REVIEW Rihanna - Rude Boy

Her album, Rated R has been credited as Rihanna’s exodus from pop into a rockier, edgier sound. Rude Boy isn’t rocky in the slightest, and is all the better for it. This summery track takes the singer back to her Caribbean roots with ragga and dancehall influences. The catchy backing has a steel-pan freshness, and the sultry pacing compliments this with a semblance of tongue-in-cheek indifference. The lyrics are definitely sleazy: 'Come here rude boy can you get it up/Come here rude boy, is you big enough?', but Ri’s monotone delivery is less begging, more indifferent; it’s the aural embodiment of a moody pout.

Up until a month ago, promotion involved Rihanna persistently faced with the looming spectre of the domestic abuse debaucle. With its strong sexuality, and an artsy promo video, Rude Boy confirms that she won't remain a poster-child for victimhood, or dwell moodily on her past, but re-assert herself as a powerful, and somewhat cocky young woman.

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This was originally written as part of a brief for a job application.