Talk That Talk (Deluxe)

I said after buying Rihanna's last cd, that I was gonna listen to all the tracks before buying her next one....too bad I didn't follow my own advice. Really wasn't impressed with this offering at all, I could have saved myself $20 if I had previewed it first.

"Talk That Talk" by Rihanna is her latest musical debut that is the epitome of daring and catchy rolled into one. What I like about this cd is that she carefully takes musical chances in many of these songs. For example "We Found Love" is a catchy hybrid of pop, dance, and trance. "You Da One" is in a music class of its own with a strong blend of island themed music and pop. My personal top four songs have elements of the dance music genre in them: "Roc Me Out", "Talk that Talk","We All Want Love", and "Drunk On Love". "Roc Me Out" is a bold musical track about initiating a love affair with someone while confessing a desire to be loved. "Talk that Talk"(featuring Jay-Z) is an excellent collaboration song that implies a preference to be talked to "aggressively." It was a clever choice to include Jay-Z in "Talk that Talk" because of his own talent and fame. However, I must gently state that it would also be good for Rihanna and Beyonce to eventually do a musical collaboration together for future musical tracks. These two would make a powerful music combination together. "We All Want Love" is a heartfelt melody about how everyone desires to be loved regardless of whether they admit it. "Drunk on Love" is a fantastic musical gem about someone confessing on how they thrive on love. The singer courageously admits to always believing in love despite what may happen externally. She admits to wearing her heart on her sleeve and letting love strongly factor in many life decisions. "Talk that Talk" by Rihanna is best for those who enjoy any of her songs and/or compelling blends of music fusions involving the dance music genres.

I did not like this album at first. I had to listen to it a few times to start liking it, but now I love it. It’s not her best album, in my opinion. But it has a lot of hit-worthy songs. I felt like a better job could’ve been choosing singles with this album, as well as the time the songs were released.

But any way, here are my top-5 songs:

1. WE FOUND LOVE – My second favorite Rihanna single (after “What’s My Name”). A great Calvin Harrison production, her 11th #1 hit, and her biggest single to date.

2. ROC ME OUT – I really wish this was released. Stargate creates magic for Rihanna, and this is a prime example. This is a rock-infused R&B club banger. Nothing better.

3. COCKINESS (I LOVE IT) – I love the beat to this and I love how fast and rhythmic the vocals are (especially in the bridge).

4. WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN – Another great dance track (courtesy of Dr. Luke and Calvin Harris) that became a huge hit this past summer.

5. DRUNK ON LOVE – This samples “Intro” by the XX. The sample is actually the best thing about the song, but regardless, a good song.

Other good songs: TALK THAT TALK, WATCH N’ LEARN and DO YA THANG.