Rihanna - 'Rude Boy' (video)

Susan Boyle Steals Rihanna's 'Rated R' Thunder *update*

Final Nielsen/Soundscan taley...
Susan Boyle 701K
Rihanna 181K
Lady Gaga 174K

According to the Hits Daily Double, Susan Boyle's debut 'I Dreamed a Dream' is projected to sell 670K first week of release. Also breaking the record for the most sold in first week 2009 sales, Eminem's May release of 'Relapse' which came in at 608K. Rihanna will still pull in a respective number of 180K with plenty of promotion going on prior and during the first week of release, but not enough steam to beat out Boyle's hefty sales.

With Chris Brown's 'Graffiti' coming December 8, this will get interesting as to who will pull in the bigger numbers first week Chris or Rihanna.

On Susan Boyle, Rihanna, Lady Gaga and the other November 23 releases, the Nielsen/Soundscan (the industry standard) numbers will be published tomorrow Wednesday, December 2, as Susan will win the chart race by a landslide.

Rihanna 'Rated R' New York City In-Store Event

Photos:
Rex Features
Getty Images
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Film Magic
WENN Photo 1
WENN Photo 2

via UK Daily Star

Rihanna kept hundreds of fans waiting in the cold on Monday night - after arriving three hours late to a New York City record signing.

The Umbrella hitmaker was scheduled to greet fans at a Best Buy store in Manhattan's Union Square at 5pm, kicking off the release of her new album, Rated R.

But the Barbados-born beauty didn't show up until after 8pm, leaving devotees waiting in the windy weather.

The star did not give a reason for her tardiness and her spokesperson had yet to respond to requests for a comment as WENN went to press. (source)

Rihanna 'Rated R' CD Booklet Scans

via Rap-Up

All 'Rated R' CD booklet scans here:
Rap-Up - Rihanna’s ‘Rated R’ CD Unwrapped

Rihanna - 'Rated R' on Island/ Def Jam in-stores November 23.

Rihanna: Jay-Z & Young Jeezy Chip In At London Nokia Show Concert Recap

via NME

Rihanna was joined live on stage by mentor Jay-Z in London tonight (November 16) as she launched new album 'Rated R' at an exclusive live show.

The R&B princess put in a brief but epic performance at Brixton Academy in front of a crowd of competition winners and invited guests. The show was streamed live online by Nokia.

Debuting tracks from 'Rated R', which is released next week, the singer was also joined by rapper .

The show then began in earnest with a dramatic rendition of new single 'Russian Roulette', throughout which Rihanna sat on a revolving white chair, before miming shooting herself in the head at the finale.



After a selection of hits from breakthrough record 'Good Girl Gone Bad', Rihanna was then joined by Jeezy for the new album track 'So Hard'.

But the main event was saved for the climax. As the opening strains of her recent Jay-Z collaboration opened up, it became apparent that the man himself was in the building, joining Rihanna from the back of the stage to rap his parts on the smash.

Jay-Z remained onstage for his opening sequence on the star’s signature hit 'Umbrella', which brought the show to its dramatic climax.

Rihanna setlist:

'Madhouse'
'Wait Your Turn'
'Russian Roulette'
'Don’t Stop The Music'
'Take A Bow' / 'Disturbia'
'So Hard' ft. Young Jeezy
'Live Your Life'
'Run This Town' ft. Jay-Z
'Umbrella' ft. Jay-Z



via MTV

Rihanna kicked off the promotion for her upcoming Rated R album on Monday (November 16) with a concert from London that featured loads of swagger, tons of flash and a pair of high-profile guests.

Broadcast online to a global audience, thanks to Nokia, the show marked one of the first times Rihanna had performed songs from R (which hits stores November 23) before a live audience, and she was clearly emboldened by the high stakes, strutting across the stage — which was decorated with busted TV sets and a mannequin or three — vamping for the camera and powering her way through a hit-packed set.

Of course, the songs from her new album got top billing: As the house lights dimmed (and the crowd chanted "Ri-hanna! Ri-hanna!"), the speakers crackled to life with a pre-recorded message: "Ladies and gentlemen, for those of you who are easily frightened, we suggest you turn around right now. For those of you who can take it, we say: Welcome to the mad house," and the band launched into "Mad House," the intro track from Rated R.



She spit the opening lines of Rated R's "Hard," then welcomed Young Jeezy onstage so he could finish things off. As the song ended, her band performed a medley of "S.O.S." and "Unfaithful" (the perfect time for a costume change!), and Rihanna emerged in a black leotard and began singing her verse from T.I.'s "Live Your Life," which morphed into her verses on Jay-Z's "Run This Town," and Hov himself appeared onstage, launched into his verses, and sent the crowd into overdrive.



That, of course, led right into "Umbrella," with Jay rapping his intro then ceding the spotlight back to Rihanna, who belted the song out while Jay urged her to "Take 'em higher!"

Read the full reviews here:
NME - Rihanna joined by Jay-Z in London
MTV - Rihanna Joined By Jay-Z, Young Jeezy Live In London

Photos:
Getty Images - Live Performance
Getty Images - Arrivals
Getty Images - Party Inside the Venue
Wire Image - Arrivals
WENN Photo - Live Performance
WENN Photos - Departures

(video courtesy of gunpowdergordon, Purplekitten56 & SunnySaleh)

Rihanna 'Russian Roulette' Video Premieres On ABC'S "20/20" Tonight

from the press release.

