''Loud'' is the fifth
studio album
An album is a collection of audio recordings issued on compact disc (CD), Phonograph record, vinyl, audio tape, or another medium such as Digital distribution#Music, digital distribution. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early ...
by Barbadian singer
Rihanna
Robyn Rihanna Fenty ( ; born February 20, 1988) is a Barbadian singer, actress, and businesswoman. Born in Saint Michael and raised in Bridgetown, Barbados, Rihanna auditioned for American record producer Evan Rogers who invited her to the ...
. It was released on November 12, 2010, by
Def Jam Recordings
Def Jam Recordings (also simply known as Def Jam) is an American multinational record label owned by Universal Music Group. It is based in Manhattan, New York City, specializing predominantly in hip hop, contemporary R&B, soul and pop.
The ...
and SRP Records. The album was recorded between February and August 2010, during the singer's
Last Girl on Earth
Last Girl on Earth was the third concert tour by Barbadian recording artist Rihanna. The tour visited Europe, Asia, North America and Australia to support her fourth studio album, ''Rated R'' (2009).
The tour was announced through MTV News in ...
tour and the filming of her first feature film ''
Battleship
A battleship is a large armored warship with a main battery consisting of large caliber guns. It dominated naval warfare in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
The term ''battleship'' came into use in the late 1880s to describe a type of ...
'' (2012). Rihanna and
L.A. Reid
Antonio Marquis "L.A." Reid (born June 7, 1956) is an American record executive, A&R representative, and record producer. He is the founder and served as co-chairman of Hitco Entertainment. He also previously served as the chairman and CEO of Ep ...
were the executive producers of ''Loud'' and worked with various record producers, including
Stargate
''Stargate'' (often stylized in all caps) is a military science fiction media franchise based on the Stargate (film), film directed by Roland Emmerich, which he co-wrote with producer Dean Devlin. The franchise is based on the idea of an alien E ...
,
Sandy Vee
Sandy Julien Wilhelm (born 22 April 1975) better known by his stage name Sandy Vee, is a French music producer and songwriter. He gained much commercial and critical recognition for co-producing Rihanna's "Only Girl (In the World)", Katy Perry's ...
,
The Runners,
Tricky Stewart
Christopher Alan "Tricky" Stewart (born January 4, 1974) is an American record producer, record executive, songwriter, and music publisher. In a career spanning over 30 years, Stewart has won 5 Grammys and is responsible for over 50 million rec ...
and
Alex da Kid
Alexander Junior Grant (born 27 August 1983), professionally known as Alex da Kid or by.ALEXANDER, is a British musician, record producer, songwriter, record executive and fashion designer from Wood Green, London. He has gained recognition for p ...
. The album features several guest vocalists, including rappers
Drake
Drake may refer to:
Animals
* A male duck
People and fictional characters
* Drake (surname), a list of people and fictional characters with the family name
* Drake (given name), a list of people and fictional characters with the given name
* ...
,
Nicki Minaj
Onika Tanya Maraj-Petty (; born December 8, 1982), known professionally as Nicki Minaj ( ), is a Trinidadian-born rapper based in the United States. She is known for her musical versatility, animated flow in her rapping, alter egos and accent ...
and
Eminem
Marshall Bruce Mathers III (born October 17, 1972), known professionally as Eminem (; often stylized as EMINƎM), is an American rapper and record producer. He is credited with popularizing hip hop in middle America and is critically acclai ...
, who is featured on the sequel to "
Love the Way You Lie", titled "
Love the Way You Lie (Part II)
"Love the Way You Lie (Part II)" is a song by Barbadian singer Rihanna from her fifth studio album '' Loud'' (2010). It features American rapper Eminem, who wrote the song alongside Skylar Grey and the producer Alex da Kid. It is the sequel t ...
".
