Record Review: Rihanna

Rihanna - Loud   4/5

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Rihanna is arguably the only pop act aside from Lady Gaga with such mass appeal, a fact forgotten after last year's Rated R, a dark and uneven record. Loud is about as literal a title as there is, and a return to form as the Barbados vixen turns up the mic and rocks the speakers at sonic levels full of bravado and plenty of grooves.

Opener 'S&M' reboots her as a sexy little minx, all about carnal pleasures, a hard thumping bass and the tightrope between crass and coy. The album's lead off single 'Only Girl (In the World)' is a swirling dance floor number that finds Rihanna's vocals hitting a fever pitch, a trait found throughout the record. The stand-out 'What's My Name?', finds Rihanna laughing off Drake's "I heard you good with those soft lips/ yeah you know word of mouth", with a simple o-nay-nay chorus and a smirk. The inexplicable Avril Lavigne sample of 'I'm With You' is turned into a crunk jam on the 'Cheers (Drink to That)', while 'Man Down' dabbles in dancehall beats turned poppy.

Keeping the sonic range on ballads like 'California King Bed' and 'Fading' the defiant, walk away ballad, Rihanna never lets up on belting out pop hits. For all it's voluptuous hooks, none are of devotion to a man, instead with the sauciest of lines Rihanna makes sure the company she keeps is worth her time. It's a clear indication that the girl of Rated R's tumultuous, tabloid inspired times has grown into a woman with a healthy female ethos making Loud all the more rewarding when blasted to floor shaking volumes.