The Pros & Cons of Copping the New Rihanna Joint….

From the standpoint of those in recovery from Rihanna Overload.

While many critics appear to be raving over Rihanna’s 4^th album in 5 years, Rated R, we’d like to present some biased suggestions for those on the fence.

• Pro – You can keep up with the Joneses by being able to say you’re actually familiar with what the album sounds like.
• Con – you risk a small level of brain damage by listening to the stylized tunes and her dreary voice grating against the beat.
• Pro – Maybe you’ll actually find a catchy track worth getting into for a fixed period of time.
• Con – Then again, maybe you won’t.
• Pro – With an open mind, you may learn to respect Rihanna as a hard-working, evolving artist. As the NY Times states:

“In the multimedia whirlwind of a 21st-century pop career, Rihanna simply couldn’t have made an album of lovey-dovey ballads or simple dance songs. Rated R does what divas do: leverage personal troubles into music. And with it, Rihanna never lets her sorrows overwhelm her musical craftsmanship or the determination behind it.”

• Con – You are growing tired of everyone infusing their manufactured personal manifestos into their work. What’s fresh and original about it when every pop artist used the art imitates life approach, yaaaawn…
• If you’re a RiRi fan, then it’s pretty much a no-brainer, cop that jawn.
• If you’re not a RiRi fan, then it’s pretty much a no-brainer, don’t cop that jawn.
• Pro – In the digital age, you’re free to only buy the tracks you like, rather than being forced to but the entire CD.
• Con – In the digital age, standards have changed and the emphasis is on generating a few hit tracks per album rather than an entire catalogue of inspired tunes.

We’re glad that RiRi’s album has finally dropped as it may indicate that we are that closer to a day when the media reverts to an ordinary brand of celebrity obsession over her the diva-in-training. In closing, we’ll leave you with the following critique from the Washington Post that captures the essence of our standpoint:

“When the lighter fare arrives halfway through this downcast track list, it hardly registers. The crystalline bounce of “Rude Boy” and the playful zip of “Photographs” are buoyant, but neither can touch the club-happy froth that made Rihanna famous. She seems destined to return to that glitter-dusted dance floor before too long. For now, she’s processing publicly. Consider Rated R a misstep on the road to recovery.”

Hat’s off to Rap-Up.com for the data