Rihanna
Album: Rated R
Label: Def Jam/Universal
Rating: ***1/2

There’s nothing like relationship trauma to get the creative juices flowing. On Rihanna’s fourth record the Barbados-born starlet turns her terrible experiences with Chris Brown into a fiery and moving disc. While there’s nothing explicitly referencing Brown’s brutal attack, lines like “I thought I saw your potential, guess that’s what made me dumb,” on Stupid in Love does give listeners a glimpse into Rihanna’s complex life. Musically, most of the tunes are stellar — they’re haunting, dark and befitting of the album’s name. There’s nothing quite as catchy as Umbrella, but this is still a repeat-worthy record.

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