Rihanna ‘Talk That Talk’

Following the 2011 success of ‘Loud’, Rihanna has returned with her brand new album ‘Talk That Talk’.

Released just over a year since her last studio effort, the album could feel was slightly rushed in it’s release, and at times, sounds it. However this is the most fluid and coherent Rihanna album to date.

The good girl has gone very bad with this album. Rihanna flips between singing about finding the one true love to having copious amounts of sex. The album opens with the laidback urban track ‘You Da One’ before moving into the Calvin Harris and Dr Luke produced ‘Where Have You Been’, which could possibly be her biggest dancefloor hit to date.

The sleazy talk pipes up when Rihanna collaborates with ‘Umbrella’ partner Jay-Z, though not to the same effect, before leading into ‘Cockiness’, chorus line being “suck my cockiness, lick my persuasion”, and Birthday Cake offering “I wanna fuck you right now”. Rihanna has truly exceeded Rated R.

Balladry is also featured, offering some of the best vocals Rihanna has done, especially on the sombre The XX ‘Intro’ sampling ‘Drunk on Love’.

Although feeling hasty at times, the album flows from start to finish, and can easily take place as the kinkiest pop album of the year or maybe ever.

By David Mahoney

Twitter.com/davidmahoney1