Loud

I was hesitant to buy Rihanna's new album, Loud. I loved the first single, Only Girl (In the World) and loved her second single, What's My Name, even more. Looking back, I should have been anxiously awaiting the album's release. After days of craving What's My Name, I finally broke down and bought the album. I figured that it'd be cheaper in the long run to just buy the whole thing than buying each song individually. It's hard to review the album because I have somewhat mixed feelings about it.

I loved Rated R. It was a dark, serious album that showed her vulnerable side. At the time, I could really relate to the themes of the albums. Even now, I can see the artistry of the music. For anyone looking for depth on Loud will be disappointed. Most of the tracks are very poppy and shallow. Cheers (Drink to That) is an anthem for drinking on the weekend and Raining Men is a shout out to the ladies that all men are replaceable. Don't get me wrong - I love both songs and Nicki Minaj is amazing on Raining Men! But it's something that I'd expect from Ke$ha or someone with a little less talent. I expect more from Rihanna. I also noticed that the lyrics of several songs don't flow well.

Even though the tone of the album isn't my favorite, I still really enjoy the album. Something that's a new direction for Rihanna was the blatant sexuality. Two songs in particular were a big departure for her usual sound - S&M and Skin. While S&M is a dirty song with a dance beat, Skin is a slower groove with a very seductive vibe. Fading Away and Complicated are two very break-up songs. Her voice sounds strong and confident. Love the Way You Lie (Part II) and the piano version bonus track improve upon the original. The first part was almost all Eminem, so I was glad that Rihanna took the spotlight on the second part.

It's a bit of an odd album. Some songs are very dance-pop oriented, some a very sexual and adult, some are sad, and some are ballads. All are very strong on their own. The album just never comes together to form a single idea - it's more of a hodge-podge of good songs. It is different (and not necessarily in a bad way) from Rated R and it's definitely more artistic than Good Girl Gone Bad. It'll be on my iPod for quite some time, though I do home for a little more depth next time.

PS: She looks GORGEOUS on the album cover.