Over on Collapse Board, Isolde Fry talks about Rihanna’s new single, and how some of the imagery makes her uncomfortable. It’s more just lame than creepy in my opinion, but I’m mostly disappointed with the music.
I wouldn’t comment on most bland chart pop, but Rihanna has done better multiple times. The whole Good Girl Gone Bad album was excellent, with six seriously strong tracks (making it a rival to Madonna’s Ray of Light in my view, in the higher echelons of great pop albums).
There’s a great live version of Breakin’ Dishes on Youtube, with guitars added in to stunning effect, but I won’t feature it because it makes me a little queasy in the wake of the whole subsequent Chris Brown thing.
Another very fine track, Sell Me Candy, should induce no such qualms its with bland love-song lyrics – but the try-to-keep-up syncopation and breezy melody would have made it a worthy single. This live version adds in an intro and some guitars, which improves the song, but it still sounds good on the album.
Reinspired 