A
dance-pop
Dance-pop is a popular music subgenre that originated in the late 1970s to early 1980s. It is generally uptempo music intended for nightclubs with the intention of being danceable but also suitable for contemporary hit radio. Developing from a ...
and
R&B album, ''Loud'' differs from Rihanna's previous record, ''
Rated R Rated R refers to movies (and also to TV shows and video games in certain systems) that have been given a "restricted" rating by one of the following film rating systems:
* Motion Picture Association of America film rating system
* Canadian Home Vid ...
'' (2009), which incorporates a prominently foreboding and angry tone and dark themes. ''Loud'' features
up-tempo
A variety of musical terms are likely to be encountered in printed scores, music reviews, and program notes. Most of the terms are Italian, in accordance with the Italian origins of many European musical conventions. Sometimes, the special mus ...
songs, and marks the return of the bright, optimistic sound prominent on her first two albums ''
Music of the Sun
''Music of the Sun'' is the debut studio album by Barbadian singer Rihanna. It was released on August 29, 2005, by Def Jam Recordings. Prior to signing with Def Jam, Rihanna was discovered by record producer Carl Sturken and Evan Rogers, Evan Rog ...
'' (2005) and ''
A Girl like Me'' (2006). It also uses
rock
Rock most often refers to:
* Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids
* Rock music, a genre of popular music
Rock or Rocks may also refer to:
Places United Kingdom
* Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...
in "
California King Bed
"California King Bed" is a song by Barbadian singer Rihanna from her fifth studio album, '' Loud'' (2010). The song was written and produced by Andrew Harr and Jermaine Jackson, of the American production duo the Runners, with Priscilla Rene ...
" and
reggae
Reggae () is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1960s. The term also denotes the modern popular music of Jamaica and its diaspora. A 1968 single by Toots and the Maytals, " Do the Reggay" was the first popular song to use ...
in the
Caribbean
The Caribbean (, ) ( es, El Caribe; french: la Caraïbe; ht, Karayib; nl, De Caraïben) is a region of the Americas that consists of the Caribbean Sea, its islands (some surrounded by the Caribbean Sea and some bordering both the Caribbean Se ...
-inspired "
Man Down".
''Loud'' received generally positive reviews from music critics, who complimented its upbeat material and Rihanna's vocal performances, while others stated that although the songs were solid, they were unfocused to each other. The album was a commercial success; it debuted at number three on the US
''Billboard'' 200 chart, with sales of 207,000 copies, the highest first-week sales of her career at the time. The album peaked at number one on the
Canadian
Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...
,
Swiss
Swiss may refer to:
* the adjectival form of Switzerland
* Swiss people
Places
* Swiss, Missouri
* Swiss, North Carolina
*Swiss, West Virginia
* Swiss, Wisconsin
Other uses
*Swiss-system tournament, in various games and sports
*Swiss Internation ...
and the
UK album charts. According to the
International Federation of the Phonographic Industry
The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) is the organisation that represents the interests of the recording industry worldwide. It is a non-profit members' organisation registered in Switzerland and founded in Italy in 19 ...
(IFPI), ''Loud'' was the eighth global best-selling album of 2011.
Since its release, it has sold over 8 million copies worldwide.
The album produced seven singles, including the international hits "
Only Girl (In the World)
"Only Girl (In the World)" is a song by Barbadian singer Rihanna from her fifth album, ''Loud (Rihanna album), Loud'' (2010). Serving as the album's lead single, it was released on September 10, 2010. Crystal Nicole, Crystal Johnson wrote the so ...
", "
What's My Name?", and "
S&M". All three singles reached number one on the US
''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart. "S&M" was Rihanna's tenth number one song in the US, making Rihanna the youngest recording artist to accumulate the plateau in the shortest time, surpassing
Mariah Carey
Mariah Carey (; born March 27, 1969) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and record producer. Referred to as the " Songbird Supreme", she is noted for her five-octave vocal range, melismatic singing style and signature use of the whi ...
