Rated R
by Rihanna
  • Record Label: Def Jam
  • Release Date: Nov 23, 2009
User Score
8.2

Universal acclaim- based on 645 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 537 out of 645
  2. Mixed: 47 out of 645
  3. Negative: 61 out of 645

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  1. longjetty7
    Apr 28, 2015
    8
    My favorite Rihanna album, and apparently everyone else's favorite too. Rated R is dark and brilliant, but it never strays away from the catchy hooks and hip hop beats that Rihanna does so well. The songs are varied but flow together nicely, making for a cohesive and memorable pop album. My personal favorite songs are Cold Case Love, Rude Boy, and Stupid in Love, but there are a lot ofMy favorite Rihanna album, and apparently everyone else's favorite too. Rated R is dark and brilliant, but it never strays away from the catchy hooks and hip hop beats that Rihanna does so well. The songs are varied but flow together nicely, making for a cohesive and memorable pop album. My personal favorite songs are Cold Case Love, Rude Boy, and Stupid in Love, but there are a lot of great songs on here, and they're spaced out nicely. So aside from a few weak tracks, Rated R is a thoroughly enjoyable and emotional experience start to finish.… Expand
  2. RonaldOVOXO
    Mar 6, 2012
    7
    This is probably My favorite rihanna album due to fact she's a bad ass on this album. Her features and her songs makes her sound intimidating and powerful. This is Rihanna's Best Work
  3. cipriano
    Feb 17, 2020
    7
    Rihanna's most personal album becomes where she went through everything and put it in a good way and with great melancholy. It becomes a good way to hear, and your sound is a distant and good thing to catch up and improve more and more. It's fascinating to hear and really takes the listener on a journey.
  4. greedybadidea
    May 26, 2020
    8
    Rihanna decides to get more personal with listeners on her fourth studio album. This album succeeds in many ways with production and lyrical content. but sometimes it doesn't always resonate sonically. This is her most unique album to date and she takes many risks within the project which I appreciate even if they don't always pay off.

    Album Track Ranking: 1. Russian Roulette 2. The    Rihanna decides to get more personal with listeners on her fourth studio album. This album succeeds in many ways with production and lyrical content. but sometimes it doesn't always resonate sonically. This is her most unique album to date and she takes many risks within the project which I appreciate even if they don't always pay off.

    Album Track Ranking:
    1. Russian Roulette
    2. The Last Song
    3. Rude Boy
    4. G4L
    5. Te Amo
    6. Stupid in Love
    7. ROCKSTAR 101 (feat. Slash)
    8. Fire Bomb
    9. Wait Your Turn
    10. Cold Case Love
    11. Photographs (feat. will.i.am)
    12. Mad House
    13. Hard (feat. Jeezy)    … Expand
  5. gagaforever
    Nov 1, 2010
    10
    Rihanna's best album by far. Rated R exhibits Rihanna's dark side after the harsh reality of her abuse. Songs like "Wait Your Turn" "Hard" and "Rude Boy" have the pop beats and lyrics that her former albums had, but Rated R has a different side. "Cold Case Love" is a dark song about a strong, and forceful love that relates to her relationship with Chris Brown....Check this album out
  6. iamanicon
    May 23, 2011
    10
    It seems Pops most innovative stars create music during times of turmoil and struggle. Rated R is the soulful and heartbreaking version of Britney Spears' sexed up Blackout. Both Albums are to this day the best albums I have ever bought.
  7. LoRevisor
    Jan 15, 2015
    8
    Excelente Álbum de Rihanna.Mad House,Rockstar 101 fode um pouco o álbum mas continua um grande álbum.

