Rihanna - Rated R [The Wait Is Ova... November 23rd '09]

http://i34.tinypic.com/wjtcf8.jpg

I can't be the only one who's ridiculously excited for this album.

have we spoken about "Russian Roulette" yet? It's kind of low-key and understated for a lead single but I think it sets the tone for the album/era really well...

BTW the second single is "The Wait Is Ova" produced by Chase & Status (some UK dubstep guys that I'm not familiar with):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RCS3kvBZs8A

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OtSKx7IYBs0

'Russian Roulette' is great and huge and great.

Is it really that hard to spell 'over' correctly?

i think "russian roulette" is hella boring but "the wait is ova" sounds dope, kinda wish they didn't repeat the title so much, seems out of place kinda, but way better than 'russian roulette'

Yeah "Russian Roulette" isn't the most exciting song - especially for a first single - but like I said I think it sets the mood/tone for this era really nicely. This really dark, tense, almost macabre sort of sound and image she's flirting with... there's hints of industrial and gothic influences.... it's really cool! Apparenly "Run This Town" was supposed to be a solo Rihanna track for this album, so when you take that into consideration as well as "Russian Roulette", the snippet of "The Wait is Ova" and her recent promotional photos:

http://i35.tinypic.com/2hova5s.jpg

http://i33.tinypic.com/wbaqv6.jpg

you get an idea of what she's going for this era, and I'm quite excited for it. This year has been so boring to me pop-wise lol

oh and Dream/Tricky only have one song on this album btw

someone on PopJustice compared "Russian Roulette" to Madonna's "Live To Tell"... and the more I think about it the more that comparison makes total sense.

that 1st pic is stunning

it's from her Vogue Italia editorial, shot by Meisel. The whole thing is brilliant.

makes sense.

http://i33.tinypic.com/2q8ugyh.jpg

http://i34.tinypic.com/20kvp6w.jpg

loooooooove the top one

it looks like blackface

a blackface tucan

Rihanna’s new music is so top secret that even Tricky Stewart doesn’t know if he will have the album’s first single. The hitman behind “Umbrella” spoke exclusively with Rap-Up.com again to reveal the monstrous results of his recording sessions with the superstar.

RAP-UP: Rihanna’s fourth album has a release date of November 23.
TRICKY: Yes, yes.

RAP-UP: Last time we spoke, you hadn’t yet recorded with her. What became of your studio sessions?
TRICKY: I can’t talk about what happened, but it’s really good for me *laughs*. We delivered a very, very big record, but I can’t say what the name of it is or anything, just for the simple fact that it’s actually top secret. It’s definitely going to be a single. It’s either going to be the first or the second single. I do know that.

RAP-UP: So you produced the new song and The-Dream wrote it. Is anyone featured on it?
TRICKY: Yes. I can say it’s a rapper. I’m not gonna say who *laughs*.

RAP-UP: Is the track uptempo?
TRICKY: Yes, it’s uptempo. It’s a club banger and it’s edgy.

RAP-UP: Would you say it’s bigger than “Umbrella”?
TRICKY: No, it’s different. It’s a superstar taking a step in a totally different direction. This album is different than her past works.

RAP-UP: How so?
TRICKY: It’s just an artist at work. This is Rihanna coming into her own and going from being a girl that has been singing big, huge hit records, and the artist is awake and alive and moving on this project. She knows exactly what she wants to say, she knows how she wants to feel. It was an amazing experience working with her and just really getting into her headspace of what she wanted to do.

RAP-UP: When will we be able to hear the first single?
TRICKY: Everything’s about to happen really fast, so it’s not gonna be long. It’s gonna be here in the next couple days.

RAP-UP: How many songs did you record with her?
TRICKY: Right now, it’s just the one, but it’s a monster song. And really when it’s all said and done, all we had was “Umbrella” on the last one, so if it’s like that, I’m cool with that. [Editor's note: Tricky and The-Dream also produced "Breakin' Dishes" off Good Girl Gone Bad.]

RAP-UP: Was it different working with her this time versus last time?
TRICKY: Yeah, it’s always different because once everyone gets bigger, it’s even harder just to get everybody in the room. We ended up going over to Paris andworking over there, coming to New York—it’s been a lot of flying around for one song.

RAP-UP: What else can you tell us?
TRICKY: Her album is crazy and she’s really just stepped up her game as an artist—not stepped up, but there’s an artist at work.

RAP-UP: Do you know who else she collaborated with on the project?
TRICKY: I know she wrote some songs with Ne-Yo. Ne-Yo has some great songs on there. She’s even being secretive with the music of the other producers too.