. "Only Girl (In the World)" won the
Grammy Award for Best Dance Recording
The Grammy Award for Best Dance/Electronic Recording (formerly known as Best Dance Recording) is an award presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to recording artists f ...
in February 2011; additionally, the album was nominated for three more Grammy Awards, including for
Album of the Year. To support the album, Rihanna embarked on her third worldwide concert tour, entitled the
Loud Tour
The Loud Tour was the fourth overall and third world concert tour by Barbadian recording artist Rihanna. Performing in over twenty countries in the Americas and Europe, the tour was launched in support of Rihanna's fifth studio album '' Loud'' ...
.
Background
Following a domestic violence case between Rihanna and her boyfriend, the American entertainer
Chris Brown
Christopher Maurice Brown (born May 5, 1989) is an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and actor. According to '' Billboard'', Brown is one of the most successful R&B singers of his generation, having often been referred to by many contempo ...
, media speculated as to whether any song on her fourth studio album would be about him.
The album was released in November 2009, under the title ''
Rated R Rated R refers to movies (and also to TV shows and video games in certain systems) that have been given a "restricted" rating by one of the following film rating systems:
* Motion Picture Association of America film rating system
* Canadian Home Vid ...
''. Primarily a
pop and
R&B album,
it also incorporates elements of
hip hop,
rock
Rock most often refers to:
* Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids
* Rock music, a genre of popular music
Rock or Rocks may also refer to:
Places United Kingdom
* Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...
, and
dancehall
Dancehall is a genre of Jamaican popular music that originated in the late 1970s. Initially, dancehall was a more sparse version of reggae than the roots style, which had dominated much of the 1970s.Barrow, Steve & Dalton, Peter (2004) "The Rou ...
.
''Rated R'' was commercially successful and spawned six singles, including the international hit, "
Rude Boy
Rude boy, rudeboy, rudie, rudi, and rudy are slang terms that originated in 1960s Jamaican street culture, and that are still used today. In the late 1970s, there was a revival in England of the terms ''rude boy'' and ''rude girl'', among other ...
". Six months after releasing the record, Rihanna began planning a fifth studio album, promising that her new material would be "more energetic" than her previous works.
Stargate
''Stargate'' (often stylized in all caps) is a military science fiction media franchise based on the Stargate (film), film directed by Roland Emmerich, which he co-wrote with producer Dean Devlin. The franchise is based on the idea of an alien E ...
's Tor Erik Hermansen, said "Rihanna came to us before we started recording '
Only Girl (In the World)
"Only Girl (In the World)" is a song by Barbadian singer Rihanna from her fifth album, ''Loud (Rihanna album), Loud'' (2010). Serving as the album's lead single, it was released on September 10, 2010. Crystal Nicole, Crystal Johnson wrote the so ...
' and said 'I feel great about myself. I want to go back to having fun, I want to make happy and
up-tempo
A variety of musical terms are likely to be encountered in printed scores, music reviews, and program notes. Most of the terms are Italian, in accordance with the Italian origins of many European musical conventions. Sometimes, the special mus ...
records'."
Sean Garrett
Garrett Robin Hamler, known professionally as Sean Garrett, is an American singer, songwriter, and record producer. He is responsible for a series of chart-topping compositions, most notably Usher's " Yeah!" which ranks second on the ''Billboa ...
compared the sound of the new tracks with her previous hit singles "
Umbrella
An umbrella or parasol is a folding canopy supported by wooden or metal ribs that is usually mounted on a wooden, metal, or plastic pole. It is designed to protect a person against rain or sunlight. The term ''umbrella'' is traditionally used ...
" and "Rude Boy".
In an interview for
MTV UK
MTV is a British pay television channel focusing on reality TV and music programming operated by Paramount Networks UK & Australia.
The channel launched as part of MTV Networks Europe localisation strategy in 1997. MTV UK (previously MTV UK & I ...
