she had more creative input than on her previous albums.[104] Jon Pareles of The New York Times, said that, although its personal subject matter is brave, it does not compromise the creativity of the music.[43]

Ann Powers of the Los Angeles Times called the album "a complex and fascinating portrait" of an abused woman's emotional range and resolve.[35] Alex Macpherson of Fact said that, apart from its interesting music, Rated R is important for how Rihanna has "seized back control of her public story" during "our current panoptic age".[111] Sarah Rodman of The Boston Globe praised it as a brief look at both Rihanna's development as an artist and "the confluence of tabloid culture and pop art".[112] MSN Music's Robert Christgau gave the album a two-star honorable mention,[113] indicating a "likable effort consumers attuned to its overriding aesthetic or individual vision may well enjoy."[114] He cited "Hard" and "Rude Boy" as highlights and credited Rihanna for "concocting a persona of interest out of one dynamite musical trick and a bad patch I wouldn't wish on Lindsay Lohan".[113]

In a mixed review, Sean Fennessey of Spin felt that the album does not suit Rihanna's ballad-based strengths and found her voice too flat and unexpressive to convey the anger of the songs.[109] Pitchfork Media's Ryan Dombal similarly said that her "artistic aspirations are currently loftier than her abilities".[107] Michaelangelo Matos of The A.V. Club viewed the music as bloated and compared its lyrics negatively to "excerpts from a therapy session".[103] Alexis Petridis, writing in The Guardian, criticized its allusions to Chris Brown's assault of her and said that the album does not offer anything beyond "the public's prurient interest in her private life."[105] Rob Harvilla of The Village Voice found the subtext uncomfortable and commented that the album's highlights, "thrilling as they are, might make you feel even worse" than the low points.[46]

Rated R debuted at number four on the US Billboard 200 chart, with first-week sales of 181,000 copies in the country, giving Rihanna her highest first-week sales at that time.[115][116][117] It surpassed the first week sales of her previous album Good Girl Gone Bad, which debuted at number two on the chart in 2007, with sales of 162,000 copies sold.[116] Rated R was also Rihanna's fourth top ten album in the country and her second highest album chart position.[118] It topped the US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart and became her first number-one on the chart.[119] On March 26, 2018, Rated R was certified two-times platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA),[120] and sold over 1,130,000 copies in the US as of June 2015.[121] In Canada, the album debuted and peaked at number five on the albums chart[122] and it received a platinum certification from Music Canada (MC).[123]

In the UK, the album debuted at number sixteen on the albums chart and was certified gold by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) in just four days.[124] For the issue dated March 7, 2010, the album broke into the top ten, and reached its number nine peak in the 15th week on the chart.[125][126] As of August 1, 2010, Rated R has spent 36 weeks on the UK Albums Chart.[127] It has sold over 710,000 copies in the country, as of 2015,[128] and earned a two-times platinum certification from BPI.[124] Despite debuting at number fifteen in Australia, the album was certified gold its second week on the chart. In August, the album was certified Platinum for shipping 70,000 units. With the release of the album's third single, "Rude Boy", Rated R set a new high of twelve on March 7, 2010.[129]

Rated R debuted at number 22 on the Norwegian Albums Chart. In its tenth week, it peaked atop the chart[130] and became Rihanna's first number-one album in the country.[131] It was certified gold by IFPI Norway, denoting sales of over 15,000 copies.[132] The album debuted at number one on the Swiss Albums Chart for the issue dated December 6, 2009, and spent a total of 43 weeks on the chart.[133] It received a platinum certification from IFPI Switzerland for shipment of 15,000 copies in the country.[134] Rated R debuted and peaked at number four on the German Albums Chart for the issue dated December 4, 2009. It became Rihanna's second top-five album[135] and received a gold certification from Bundesverband Musikindustrie (BVMI) for shipments of over 200,000 copies in the country.[136] In Poland, the album peaked at number five and received a gold certification, selling 20,000 copies in one month,[137] beating Good Girl Gone Bad's sales of 20,000 achieved in two years.[138] Worldwide, Rated R has sold over three million copies, as of November 2010.[139]

Different critics compared Rated R and its influence on Rihanna's career to Janet Jackson's Control and The Velvet Rope respectively.

Rated R is deemed a pivotal record in Rihanna's career as it was released nine months after the domestic violence case with Brown. Inspired by the altercation, it was also her first album to feature a parental advisory label as a result of the new "much more hard-edged persona" she embraced.[140] In 2019, ten years after the album release, Chuck Arnold of Billboard described the record as a "coming-of-age manifesto" and also Rihanna's version of Control (1986). According to him, Rated R is "her declaration of independence from Brown and her taking charge of a narrative that had turned her into a victim."[141] Similarly, Blavity's Jordan Simon compared it to Janet Jackson's other album, The Velvet Rope (1997), and described it as a "a dark portrait of a Black woman’s journey to self-healing".[142] Jack Price of The Daily Nebraskan wrote that the album is a testament of evolution and being strong, "to getting knocked down, getting up and coming back harder than ever".[140]

Despite the lukewarm response towards the album at the time of release, according to Price, Rated R set the groundwork for "the emotional songs, powerful vocals and ability to float right from catchy pop singles to bass-heavy rap flows" featured on her follow-up albums Loud (2010) and Anti (2016).[140] DJBooth's Sam Murphy wrote that although the events prior to the album might have "overshadowed its content", it is one of her most "formative" records. According to him, it proved that Rihanna rejected the mainstream approach and established an "individual identity".[143] Concluding his anniversary review, Simon, wrote, "Ten years later, the album's eclectic mix of dubstep, hip-hop, rock, pop, and R&B still sounds as fresh and new age as it did when it was first released."[142]

Rated R was included in three top-10 albums lists by critics for 2009.[144] In her year-end list of best albums, Entertainment Weekly's Leah Greenblatt named it the best pop album of the year.[145] Greg Kot of the Chicago Tribune ranked it number eight on his list of 2009's best albums.[146] Jonah Weiner of Slate ranked Rated R number 10 on his list and hailed Rihanna as one of the "women who have a stranglehold on the pop zeitgeist."[147]

Credits for Rated R adapted from Allmusic and album's liner notes.[151][152]

• List of number-one albums in Norway (2010)
• List of Billboard number-one R&B albums of 2009