Unapologetic
Unapologetic is the seventh studio album by Barbadian singer Rihanna. It was released on 19 November 2012 by Def Jam Recordings and SRP Records. It was recorded between June and November 2012, during promotion of her sixth studio album, Talk That Talk. As executive producer, Rihanna enlisted previous collaborators The-Dream, David Guetta, Chase & Status, and Stargate to work alongside new collaborators such as Parker Ighile, Mike Will Made It, and Labrinth. Unapologetic is primarily a pop, synth-pop, and R&B record that incorporates elements of hip hop, EDM, dubstep, rock and reggae in its production, merging the sound of her previous albums Talk That Talk, Loud and Rated R.
Unapologetic received generally mixed reviews from critics, with some reviewers describing its music as interesting, while others criticized its weak lyrical content and rushed nature. The album won the Grammy Award for Best Urban Contemporary Album at the 2014 ceremony, while "Stay" was nominated for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance. It debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200 with first-week sales of 238,000 copies, becoming Rihanna's first number one album on the chart and best-selling debut week of her career. The album also became the singer's third, fourth, and fifth consecutive number one album in the United Kingdom, Norway, and Switzerland, respectively. According to the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry, it was the ninth global best-selling album of 2012 with sales of 2.3 million copies. As of December 2014, Unapologetic has sold over four million copies worldwide.
The album produced six singles including the international hits "Diamonds" and "Stay". The former peaked at number one on both the UK Singles Chart and the US Billboard Hot 100 where it became Rihanna's twelfth number one song, tying her with Madonna and the Supremes for fourth most number one songs in the history of the chart. Prior to its release, Rihanna promoted the album with the 777 Tour which consisted of a seven-date promotional tour in which she performed seven concerts each in a different city in North America and Europe in seven days. To further promote the album, Rihanna embarked on her fourth worldwide concert tour, entitled the Diamonds World Tour.
Background
In November 2011, Rihanna released her sixth studio album, Talk That Talk. The album was rooted in pop, dance and R&B, but also incorporated a variety of other musical genres such as hip hop, electro house, dancehall, and dubstep, a genre which was prominent on her fourth studio album, Rated R. Talk That Talk received generally positive reviews from contemporary music critics upon its release. It was a commercial success and reached the top ten in over twenty national charts, including number one on the UK Albums Chart and number three on the US Billboard 200. The album produced six singles including the worldwide hits "We Found Love" and "Where Have You Been". "We Found Love" topped the charts in over 25 countries and sold over 9 million copies worldwide, making it one of the best-selling singles of all time. In March 2012, Rihanna revealed that although she had not yet begun recording, she started "working on the new sound" for her seventh studio album.Recording and production
On 20 June 2012, Rihanna began recording her seventh studio album, working with Nicky Romero and Burns. Rihanna and Burns booked three days in a studio in London while Rihanna was performing at Radio 1's Hackney Weekend. It was also confirmed that Rihanna worked with Eric Bellinger, Sean Garrett, and Swedish House Mafia for her seventh album. On 6 July, Def Jam executive No I.D. revealed that he had begun working with Rihanna on the album saying "I'm going in next week for about a week". On 10 July, British singer and producer Labrinth revealed to Capital FM that he had been working with Rihanna on the album. On 17 July, it was reported that Rihanna would be working with R&B singer Ne-Yo and N-Dubz member Fazer. In an interview with Capital FM Ne-Yo spoke on working with Rihanna on the album saying: "I just recently went in to do some stuff for Rihanna, you know. She's the hardest working woman in showbiz right now. She's in the process of putting together a new album as we speak, I got in with Stargate and David Guetta and a few other people for that project.In July 2012, Sean Garrett confirmed that he had been in the studio with French DJ David Guetta working on Rihanna's album saying: "I was in the studio with David doing some stuff for Rihanna recently. He finds inspiration in the things I don't like, and I get excited by the things he doesn't like. He wants to be more urban and I want to be more international, so we push each other, I try to help Rihanna. She works hard and it's cool to write for someone who is so open-minded." On 21 August, American songwriter Claude Kelly said that he had been writing songs for Rihanna while she was performing in London. Kelly spoke on the songs that he had written for Rihanna saying: "Rihanna's a worldwide superstar at this point and she's performing in stadiums and arenas now, so I wanted songs that reflected her audience, when I was in London she was performing at a festival in front of like 30,000 to 40,000 people. So I didn't want small songs that only worked on radio, so I tried to do anthemic big stadium-themed songs." On 16 August, British R&B singer-songwriter Angel stated that he had been writing for Rihanna's album. He said: "I love writing songs and it's good to pitch tracks to other artists. A couple of weeks ago I was doing some writing for Rihanna". In September 2012, Ne-Yo confirmed his involvement the album saying "I did go in the studio with her, I know I got one or two on the album that she's definitely keeping."
