Rihanna - Unapologetic
- Thread starter jinzo
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I'm having a hard time deciding on an absolute fave. But I'd say No Love Allowed comes pretty close. Island Rihanna is best Rihanna. Numb is definitely another contender. I'm still enjoying every song on here apart from Loveeeeeeeee Song.
Why won't you people acknowledge the greatness of Loveeeeee Song. She has never sounded sexier.
Its brilliant. And I know Future sounds very weird but I think its really cool. I would have loved if Rihanna sang the whole thing but they processed her voice on the chorus to sound like Future. Would have been cool.
It's the best song on the album
'Pony' ≠ 'Jump'
'Half of It' ≠ 'Half of Me'
'Nobodies Business' ≠ 'Nobody's Business'
'Power It Up' ≠ 'Pour It Up'
Let's leave it at that.
'Half of It' ≠ 'Half of Me'
'Nobodies Business' ≠ 'Nobody's Business'
'Power It Up' ≠ 'Pour It Up'
Let's leave it at that.
Okay listened from start to finish a couple of times and I'm very pleased with this album. Sonically is a lot more grown up and the production is a lot more varied and detailed than her other albums. There is stuff on here that sounds unlike what she's done before and I think that's literally down to her working with different producers than usual such as Labrinth and Naughty Boy for example.
To me personally it's very solid and maintains good quality throughout but probably more so from the middle to end, whereas Talk That Talk had a major dip in the middle. Fresh Off (or Phresh Out??) The Runway is the only song i'm a bit iffy about because of the dodgy vocal effects, but I've been on and off with it since the first performance. I don't think Eminem was really needed on Numb, Loveeeeeee Song has amazing vocals but only from Ri and not Future. I would moan how it's a Skin clone but I love Skin so I prove the theory right and love this. What Now is totally amazing except from the verse vocals but I suppose the rest of it makes up for it. I want to hate Nobody's Business but i'm a sucker for late 80s/early 90s throwbacks at the moment. Speaking of that period, Get It Over With sounds like a Janet Jackson style gem it's so understated and subtle. Actually a lot of things about this album remind me of the 'Janet' album (perhaps even the naked artwork at a stretch also). I've posted this before but i'll say it again...Half of Me is one of the best things she's ever recorded.
It's too early to rank it against her other albums but i'm just glad it's in her discography. I'm pleased it's not a collection of potential singles but actually a long journey of an album which has those small gems of songs and moments. I really hope she lets this album run it's course naturally instead of moving on in about 10 months because I've only really appreciated Talk That Talk properly now. Anyway if she can put out this good album rush recorded, imagine if she actually took time to do it like Rated R (that says it all).
To me personally it's very solid and maintains good quality throughout but probably more so from the middle to end, whereas Talk That Talk had a major dip in the middle. Fresh Off (or Phresh Out??) The Runway is the only song i'm a bit iffy about because of the dodgy vocal effects, but I've been on and off with it since the first performance. I don't think Eminem was really needed on Numb, Loveeeeeee Song has amazing vocals but only from Ri and not Future. I would moan how it's a Skin clone but I love Skin so I prove the theory right and love this. What Now is totally amazing except from the verse vocals but I suppose the rest of it makes up for it. I want to hate Nobody's Business but i'm a sucker for late 80s/early 90s throwbacks at the moment. Speaking of that period, Get It Over With sounds like a Janet Jackson style gem it's so understated and subtle. Actually a lot of things about this album remind me of the 'Janet' album (perhaps even the naked artwork at a stretch also). I've posted this before but i'll say it again...Half of Me is one of the best things she's ever recorded.
It's too early to rank it against her other albums but i'm just glad it's in her discography. I'm pleased it's not a collection of potential singles but actually a long journey of an album which has those small gems of songs and moments. I really hope she lets this album run it's course naturally instead of moving on in about 10 months because I've only really appreciated Talk That Talk properly now. Anyway if she can put out this good album rush recorded, imagine if she actually took time to do it like Rated R (that says it all).