RIHANNA’S HIGHLY ANTICIPATED VIDEO FOR “RUSSIAN ROULETTE” TO MAKE WORLD PREMIERE ON ABC’S “20/20” FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 13

“RUSSIAN ROULETTE” DEBUTS IN BILLBOARD TOP 10, RIHANNA’S 12th CAREER TOP 10 SINGLE

RIHANNA TO LAUNCH NOVEMBER 23 RELEASE OF RATED R WITH PERFORMANCES ON AMERICAN MUSIC AWARDS, GOOD MORNING AMERICA, LATE SHOW WITH DAVID LETTERMAN AND MUCH MORE

NEW YORK, NY - Friday, November 13, 2009 – As “Russian Roulette” - Rihanna’s smash first single from her hotly-anticipated new album Rated R – makes it’s Billboard Hot 100 debut inside the top 10 at #9, the superstar is set to premiere director Anthony Mandler’s dark, cinematic, and surely controversial video tonight on ABC’s “20/20” at 10:00pm EST.

Watch ABC’s promo for the video premiere here:
Rihanna 20/20 promo

Rihanna: MTV 'Rated R' Album Preview

MTV News previewed the album on Tuesday (November 10) and Rihanna's description is certainly accurate.

After the intro, Rated R kick starts with "Wait Your Turn" and the Young Jeezy-assisted "Hard." The material matches the artwork that's been released for the project so far, with Rihanna posturing as the bad chick.

"Tougher than a lion/ Ain't no need in trying/ I live where the sky ends, yup, you know this," Rihanna sings in a near-rap flow on "Hard." "Never lying, truth telling/ That Rihanna reign just won't let up/ The hottest bitch in heels right here."

In what will probably be referred to by fans as the "Chris Brown song," Rihanna reveals a softer side of herself on the ballad "Stupid In Love."

"I still love you, but I can't do this/ I may be dumb but I'm not stupid," she sings on the Ne-Yo-penned record.

"Stupid In Love" recounts a story of distrust over lies, raging emotions, and lamenting a lost love.

"The dunce cap is off/ You don't realize what you lost 'til I'm gone/ I was the one," Rihanna croons.

The pulsating "Russian Roulette" follows, but it's the next series of selections — "Rock Star," "Firebomb," and "Rude Boy" — that fit the Rihanna archetype of big, bombastic tracks that flaunt her sex appeal.

"Rock Star" features former Guns N' Roses guitarist Slash. With its mix of drum kicks and guitar licks, Rihanna revels in her rebellion. "I got my middle finger up/ I don't really give a f---."

"G4L" is another posture record (the acronym is short for "gangster for life"), while "Te Amo" is the Barbados singer's paean to her international audience.

The album once again turns somber, with the Will.i.am-assisted "Photographs," where Rihanna laments over a lost relationship.

"It shoulda been me and you/ now all I got is these photographs," she sings.

"The Last Song" is just that, after the Justin Timberlake-helmed "Cold Case Love."

"Love" begins with a sparse melody and gradually builds through each verse before it crescendos with a full production flourish.
(source)

Track list for Rated R:

01. "Mad House"
02. "Wait Your Turn"
03. "Hard" ft. Young Jeezy
04. "Stupid In Love"
05. "Russian Roulette"
06. "Rock Star" ft. Slash
07. "Firebomb"
08. "Rude Boy"
09. "Photographs" ft. Will.i.am
10. "G4L"
11. "Te Amo"
12. "Cold Case Love"
13. "The Last Song"

Rihanna 'Russian Roulette' Firmly Places Itself #1 On iTunes

Rihanna 'Rated R' on Island/Def Jam in stores November 23.

Rihanna 'Rated R' Album Artwork

Rihanna - 'Rated R' on Island/Def Jam in-stores November 23.

Rihanna 'Rated R' Arrives Worldwide November 23

via the press release

NEW YORK, Oct. 20 /PRNewswire/ -- The wait is ova - for one of the most hotly anticipated new albums in recent history, as multi-platinum, award-winning Def Jam recording artist Rihanna announces the completion of her fourth original studio album, Rated R, scheduled to arrive in the physical and digital marketplace on Monday, November 23rd.

"Russian Roulette" was written by fellow Def Jam artist Ne-Yo, whose long track record with Rihanna includes the #1 hit "Unfaithful" (2006, from A Girl Like Me), their Top 10 duet "Hate That I Love You" (2007, from Good Girl Gone Bad), and #1 pop/ #1 R&B "Take A Bow" (2008, from Good Girl Gone Bad: Reloaded). In addition to Ne-Yo, other producers and writers on Rihanna's new album include the team of The-Dream and Tricky Stewart, Chase & Status, Stargate, Justin Timberlake and more.

Rated R is the long-awaited follow-up to Good Girl Gone Bad (May 2007), which contained the non-stop string of hit singles that began with the MTV VMA and Grammy Award-winning global #1 hit "Umbrella" (featuring Jay-Z), then "Shut Up and Drive," "Hate That I Love You" (featuring Ne-Yo), and "Don't Stop the Music." Good Girl Gone Bad spent 98 total weeks on the Soundscan chart, earned cumulative sales of more than 36-times platinum in at least 20 territories around the world, and spun off the CD+DVD package Good Girl Gone Bad: Reloaded (January 2009) - which continued the string of hits with the #1 "Take A Bow," and the #1 "Disturbia."

Good Girl Gone Bad was the third album release in less than two years by the 21-year old Barbados native Rihanna. It followed-up 2006's RIAA platinum A Girl Like Me, which contained the back-to-back hits, "S.O.S." and "Unfaithful"; and her RIAA gold debut from 2005, Music Of the Sun, featuring the world-wide smash, "Pon De Replay."

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