, the vice president of
Def Jam Recordings
Def Jam Recordings (also simply known as Def Jam) is an American multinational record label owned by Universal Music Group. It is based in Manhattan, New York City, specializing predominantly in hip hop, contemporary R&B, soul and pop.
The ...
compared the upcoming Rihanna album with
Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the "King of Pop", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. Over a ...
's ''
Thriller'' saying, "Rihanna is coming along incredibly. I'm trying to push her to where every song will be a hit from one to 12. I'm talking about NO album fillers. Our bar for this album is Michael Jackson's ''Thriller''."
Recording and title
Rihanna and
Antonio "L.A." Reid assembled a group of songwriters and record producers at several recording studios in
Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
for two weeks to write songs for Rihanna; they wrote approximately 200 songs, eleven of which were included on the album.
Def Jam rented out nearly every recording studio in Los Angeles in order to create as many songs as possible.
Ray Daniels, the manager of musical duo
Rock City (brothers Theron and Timothy Thomas), was present during the sessions, and stated that a writing camp typically involves the label hiring ten recording studios for two weeks at the cost of $25,000 per day.
Daniels revealed that it is where songwriters have lyrics but no music, and where producers have music but no lyrics.
Singer-songwriters and producers
Taio Cruz
Jacob Taio Cruz (; born Adetayo Ayowale Onile-Ere, 23 April 1980), better known professionally as Taio Cruz (stylized TΛIO CRUZ), is an English singer, songwriter and record producer from London, England, currently based in Los Angeles. In 200 ...
,
Alex da Kid
Alexander Junior Grant (born 27 August 1983), professionally known as Alex da Kid or by.ALEXANDER, is a British musician, record producer, songwriter, record executive and fashion designer from Wood Green, London. He has gained recognition for p ...
, Sean Garrett,
Ne-Yo
Shaffer Chimere Smith (born October 18, 1979), known professionally as Ne-Yo, is an American singer, songwriter, actor, dancer, and record producer. He gained fame for his songwriting abilities when he penned Mario's 2004 hit " Let Me Love You ...
,
Rico Love
Richard Preston Butler Jr. (born December 3, 1982), better known by his stage name Rico Love, is an American record producer, songwriter, singer, and rapper. He was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, but split his childhood between Milwaukee, Wiscon ...
,
Timbaland
Timothy Zachery Mosley (born March 10, 1972), known professionally as Timbaland, is an American record producer, rapper, singer, songwriter, and record executive. He has received widespread acclaim for his innovative production work and distinc ...
,
Shontelle
Shontelle Layne (born 4 October 1985), known mononymously as Shontelle, is a Barbadian singer and songwriter. She released her debut album ''Shontelligence'' in 2008. Her second album, '' No Gravity'', was released in 2010. Her singles "T-Shirt" ...
,
David Guetta
Pierre David Guetta ( , ; born 7 November 1967) is a French DJ and music producer. He has over 10 million album and 65 million single sales globally, with more than 10 billion streams. In 2011, 2020 and 2021, Guetta was voted the number one D ...
, and
Drake
Drake may refer to:
Animals
* A male duck
People and fictional characters
* Drake (surname), a list of people and fictional characters with the family name
* Drake (given name), a list of people and fictional characters with the given name
* ...
contributed to the album. "
DJ Got Us Fallin' in Love
"DJ Got Us Fallin' in Love" is a song by American singer Usher, featuring guest vocals from American rapper Pitbull, who co-wrote the song with the producers Shellback and Max Martin, with additional writing from Savan Kotecha. It was release ...
" was written for Rihanna, but the song was rejected and was subsequently sent to
Usher.
With regard to "
What's My Name?", Rihanna thought Drake could understand the melody of the song and invited him to work on the track when she played him the finished recording. The collaboration was originally planned to be a remix, but later it was decided that the version featuring Drake would be used as the original.
''Loud'' was recorded in various recording studios worldwide including the
Larrabee Sound Studios
Larrabee Sound Studios is a recording studio complex in North Hollywood, California, originally established in 1969.