RAP-UP: Is she writing anything herself?
TRICKY: I really don’t know. I think she probably did write on some of these songs. She’s definitely lending her leadership.

RAP-UP: Everyone knows Rihanna for her fearless fashion. Is that going to translate into her music?
TRICKY: Yeah, definitely. I could say that. The attitude of the fashion and the attitude of the music—that’s what she’s into. It’s gonna be a complete vision.

sorry, not tucan, a quetzel

http://www.viaturtravel.net/Portals/0/Quetzal1.jpg

not that i wouldn't smash, but you know

i agree that the image & feel is dope - "the wait is ova" is pretty tantalizing, just wish that "russian roulette" 'set the mood' in a way that wasn't as boring as it is

Editor's note: Tricky and The-Dream also produced "Breakin' Dishes" off Good Girl Gone Bad.

argh, thought Timbaland did that one

nah Timbo only did "Lemme Get That," "Sell Me Candy," and "Rehab"

"sell me candy" is the best song on that cd, "umbrella" aside

hope Rihanna remix Hamster on a piano on this

lol @ "breakin dishes" slipping terius' mind. don't blame him!

i like rihanna's ballads a lot more than her bangers, "russian roulette" has grown to incredible on me

it was Tricky not Terius and I'm pretty sure he meant "Umbrella" was their only big single off the album and the interviewer misunderstood that he meant the whole album when adding that pedantic note

breaking dishes was pretty great, tho

http://i33.tinypic.com/24cioia.jpg

O-M-G.

These photos are amazing...like a Grace Jones you can hang out with.

that clip of "the wait is ova" sounds awful -- is that what dubstep sounds like? ugh

lolll

dudes are drum'n'bass producers who crossed over to dubstep recently, they're pretty awful but very successful. Snoop dogg used a beat of theirs for this shite single earlier in the year.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3iOp-C1hQ8k

grace jones called, etc

""sell me candy" is the best song on that cd, "umbrella" aside"

You're insane.

it's a good album cover, but i'm growing slightly weary of this look as a whole -- feels the slightest bit tried.

that's a quick turnaround, ramz

maybe "wary" is a better word than "weary"

i'm not tired of it yet but i'm apprehensive

i mean, previously all i said was i like the fotos, and i still do -- and i do really like the album cover. but it certainly doesn't feel particularly fresh or new

(and isn't it supposed to??)

It doesn't feel "new" per se, but I like her references and the people she's working with to construct her image (Ellen Von Euwerth - who did the album cover -, Anothony Mandler, etc.). Nightclubbing/Slave To Rhythm-era Grace Jones meets Rhythm Nation-era Janet with her own litte twist on it.

Unwerth**

yeah i'm being picky. it also carries a certain amount of potency when considered in light of recent events. i guess a part of me wished for something a little less formulaic, a little more fresh, for lack of a better word. i keep thinking "sunny dominatrix" woulda been great. but for what this is, it's executed really well

lol at wikipedia

Rihanna then continued recording the album with production duo Chase & Status. After listening one of their track, "Saxon," Rihanna got in contact with Chase & Status and wanted to work with them because she loved the feel of the drums and wanted a similar thing for her album.[35] They had a pair of sessions with Rihanna and worked together for a few weeks in an undisclosed location.[35] Chase & Status worked with her on songs that had a dubstep vibe, although whenever Rihanna didn't like something she would let them know.[3] On one of the tracks, Rihanna had came up with a cool melody and cool idea to give the song the kind of vibe she wanted.[3]

The new single sucks -- sounds like a Beyonce castoff.

ahh exciting shit that interview with tricky

I cannot buy the idea that Rihanna is in any way an active participant in the crafting of her music, videos or style. If she has all this personality and insight I have no idea why she hides it so well.

I don't think she takes a primary hand in songwriting on most of her tracks, and she definitely comes across as kind of blank as a persona, but I tend to believe she's pretty hands on with her image and style, if only because if Def Jam or whoever was dictating that stuff she'd probably just look like a standard R&B chick and not all gothed out.

She has writing credits all over her first two albums, GGGB is the only album she didn't write on btw... and she did co-write "Disturbia" and has co-writing credit on "Russian Roulette" so.... the whole "blank slate" thing may not be so true afterall.

they'd still be marketing her as a pseudo-exotic precocious island girl

yeah she's definitely in control in terms of her image/style, her whole persona is kind of "detached" though, I think that's her schtick or whatever

i think she has an idea of where to go with her image & probably lets professionals take care of it after that - she definitely doesn't seem to have any ideas besides the general launching pad like gaga does

thirdeded

Nice arrangement on the AOL Session up there.

also love "rude boy". I'm surprised it took this long for it to be released as a single.