Composition
Music and lyrics
Rihanna explained her interest in developing new soundscapes, "I love experimenting and I love working with different sounds and putting them together so they're not one-dimensional." She also added "Right now we're working on collecting and creating the sound first before we even start working on the lyrical direction or melodies. I kind of have an idea though, and it's very rough right now. So I'm very eager to start that." Sean Garrett spoke on the album's sound saying it was "a great mish-mash of genres". Rihanna revealed during an interview with GQ's "Men of the Year" that she wanted her music to be uplifting saying "I want to make music that's hopeful, uplifting. Nothing corny or supersentimental. I just want it to have the feeling that brings you out of whatever you're going through. I want it to spark that fire. I want it to be real, authentic, and raw."The album's first half is made up of EDM and "syrupy" Southern hip hop minimalism songs, which feature abrasive sound effects and eccentric beats. Like most of the album, they generally draw on dubstep, a bass-heavy subgenre typified by wobbly synthetic noises and blaring bass drops, as well as dance-pop and chopped and screwed sounds. Jon Caramanica of The New York Times characterizes the album's music as "brutish and bruised" with "tough and layered" production, citing David Guetta's "guttural" production on "Phresh Out the Runway" and "Right Now" as an example. Music journalist Jude Rogers characterized the album's music as voluminous "R&B-pop", while Time magazine's Melissa Locker said that it has an "urban R&B sound". According to Alexis Petridis, the different producers who worked on Unapologetic appeared to make an effort away from Rihanna's previous "pop-dance template ... or at least to rearrange voguish sounds into less familiar shapes". Unapologetics ballad-oriented second half incorporates disco, reggae, and rock styles. According to music critic Greg Kot, Unapologetic is "ostensibly" a pop album, while Vibe said that it is "on the surface" an assortment of genres such as R&B, dubstep and pop.
Up-tempo songs such as "Phresh Out the Runway", "Jump", and "Pour It Up" celebrate the pleasure of living. Much of the album's lyrics are presumably concerned with Rihanna's relationship with Chris Brown, with a second half of lighter songs that have references to a dysfunctional love life. The album's subject matter is reflected by an abundance of minor key sounds throughout its songs. James Reed of The Boston Globe called Unapologetic "a defiant middle finger to her critics, particularly the ones who don't approve of her relationship with Brown." Kot observed a "celebrity subtext" throughout the album and characterized the songs' narrators as "troubled, anxiety-ridden, lost... the characters in these songs linger in a limbo of mixed emotions, emotionally attracted to a lover and yet uneasy about the next step." Spin magazine's Caryn Ganz wrote that "Rihanna sings about her unapologetic love of" money, love, and "living in the moment" on the songs "Pour It Up", "Loveeeeeee Song", and "Right Now", respectively.
Songs and lyrical content
The album's opening track, "Phresh Out the Runway", is a "gritty club banger" that features hip hop and EDM styles. The song is a "noisy, trap-tastic twerker" that is reminiscent of Rihanna's 2012 single "Birthday Cake", and contains "blazin' beats, brags aplenty" and an "unapologetic attitude". The song's lyrical content revolves around Rihanna explaining how if any of her crew does not respect her, then they should no longer remain with her."Diamonds" is a mid-tempo ballad which incorporates electronic and pop musical genres. It features heavy synthesizers, orchestral sounds and electronic rhythms. The song's lyrical content marks a departure from the recurring themes of unhealthy relationships on the album's other songs, and contains a prominent concept of love.
"Numb" is a "slow-grinding, Middle Eastern-flavored party track". Numb's instrumentation consists of an Egyptian flute riff and "a crashing bombastic beat". "Numb" contains a sample of Kanye West's song "Can't Tell Me Nothing", written by West and Aldrin Davis. The song's lyrical content is "controversial" as it is about feeling "numb after taking drugs" and a "homage to getting high". "Pour It Up" is a club song, with a minimal hip hop beat. Lyrically, it finds Rihanna turning a strip-club anthem into a declaration of independence, pulling out her dollar bills at the strip club, getting drunk, and bragging loudly.
"Loveeeeeee Song" is a duet with rapper and singer Future, with soft vocals by Rihanna and lyrics that posit love as an adversarial game. "Jump" is a dubstep-influenced dance song that samples Ginuwine's 1996 song "Pony". Lyrically, in "Jump" Rihanna preaches to her former partner that she won't be chasing him. "Right Now" is a "feel-good anthem for the clubs". The song contains electronic and dance music, with a duration of. and the song features a "churning bassline".
"What Now", produced by Parker Ighile, is a "vulnerable ballad" containing a "hard chorus". The song is a piano-led mid tempo pop ballad and "builds nicely from its calming verse to its electrified hook".
"Stay" is a ballad that has piano and guitar instrumentation. The lyrics revolve around "failing to resist true love", according to Dan Martin for NME
"Nobody's Business" mixes Chicago stepping and house styles, featuring strings, piano, and a four-on-the-floor kick drum. Rihanna said that the song's lyrics show "basically the way I look at everything regarding my personal life." Lyrically, the couple proclaims their eternal fealty, make out in a Lexus and acknowledge the world that the romantic relationship between them is only their business.
"Love Without Tragedy / Mother Mary" represent two electronica and new wave integrated songs, which last for a duration of with lyrics that are deeply personal, two-part song that opens with a somber mood and shifts to confessional subject matter and Rihanna's uplifting vocals.
"Get It Over With" is a down-tempo, "chilled-out" song. "No Love Allowed" is a reggae song with a "bubbly, dubbed-out groove". The final track "Lost in Paradise" is a "somber-but-hopeful" mid-tempo ballad with frequent tempo drops. Lyrically, it speaks about a love stronger than a gun shot,
"Half of Me" is a chamber pop song which lasts for a duration of three minutes and twelve seconds.