Singer Rihanna has continued to enjoy the success of her talents over the last couple of years, and her new album Good Girl Gone Bad, continues the streak.
Since discovered in her hometown of Barbados, this 19-year-old beauty topped the charts with singles from each of her three albums.
Rihanna’s new release, Good Girl Gone Bad, is filled with potential hit singles. The track “Umbrella” was number two on the Billboard charts for 14 consecutive weeks.
According to Billboard.com, “Umbrella” has also “become the first hit in 10 years to break the tenth week reign in the UK.” It has had amazing success in the U.S. as well.
This catchy, pop/dance tune featuring Jay-Z and Shawn Carter earned the MTV Music Video of the Year award, Monster Single of the Year award, as well as the Teen Choice award for best R&B Artist.
Producer Timbaland and singer Ne-Yo are also featured or helped collaborate tracks on the record.
This album, in comparison to her first two, has a more pop/dance feel and is very well worth every toe-tapping penny.
“Don’t Stop the Music” has a trance-club feel to it. The background mixes of this song reveal Michael Jackson’s “Wanna Be Startin’ Something,” which will make any club hopper want to dance.
My favorite song, “Breaking Dishes” reveals a more mature, in-control Rihanna. It contains a Caribbean beat, hard-hitting drums and fresh vocals from producer Evan Rogers.
Many artists try to cover 80’s songs and slaughter the original in their attempts. Rihanna gave New Orders’ “Blue Monday” an upbeat tempo, great vocals and hypnotic lyrics in her remake “Shut Up and Drive.”
Rihanna’s other albums were sometimes a bit ballad heavy, despite chart-topping singles. This album has a more balanced, consistent mood. Her three ballad-like songs were still pop with a dance-like mood.
“Lemme Get That” reminds me of her first album, Music of the Sun, with reggae style beats and lyrics familiar to the Barbados music scene.
Rihanna, just like singer Amy Winehouse, also sings about rehab. Rihanna’s song, “Rehab” has a steady beat, beautiful vocal overlay and contains lines like “I got to check into rehab, because you’re my disease.”
Almost at the end, an unmistakable track “Question Existing” is a somber, almost depressive, self-explorative song that would be great in a movie.
This is a definite hit-packed CD that I highly recommend.