Facilities
Located at 4162 Lankershim Boulevard in North Hollywood, Larrabee has six studios, three tracking spaces, and a produ ...
,
The Village and
Westlake Recording Studios in Los Angeles, Platinum Sound Recording Studios, and Roc the Mic Studios in
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
and The Bunker Studios in
Paris
Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...
. In September 2010, during a webchat with her fansite Rihannadaily.com, Rihanna announced that the album would be called ''Loud'', saying "get ''Loud'' everybody, get crazy, get excited, because I'm pumped. I'm just gonna be me because that's what you guys love the most, and that's what makes me feel best. Just being normal, normal for me is ''Loud''! Sassy, fun, flirty, energetic."
While Rihanna was filming ''
Battleship
A battleship is a large armored warship with a main battery consisting of large caliber guns. It dominated naval warfare in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
The term ''battleship'' came into use in the late 1880s to describe a type of ...
'', she explained in an interview with ''
Entertainment Tonight
''Entertainment Tonight'' (or simply ''ET'') is an American Broadcast syndication, first-run syndicated news broadcasting news magazine, newsmagazine program that is distributed by CBS Media Ventures throughout the United States and owned by Para ...
'', "''Loud'' is, the word, the name of the album definitely reflects the attitude of it, it's really sassy and flirty and it grabs your attention and that's why I enjoy it. It takes you through a really really interesting ride. So colorful the album."
Composition
Influence and sound
''Loud'' is a departure from the personal, melodramatic themes of ''Rated R''.
Stylistically, it is a return to the
Caribbean
The Caribbean (, ) ( es, El Caribe; french: la Caraïbe; ht, Karayib; nl, De Caraïben) is a region of the Americas that consists of the Caribbean Sea, its islands (some surrounded by the Caribbean Sea and some bordering both the Caribbean Se ...
-inspired
dance-pop
Dance-pop is a popular music subgenre that originated in the late 1970s to early 1980s. It is generally uptempo music intended for nightclubs with the intention of being danceable but also suitable for contemporary hit radio. Developing from a ...
of Rihanna's earlier work.
Ryan Burleson of
''Consequence of Sound'' described the album as "a dynamic R&B and dance-pop record".
In an interview with
MTV
MTV (Originally an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable channel that launched on August 1, 1981. Based in New York City, it serves as the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group, part of Paramount Media Networks, a di ...
, Rihanna said "I wanted songs that were all Rihanna songs, that nobody else could do. I didn't want the generic pop record that
Ke$ha
Kesha Rose Sebert (; born March 1, 1987), formerly stylized as Ke$ha, is an American singer and songwriter. In 2005, at age 18, Kesha was signed to Kemosabe Records. Her first major success came in early 2009 after she was featured on America ...
or
Lady Gaga
Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta ( ; born March 28, 1986), known professionally as Lady Gaga, is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. She is known for her image reinventions and musical versatility. Gaga began performing as a teenag ...
or
Katy Perry
Katheryn Elizabeth Hudson (born October 25, 1984), known professionally as Katy Perry, is an American singer, songwriter, and television personality. Known for her influence on modern pop music and her Camp (style), campy style, she has been ...
could just do and it'll work. I wanted a song, or songs, that were Rihanna songs, that only I could do, had that little
West Indian
A West Indian is a native or inhabitant of the West Indies (the Antilles and the Lucayan Archipelago). For more than 100 years the words ''West Indian'' specifically described natives of the West Indies, but by 1661 Europeans had begun to use it ...
vibe to it, had that certain tone, a certain sass and a certain energy." During the promotion of ''Loud'', Rihanna said that much of the music was born out of frustration. She explained: "When you go to a club and have to listen to bad music you revert to the liquor, because you want to have a good time. I hate having to skip a track. I wanted to make an album you can just play."