    Top 5 Rated R 2009
    1-Fire Bomb
    2-Russian Roulette
    3-Wait Your Turn
    4-Te Amo
    5-Cold Case Love
  8. MyleeneFRW
    Aug 20, 2019
    8
    Абсолютный рост после предыдущего альбома, звучание под стать Рианне, несколько промахов, но в общем работа лучшая, на тот момент, в карьере певицы.
  9. Zanessa250QI
    Apr 4, 2016
    8
    ................................................................................................................................The best album of Rihanna................ Full of great & beautiful Ballads....
  10. arcanjo
    May 29, 2016
    9
    Still her best to date.Both weird and pop, Rihanna intimate songs portraits a woman that break out a confrotating relationship but dont turn out to be the self pitting break up record, showing a very confident and - as always - daring girl.
  11. LuizFelipe
    Mar 14, 2015
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Mad House 60/100
    Wait Your Turn 80/100
    Hard 100/100
    Stupid in Love 60/100
    Rockstar 101 70/100
    Russian Roulette 100/100
    Fire Bomb 70/100
    Rude Boy 100/100
    Photographs 60/100
    G4L 60/100
    Te Amo 100/100
    Cold Case Love 60/100
    The Last Song 50/100    … Expand
  12. Samimacedo
    Jan 29, 2016
    10
    HINARIO DEMAIS< RAINHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA pisou na Beyoncé
  13. survivorfan989
    Jan 16, 2019
    8
    Another good album from Rihanna, its a step down from Good Girl Gone Bad but there are some solid songs and it had some good single choices.
  14. OfficialCarlo
    Nov 26, 2010
    10
    Rated R is the best, most fascinating and artistic album of Rihanna. Before, I found Rihanna as trying too hard to be edgy in the album but all of her songs are good and coherent. The theme of revenge, dark, and being betrayed is present in all tracks. For me, the album doesn't care the chart performance because it is not appealing to the audience.
  15. BabyJane
    May 25, 2016
    8
    1. Mad House 100/100
    2. Wait Your Turn 100/100
    3. Hard 90/100
    4. Stupid in Love 60/100
    5. Rockstar 101 95/100
    6. Russian Roulette 35/100
    7. Fire Bomb 20/100
    8. Rude Boy 100/100
    9. Photographs 95/100
    10. G4L 65/100
    11. Te Amo 90/100
    12. Cold Case Love 100/100
    13. The Last Song 65/100
    14. Hole in My Head 95/100

    Metascore: 79
  16. itz_giological
    Jun 2, 2011
    9
    Finally revealing the edginess we've long hoped for, here is the Barbadian pop star's most creative effort and she needn't it be radio-friendly to be a success. Her own Velvet Rope and vengeful masterpiece.
  17. arianagrande626
    May 8, 2021
    9
    My third personal favorite of her! It's so underrated. The album is a mixture of a lot of genres including pop, R&B, rock and hip hop. My favorites are Stupid In Love, Fire Bomb, Russian Roulette and Rude Boy.
  18. I_Am_F
    May 26, 2011
    8
    Definitely her best album, very dark and personal. It's a shame she put out such a generic album (LOUD) once this wasn't that successful commercially though.
  19. BuySameOldLove
    Nov 7, 2015
    10
    Esse álbum é incrível, letras maduras e totalmente bem produzidas, sem duvidas esse álbum é um dos melhores de 2009 e o melhor trabalho da Rihanna merece nota 100000
  20. fedelmason
    Nov 25, 2010
    8
    Probably, Rihanna's best album to the date, because at difference of "Loud" we can say that the song are Rihanna's songs because she co-wrote it.
  21. TwistedFantasy
    Aug 1, 2012
    10
    Every song is amazing. Vocals, songwriting and production all impressed me.
    Fire Bomb is incredible. Many different types of dark sounds were incorporated, even in the grimy hip-hop/pop -type songs, like the chilling production of G4L.
  22. Glitter
    Aug 30, 2013
    9
    Brooding with raw emotion and boasting as the only album to have Rihanna serve as a co-writer for the entire track listing, and to serve as an executive producer. To date the most personal and cohesive album in her career.
  23. jmagicvamp
    Nov 19, 2010
    8
    A bleak interpretaion of the last year, overall a solid pop album with some rock and latin influence. While her uptempo numbers are good, it's her ballads, Stupid in Love, Cold Case Love and lead single Russian Roulette that really stand out when she shows off those pipes. The album is unevenly paced, but rightly so. Probably the best pop record of the year.
  24. virajshankar
    Jun 15, 2016
    7
    The album is fine, but definitely not the most appealing. At times it feels awesome to listen to, but sometimes you really just want to skip the song . It is extremely fluid in some places yet completely dry in others. If this album wasn't so daring I would not give it more than a 5.
  25. MarcoAC
    Apr 30, 2012
    9
    Simply perfect. Rihanna got through their emotions with sincerity after previous events, which gave the album a personal touch and can be seen from afar as his best.
  26. JoelSN
    Mar 24, 2012
    8
    Rated R is, by far, Rihanna's best work yet. Even if the album takes a quite shameful profit of Rihanna's private life situation at the moment, the quality of the record is undeniable. It is sad that this one was not as successful as Good Girl Gone Bad, being, in fact, her least successful album, tied with "Music of the Sun". This, to me, is a proof of how the general public doesn't takeRated R is, by far, Rihanna's best work yet. Even if the album takes a quite shameful profit of Rihanna's private life situation at the moment, the quality of the record is undeniable. It is sad that this one was not as successful as Good Girl Gone Bad, being, in fact, her least successful album, tied with "Music of the Sun". This, to me, is a proof of how the general public doesn't take her seriously, and that's disappointing, but understandable. This album is the only one where her has taken a role as an artist. She has writing credits on some songs, including the best song on the album "Fire Bomb". I fear she will never take that role again, given the much more successful "Loud". She saved this album's campaign with the smash single "Rude Boy" with is an extremely simple yet enjoyable Caribbean-pop record. That could make us expect what was, sadly, coming next.

