First things first i don't want you to read this review before listening to the song Umberella from this album. But if you still want to avoid this statuary warning go ahead. BE my Guest.
What I know about R&B and hip-hop can be summed up with the following words: “it’s not my thing really.” So when my friend, Harish (Macrohard stuffs), forced his ear phones on me and made me listen to the current single “Umbrella”, from Rihanna’s third album Good Girl Gone Bad (GGGB), I was surprised to find that I liked it. A Lot. In fact, that afternoon I went home and downloaded the entire album.
“Umbrella” feat. Jay-Z – what doesn’t Jay-Z feature on these days? – is the dancey, hooky first track from GGGB. Although Rihanna’s voice lacks the emotive qualities I usually prefer, electronic production makes-up for it with interesting vocal manipulations, giving her voice a knife-edged sex appeal. The song is helped in no small part by the addictive lyrical hook “You can stand under my umbrella… ella… ella… eh, eh, eh” It draws you in and says “sit down for a good listen.”
The dancey, sexual tease of “Please Don’t Stop The Music” is far and away the hottest track on GGGB. Other tracks of note are the funky snare-drum-march, a la Missy Elliott, “Lemme Get That”, and “Rehab”, penned by Justin Timberlake, both produced by Timbaland. Both excellent fare from the JT and Timbabland duo, with “Rehab” featuring JT’s distinctive falsetto as backing vocals. “Push Up On Me” and “Breaking Dishes” fills out the choicest picks from this very solid album. Although it does fall flat with “Questioning Existence”, “Say It” and bonus track, “Cry” — which manages to be both over-sentimental and emotionally barren at the same time.
Overall Good Girl Gone Bad is more than worth the purchase price. When it’s good it is scorching and when it’s bad the CD is not worth standing your drink on. Thank god for MP3 players so you can chose the best tracks and throw the shite away.
Lists of tracks (click on the songs for their lyrics).
November 24, 2007
Good Girl Gone Bad :Rihanna
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