Like I'm the only one that you'll ever love

Continuing my trip back through the 2010 album charts.

19/12/10 : Loud - Rihanna

I listened to this Rihanna album back in the day to check out the fuss and seem to recall I thought it was OK, but then never revisited her, until Rolling Stone made me listen to this which didn't exactly bolster my opinion of her - so here's hoping a revisit will put her back in the OK camp...

Yeah, this is perfectly fine - and pretty decent in places!  And very hooky - I can imagine loads of young kids singing the chorus to "S&M" whilst their parents wince at the lyrics, with "What's My Name" and "Only Girl (In The World)" also being very catchy.  "Love The Way You Lie (Part II)" is also a clever follow-up to the Eminem original, switching the perspective and lead vocal to the female side.  It feels like an album that I could quite get into with a few more listens, but I very much doubt I'll give it the chance.

We're at #2 in the charts this week on her fifth week of a 102 week run - a fine effort by the lass!  She also managed three weeks at the top at the beginning of '11 - after everyone had calmed down a bit from the Take That album (she spent the first half of '11 in the top ten).  It managed a few more random weeks in '13 and then completely disappeared from view until three weeks ago when it popped up at #81 after her half-time Superbowl appearance.  The rest of the top five were Take That (get used to seeing that), Michael Bublé, Michael Jackson (a new entry best of) and Olly Murrs - and there were no other new entries in the entire chart.

Wikipedia has a HUGE amount on the album (494 milliPeppers) but a surprising amount of it is back story (why do they feel the need to do that?).  The critics were mostly nice about it, but it didn't really matter because the public just went mad for it.  It was #4 on the UK '10 year-end chart (despite only coming out in November) and #6 in the '11 year-end chart, selling over 8 million copies globally.  Bizarrely, Wikipedia also informs us it's #13 on the all-time chart for female artists in Ireland.

"Customers also listened to" Nicki Minaj, Kesha, Lady Gaga and Beyoncé - I'm not going to argue with any of those ladies, I can tell you.  And Rihanna is as fierce as any of them - but she certainly also has an ear for a hook and this is very much in evidence on this album.

12/12/10 - Too much cheese!
26/12/10 - Oh good, them again

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