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Oh, and I forgot to say:
1) No Love Allowed is a clear highlight here. If Rihanna put out a dancehall album, I'd be a happy chappy.
2) There's a severe lack of appreciation for Get It Over With on here. It's channeling The Weeknd to the max, and I love it.
3) Love Without Tragedy and Mother Mary fit together seamlessly, and they should never be broken up. I love that it sounds like a key change or a middle eight, and then turns out to be a whole different song. Fantastic.
1) No Love Allowed is a clear highlight here. If Rihanna put out a dancehall album, I'd be a happy chappy.
2) There's a severe lack of appreciation for Get It Over With on here. It's channeling The Weeknd to the max, and I love it.
3) Love Without Tragedy and Mother Mary fit together seamlessly, and they should never be broken up. I love that it sounds like a key change or a middle eight, and then turns out to be a whole different song. Fantastic.
It's a bit airy for The Weeknd, no? I get where you're coming from and I love the clean, minimalism of the production and how well it compliments the lyrics but there's no crescendo or any kind of dynamics. You don't hear much in the final minute that you didn't already hear in the first 30 seconds, lyrically, melodically or sonically, it's all very one-note. It's fitting in a way because it just floats along (in the clouds, if you will) and it is pretty but it does leave me bored at times.
Loveee.. Song has really grown on me though, I could still stand to have less Future and more Rihanna but as a sequel to Skin it's excellent. I've also succumbed to Numb as well, it's really quite menacing and the repetition of the hook, while initially lazy, only adds to the dizzying effect of the production. Along with Rihanna's drawn out 'Ecstasaaaaaay...' and Eminem's chopped and pitched verse, the whole things feels like a bad trip but in the best way.
I don't think it's boring at all, and I actually thought for a while that The Weeknd was helping out with backing vocals. I see what you mean, but then I just don't think every song needs a huge moment of catharsis - I mean, my praise is not in any way willing it to be a single or anything, it's just a nice, quiet, current moment on the album.
Mr.Arroz
Staff member
he/him/his
Loveeeeeee Song and Numb get the thumbs up from me, I particularly like Eminem's verse.
However I am having difficulty with this album. Sonically, I think it's only behind Rated R as her best. But it leaves me a bit confused, something about it just feels a bit cold, desperate, and just plain 'lost', for lack of a better word. I'll try listening more as I don't want to give up.
However I am having difficulty with this album. Sonically, I think it's only behind Rated R as her best. But it leaves me a bit confused, something about it just feels a bit cold, desperate, and just plain 'lost', for lack of a better word. I'll try listening more as I don't want to give up.
What a shame that “Nobody’s Business” sounds so good. Very depressing.
And yet, it's kind of bad. It's a 1:30 song repeated twice by two different singers, there's no real middle eight, no climax to the production, just the same half song. It's catchy, but there's not enough there.
I think that 'Numb' is actually my favorite song on the album. It's so eerie and hypnotic, and both Rhenna and Eminem sound menacing.
RainOnFire
Staff member
That's basically how I feel about Get It Over With as well. It's really pleasant though, but maybe it would've worked better as a 1 minute interlude or something. (Then again, if she had done that, I could see myself complaining about wanting a full version of it.)
So I've been sick in bed watching Logo(#ImIllYoullDeal) for the past 3 hours and I must have seen the Unapologetic commercial(Which is nothing to write home about, why pop girls go all out for their perfume commercials but not for the physical representative of their careers, I may never know) 3 or 4 times during the commercial breaks of The Object of My Affection. Get that targeted promo.
That pretty much sums it up. I must say, I've been trying to avoid passing judgement on the whole Chris Brown feature situation - the song itself being so average and forgettable does help - but having just looked through the booklet and seen his name printed in black and white, his very presence on the album is kind of shocking isn't it? Who would have believed it if they'd been told about it back in 2008?
Speaking of the booklet, just under half of the 20 pages within feature her smoking, *eyeroll*.
Good thing I'm enjoying the music this time around because Rihanna herself doesn't always make it easy...
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