Songs
The opening track "
S&M" is an up-tempo
Eurodance
Euro-Dance (sometimes referred to as Euro-NRG, Euro-electronica or Euro) is a genre of electronic dance music that originated in the late 1980s in Europe. It combines many elements of hip hop, techno, Hi-NRG, house music, and Euro-Disco. This ...
song produced by Norwegian producers Stargate and
Sandy Vee
Sandy Julien Wilhelm (born 22 April 1975) better known by his stage name Sandy Vee, is a French music producer and songwriter. He gained much commercial and critical recognition for co-producing Rihanna's "Only Girl (In the World)", Katy Perry's ...
. The song is reminiscent of
Depeche Mode
Depeche Mode are an English electronic music band formed in Basildon, Essex, in 1980. The band currently consists of Dave Gahan (lead vocals and co-songwriting) and Martin Gore (keyboards, guitar, co-lead vocals and main songwriting).
Depeche ...
's 1984 song "
Master and Servant
"Master and Servant" is a song by English electronic music band Depeche Mode, released on 20 August 1984 as the second single from their fourth studio album, ''Some Great Reward'' (1984). Its subject matter is BDSM relationships, which caused ...
"
and contains lyrical thoughts of
sadomasochism
Sadomasochism ( ) is the giving and receiving of pleasure from acts involving the receipt or infliction of pain or humiliation. Practitioners of sadomasochism may seek sexual pleasure from their acts. While the terms sadist and masochist refer ...
.
Andy Kellman of
AllMusic
AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...
regarded "S&M" as a dance-pop song which efficiently balanced "Rihanna's playful and sinister sides".
"What's My Name?" was also produced by Stargate and features guest vocals from Canadian rapper Drake. It is a
mid-tempo
In musical terminology, tempo (Italian, 'time'; plural ''tempos'', or ''tempi'' from the Italian plural) is the speed or pace of a given piece. In classical music, tempo is typically indicated with an instruction at the start of a piece (often ...
,
electro-R&B song with a back track consisting of heavy
reggae
Reggae () is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1960s. The term also denotes the modern popular music of Jamaica and its diaspora. A 1968 single by Toots and the Maytals, " Do the Reggay" was the first popular song to use ...
. The song also sees Rihanna's return to the "
Island-pop
Reggae fusion is a genre of reggae that mixes reggae and/or dancehall with other genres, such as pop, rock, hip hop, R&B, jazz, funk, soul, disco, electronic and latin.
Origin
Although artists have been mixing reggae with other genres from as ...
" style of her early career". "
Cheers (Drink to That)" is a
pop rock
Pop rock (also typeset as pop/rock) is a fusion genre with an emphasis on professional songwriting and recording craft, and less emphasis on attitude than rock music. Originating in the late 1950s as an alternative to normal rock and roll, earl ...
song produced by
the Runners which interpolates
Avril Lavigne
Avril Ramona Lavigne ( ; born September 27, 1984) is a Canadian singer and songwriter. At age 16, she signed a two-album recording contract with Arista Records. Her debut studio album, ''Let Go (Avril Lavigne album), Let Go'' (2002), is the ...
's 2002 single "
I'm with You". Mark Savage from
BBC News
BBC News is an operational business division of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) responsible for the gathering and broadcasting of news and current affairs in the UK and around the world. The department is the world's largest broadca ...
described the song as a
funky
Funk is a music genre that originated in African American communities in the mid-1960s when musicians created a rhythmic, danceable new form of music through a mixture of various music genres that were popular among African Americans in the mid ...
, loping
guitar
The guitar is a fretted musical instrument that typically has six strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming or plucking the strings with the dominant hand, while simultaneously pressing selected stri ...
groove
Groove or Grooves may refer to:
Music
* Groove (music)
* Groove (drumming)
* The Groove (band), an Australian rock/pop band of the 1960s
* The Groove (Sirius XM), a US radio station
* Groove 101.7FM, a former Perth, Australia, radio station
...
for a night out on the town.
