Rihanna Good Girl Gone Bad Review
Dance Pop Album Including Umbrella, Please Don't Stop The Music
Aug 7, 2007
On her third studio album, “Good Girl Gone Bad”, Barbados-born Rihanna delivers the definitive disc of her career. Teaming with today’s hottest producers, musicians and hip-hop stars including Timbaland, Justin Timberlake, Jay-Z and Ne-Yo, she has crafted the best dance-pop disc this year.
Working with such an impressive team, she ran the risk of becoming a pop puppet. Instead, Rihanna’s talents shine through each of the tracks. Whether she lends her voice to all out dance pop, reggae or dance hall tinged cuts, Rihanna holds her ground alongside the top divas of popular music.
Lead single, “Umbrella”, already a number one single across the world, shattered expectations and now holds the record as the longest consecutive number one song this decade in the United Kingdom. However, unlike many albums with a great first track and tons of filler, GGGB sounds like a Greatest Hits package. Each cut delivers a bang with enough potential to become a huge hit.
Please Don't Stop The Music
On the third cut, the club smash “Please Don’t Stop The Music”, Rihanna begs the dance to go on over a weave of yelps from the king of pop himself, Michael Jackson. The beat gradually builds to an all out explosion of warped chants echoing “Ma ma say, ma ma say, ma ma koo sah” from Jackson’s “Wanna Be Startin’ Something”. From the first vocal, staying seated becomes impossible. This track was built to tear down the dance floor– something unexpected from Rihanna’s previous slow burners and ballads such as “Unfaithful” from 2006’s “A Girl Like Me”.
From the dance floor to a full on break up romp, Rihanna threatens to even the score with her man for his philandering ways on “Breaking Dishes”. “I’m breaking dishes off your head all night/ I ain’t gonna stop till I see police lights,” she warns her cheating boyfriend.
Then she’s off to the dance floor again. This time channelling New Order’s omnipresent “Blue Monday”, Rihanna tells the driver to “Shut Up And Drive”. Burning up the charts, this powerful guitar driven dance/rocker pushes the envelope further than her “Tainted Love” kissed “S.O.S” from last year. Guaranteed at least a few weeks at the summit of the charts.
Rehab - Hate That I Love You
For as much dance-oriented material on the album, Rihanna also proves she still has a soulful touch. Ne-Yo produces and guest vocals on “Hate That I Love You”, a mid tempo soulful hip hop treat, before moving into even more laid back territory on the radio-friendly ballad “Say It”.
Towards the closure of the album, Timbaland lends a hand on “Sell Me Candy” and the ill-titled “Rehab”. Unlike Amy Winehouse’s literal track of the same name, Rihanna checks in to rid herself of a cheating man. Justin Timberlake provides the sweet backing vocals and co-produces without hogging the spotlight. A duet could have worked here as their voices blend well enough but in the end it is Rihanna who produces the stellar lead vocals.
With “Good Girl Gone Bad”, summer 2007 has a soundtrack and the world has a new superstar.
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