November 21 2009
Rihanna’s violent assault at the hands of pop star boyfriend Chris Brown in February hangs over her fourth album like a dark cloud. The Barbadian pop princess of “Umbrella” is startlingly replaced by the angry 21-year-old who declares “revenge is sweet” on the guns ‘n’ gangstas anthem “G4L” and who claims to be “the hottest bitch in heels right here” over menacing synths on “Hard”. “Rockstar 101”, all attitude and no tune, finds her with “my middle finger up” over a brooding guitar line played by Guns ‘n’ Roses’ Slash. |