"Only Girl (In the World)" was the third song from the album produced by Stargate. It is an up-tempo dance-pop song that incorporates elements of Eurodance in its production.
Brad Wete, a reviewer of ''Entertainment Weekly'', described Rihanna's vocals as "seductive" and reminiscent of a "stronger, sexier version" of her 2007 single, "
Don't Stop the Music".
"
California King Bed
"California King Bed" is a song by Barbadian singer Rihanna from her fifth studio album, '' Loud'' (2010). The song was written and produced by Andrew Harr and Jermaine Jackson, of the American production duo the Runners, with Priscilla Rene ...
" is a rock
power ballad
A sentimental ballad is an emotional style of music that often deals with romantic and intimate relationships, and to a lesser extent, loneliness, death, war, drug abuse, politics and religion, usually in a poignant but solemn manner.J. M. C ...
; Ryan Dombell of
''Pitchfork'' compared it to the
Aerosmith
Aerosmith is an American Rock music, rock band formed in Boston in 1970. The group consists of Steven Tyler (lead vocals), Joe Perry (musician), Joe Perry (guitar), Tom Hamilton (musician), Tom Hamilton (bass), Joey Kramer (drums) and Brad Whi ...
song, "
I Don't Want to Miss a Thing
"I Don't Want to Miss a Thing" is a song performed by American hard rock band Aerosmith as the official theme song for the 1998 sci-fi disaster film ''Armageddon'', in which lead singer Steven Tyler's daughter Liv starred. It is one of four ...
". The Shama Joseph produced "
Man Down" is a reggae song with an electro rhythm, in which Rihanna sings in a
West Indian accent.
"
Raining Men" is a hip-hop song, which features
rap
Rapping (also rhyming, spitting, emceeing or MCing) is a musical form of vocal delivery that incorporates "rhyme, rhythmic speech, and street vernacular". It is performed or chanted, usually over a backing beat or musical accompaniment. The ...
vocals from rapper
Nicki Minaj
Onika Tanya Maraj-Petty (; born December 8, 1982), known professionally as Nicki Minaj ( ), is a Trinidadian-born rapper based in the United States. She is known for her musical versatility, animated flow in her rapping, alter egos and accent ...
. Rihanna described the song as a fun song that differs from the original, referring to the 1979 single by
the Weather Girls
The Weather Girls are an American female duo whose best-known line-up comprised Martha Wash and Izora Armstead. Formed in 1976 in San Francisco, California, The Weather Girls members began their musical career as Two Tons O' Fun, the female back ...
with similar title "
It's Raining Men
"It's Raining Men" is a song by the American musical duo the Weather Girls from their third studio album, ''Success'' (1983). It was released as the album's lead single on September 10, 1982, through Columbia Records and CBS Records Internatio ...
".
"Complicated" was produced by
Tricky Stewart
Christopher Alan "Tricky" Stewart (born January 4, 1974) is an American record producer, record executive, songwriter, and music publisher. In a career spanning over 30 years, Stewart has won 5 Grammys and is responsible for over 50 million rec ...
and
Ester Dean
Esther Renay Dean (born April 15, 1986) is an American singer, songwriter, music producer and actress. Dean has also written songs for many artists, with numerous Top 10 hits, including No. 1 hits for Rihanna and Katy Perry, earning the name " ...
. Leah Greenblatt from ''Entertainment Weekly'' said "Even while telling a recalcitrant man how hard he is to love, she
ihannasounds almost buoyant, her newly expanded vocals eager to scale the song's high-altitude
house
A house is a single-unit residential building. It may range in complexity from a rudimentary hut to a complex structure of wood, masonry, concrete or other material, outfitted with plumbing, electrical, and heating, ventilation, and air condi ...
beat
Beat, beats or beating may refer to:
Common uses
* Patrol, or beat, a group of personnel assigned to monitor a specific area
** Beat (police), the territory that a police officer patrols
** Gay beat, an area frequented by gay men
* Battery (c ...