REGGAE REMIXES ILU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M1tA0guJ7hw

this must have been posted somewhere because it's ilx catnip but it can stand to be posted again

<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/N-dX4C3ZnYY&hl=en_GB&fs=1&";></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/N-dX4C3ZnYY&hl=en_GB&fs=1&"; type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>

ugh sorry guys

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N-dX4C3ZnYY

okay "Rude Boy" in addition to "Hard" and "Russian Roulette" is really making me consider picking up this album

You really should.

and the "rude boy" remixes keep on coming - this one by loose cannons with lady chann is amazing, so heavy - love the way they sloooow rihanna's vox down http://www.sendspace.com/file/uafa48

I like how the will.i.am part comes out nowhere and I'm always like 'wait...what the fuck is going on?' when I hear it. it's going to be disappointing when I figure it out

― i and iiiijjjj (The Reverend), Wednesday, November 25, 2009 3:14 AM (4 months ago) Bookmark

burst out laughing on the bus today when this verse came on

more specifically at the moment when he says "calvin KLEIN," and like, suddenly on klein he's got like five will.i.am multitracked.

Link: http://marquee.blogs.cnn.com/2010/06/17/rihanna%E2%80%99s-next-album-will-%E2%80%98thrill%E2%80%99-you/?hpt=T2

Rihanna’s next album will ‘Thrill’ you

Talk about high standards.

For Rihanna’s next album, Def Jam A&R exec Bu Thiam is expecting the Barbadian pop star to pull off a record of legendary proportions.

“I’m trying to push her to where every song will be a hit from 1 to 12. I’m talking about NO album fillers,” Thiam said in a blog post on Vibe.com. “Our bar for this album is Michael Jackson’s ‘Thriller.’”

Hmm…ok. And how exactly will she pull that off? With help from the likes of Ne-Yo, The Dream, Stargate, Ester Dean, Mel & Mus and Rock City, Thiam said.

“It’s already giving me the feel of a timeless album, and right now is her time,” he added.

Do you think Rihanna can pull Thiam's dream off?

ugh! @ those producers. not exactly giving me the chills.

fucking rock city

lol is te amo really the next single

who are Mel & Mus?

"rude boy" is def one of my fav singles of the year

― suge knight btw (J0rdan S.), Wednesday, February 24, 2010 10:34 AM Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

^^^

"te amo" is really dope imo

kind of middling to my ears but i can see myself loving it down the line

definitely pretty catchy

cracks me up that Rihanna's serious dark personal artistic statement album and her THE NEXT THRILLER record have pretty much identical production lineups.

"we're really going to break the mold and do something different with this album...The-Dream and Ne-Yo are going to write it."

Rated R was perfectly in line with what I wanted from Ri...I'm glad sales were decent... she can do whatever she feels like with her next album, it's all gravy at this point.

Cosign!

So...

http://rihannanow.com/sites/rihannanow.com/themes/slenderfungus/images/promo_rihanna_cover.jpg

OMG

the red hair really isn't working for her irl but that's a sick cover

i def 'get' only girl in the world now

dudes only girl is cert banger

I heard it for the first time today and I don't get it yet.

i def 'get' only girl in the world now

― waka flocka flame judi dench (J0rdan S.), Saturday, October 2, 2010 7:53 PM Bookmark

her voice has never sounded as big as it does on only girl

her voice sounds like a merciless foghorn again, after she showed some capability of inflection and expression on "Rude Boy"

"cold case love" is the only song on this worth coming back for

Oh man are you kidding, I think pretty much all but 2-3 songs on this are golden.

wait i liked "fire bomb" too. the rest aren't garbage or anything (ok a few are, sup will i am) but who cares

switch "cold case love" for "rude boy" and that is exactly my opinion on that album

just listened again and that song is still the shit. timberlake wrote that!

come back 2 us justin

foreal

Photography Book!

http://www.rap-up.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/rihanna-book-2.jpg

The bridge of "Only Girl in the World" sounds exactly like "Shut Up and Drive".

snl this weekend

http://www.mediafire.com/?2d7th4rf4f0juqz

Love The Way You Lie Drum and Bass remix. Haven't heard the original but this makes me want to.

while we wait eternally for her to bother dropping R8, rated r remains an incredible wintry monolith of an album. holds up so well

I have no reason to anticipate R8 based on the singles, but "Fire Bomb" remains my very favourite of all her songs.

Her best album, yes.

while we wait eternally for her to bother dropping R8, rated r remains an incredible wintry monolith of an album. holds up so well

― lex pretend, Sunday, November 29, 2015 1:58 PM (3 hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

Anti drops on Friday

"cold case love" still soooo good

do we know that it will drop on friday? or are we just guessing again?