Rihanna - Good Girl Gone Bad

Rihanna
Good Girl Gone Bad (Def Jam, 2007)
Grade: C+
Pop-Scale Grade: B+

Download: Rihanna - "Umbrella"
Download: Rihanna - "Lemme Get That"

There are definitely some hot tracks on this record. If one overlooks the pervasive themes of consumerism and sex (tons of it), the lack of content is well compensated for by the overall catchy and fun spirit of the album. There are a few straight-up dance tracks about, well, dancing; the Madonna-esque "Don't Stop The Music" is a highlight dance anthem that deserves heavy rotation in the club.

Good Girl is a bit all over the place, one moment on the dance floor, the next in a quiet bedroom with an acoustic guitar, and finally on top of a mountain with arms outstretched and wind blowing everywhere. But in its inability to achieve continuity, the album reveals Rihanna's ability to cover a lot of ground.

The hot tracks are the obvious heavy-hitters, the Jay-Z featured single "Umbrella" and the Timbaland/Timberlake track "Rehab," which basically sounds like it was a b-side from FutureSex, but it still kills. However, the unassuming "Lemme Get That" is my favorite track. Full of hubris and a fat marching band feel, this one plays to Rihanna's main strength: sass.

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(Ian Anderson)