My subject this time is Rihanna, and her new album 'Good Girl Gone Bad.' Before I start any of my detailed analysis, there are some facts about Rihanna that you must know. Her voice is a bit whiny, and it will grate on your nerves at some point. I was told by a vocal major that her voice is incredibly 'nasal;' a trait shared by most pop singers, but Rihanna has a particularly bad case of it. I knew something was wrong, but I needed my friend and her years of voice training to help me put a name on it. She also mentioned some stuff about 'chest voice' and 'head voice' that messed my hair up as it flew over my head at an incredible rate of speed.
The first track, and first single 'Umbrella' is a very heartfelt track about standing by your friends in times of need. I've been a friend in need the past few months, so I was able to really relate with this song. The opening by the always awesome Jay-Z was well done, but not over done. The guitar riffs blended very well with the electronic/beat machine elements. Overall, this is my second favorite track on the album, and one of my favorite pop tracks of the year.
'Shut Up And Drive' is my personal number one on 'Good Girl Gone Bad.' It's incredibly sexually suggestive, not something I'm usually a big fan of, but I liked this song the same way I enjoyed R. Kelly's 'Ignition.' 'Shut Up And Drive' is, again, more rock oriented with heavy use of guitars, has a very quick tempo, and is just really fun to listen to. You'll be hearing it on pop radio soon if you haven't already, because it's the second single.