    Highlights: Cold Case Love, Fire Bomb, Stupid in Love, Wait your Turn.    … Expand
  27. Pedro
    Nov 1, 2012
    10
    Rihanna's best work ever. Although it wasn't such a success in sales and the public would rather go hear "Loud" or "Talk That Talk", Fenty proves that she can belt out ballads anytime she wants.
  28. ClaudooSSia
    Jul 6, 2013
    9
    "Rated R" shows us two different sides of Rihanna and two different ways of getting along with the past: first one shows us a fragile girl who can't deal with the trouble (vulnerable, beautiful ballads like "Russian Roulette", "Cold Case Love"), the second one shows us a dubstep and hip hop diva who can deal with the problems using guns, army ("better yet Navy") and tongue-in-cheek"Rated R" shows us two different sides of Rihanna and two different ways of getting along with the past: first one shows us a fragile girl who can't deal with the trouble (vulnerable, beautiful ballads like "Russian Roulette", "Cold Case Love"), the second one shows us a dubstep and hip hop diva who can deal with the problems using guns, army ("better yet Navy") and tongue-in-cheek language (big, impressive songs like "Hard" or "G4L"). Although those to parts of the CD are completely different together they make a compact album. Some of my favourite songs (excluding 4 that I mentioned before) are: raggamuffin sassy single "Rude Boy", loud and dubsteppy "Wait Your Turn", Latin influenced "Te Amo" and powerful ballad telling us about the power of love "Fire Bomb". Well done Rihanna, well done!

    9 out of 10    … Expand
  29. DarkBates
    Nov 6, 2013
    10
    Her most darkness album. I love it. Its so... intense! The song "Cold Case Love" touch your soul, definitely... And "Rude Boy" sneaks a bit of context, but it's a different song, and still good.
  30. 4R73N15
    May 29, 2020
    10
    A very mature body of work, especially considering that the artist in question was barely overage. Lyrics, emotions, perfect blend of several sounds.. this album has everything
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Awards & Rankings

5
#5 Most Discussed Album of 2009
8
#8 Most Shared Album of 2009

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
75

Generally favorable reviews - based on 21 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 15 out of 21
  2. Mixed: 6 out of 21
  3. Negative: 0 out of 21
  1. Village Voice
    Jun 24, 2011
    60
    You are way, way better off not projecting any kind of emotional subtext onto this record.
    Read full review
  2. Boston Globe
    70
    What works as therapeutic psychodrama for the singer doesn't always work quite as well as pop music, which, from the shiny surfaces, it's clear everyone here is still striving for.
    Read full review
  3. Chicago Tribune
    88
    Nothing else on the album can top 'Russian Roulette,' but they certainly complement it, and make its startling conclusion feel sadly inevitable.
    Read full review
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