".
The final track is the sequel to Rihanna's duet with
Eminem
Marshall Bruce Mathers III (born October 17, 1972), known professionally as Eminem (; often stylized as EMINƎM), is an American rapper and record producer. He is credited with popularizing hip hop in middle America and is critically acclai ...
, "
Love the Way You Lie". "
Love the Way You Lie (Part II)
"Love the Way You Lie (Part II)" is a song by Barbadian singer Rihanna from her fifth studio album '' Loud'' (2010). It features American rapper Eminem, who wrote the song alongside Skylar Grey and the producer Alex da Kid. It is the sequel t ...
", which was produced by
Alex da Kid
Alexander Junior Grant (born 27 August 1983), professionally known as Alex da Kid or by.ALEXANDER, is a British musician, record producer, songwriter, record executive and fashion designer from Wood Green, London. He has gained recognition for p ...
, features Rihanna as the protagonist and lead vocalist, viewing aspects of a relationship from a female perspective, unlike the original, which featured Eminem as lead vocalist and was from a male perspective.
Singles
"Only Girl (In the World)" was released as the album's lead single on September 10, 2010. The song was sent to US
mainstream
Mainstream may refer to:
Film
* ''Mainstream'' (film), a 2020 American film
Literature
* ''Mainstream'' (fanzine), a science fiction fanzine
* Mainstream Publishing, a Scottish publisher
* ''Mainstream'', a 1943 book by Hamilton Basso
Mu ...
and
rhythmic Rhythmic may refer to:
* Related to rhythm
* Rhythmic contemporary, a radio format
* Rhythmic adult contemporary, a radio format
* Rhythmic gymnastics, a form of gymnastics
* Rhythmic (chart)
The Rhythmic chart (also called Rhythmic Airplay, and ...
radio on September 21, 2010.
It received positive reviews from music critics, who praised its chorus and thunderous
dance
Dance is a performing art form consisting of sequences of movement, either improvised or purposefully selected. This movement has aesthetic and often symbolic value. Dance can be categorized and described by its choreography, by its repertoir ...
beats. The song reached number one on the US
''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart, in the UK, Canada, Australia, Austria, Belgium (
Wallonia
Wallonia (; french: Wallonie ), or ; nl, Wallonië ; wa, Waloneye or officially the Walloon Region (french: link=no, Région wallonne),; nl, link=no, Waals gewest; wa, link=no, Redjon walone is one of the three regions of Belgium—alo ...
), Ireland, Israel, Italy, New Zealand, Norway and Slovakia, becoming one of her best charting songs to date. At the
53rd Grammy Awards
The 53rd Annual Grammy Awards were held on February 13, 2011, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. They were broadcast on CBS with a rating of 26.6 million viewers. Barbra Streisand was honored as the MusiCares Person of the Year two nights pri ...
, held at the
Staples Center
Crypto.com Arena is a multi-purpose indoor arena in Downtown Los Angeles. Adjacent to the L.A. Live development, it is located next to the Los Angeles Convention Center complex along Figueroa Street. The arena opened on October 17, 1999; it was ...
in Los Angeles on February 13, 2011, "Only Girl (In the World)" won the award for
Best Dance Recording
The Grammy Award for Best Dance/Electronic Recording (formerly known as Best Dance Recording) is an award presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to recording artists f ...
.
![Drake at Bun-B Concert 2011](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6c/Drake_at_Bun-B_Concert_2011.jpg)
"What's My Name?", which features guest vocals by Canadian recording artist Drake, was released as the album's second single; it was sent to US rhythmic radios on October 25, 2010. Music critics praised the song as some of Rihanna's best vocal work to date, noting the romantic nature of the song and its sexual tones. The song peaked at number one on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart, giving Rihanna her eighth number-one on the chart,
while "Only Girl (In the World)" became her ninth number-one song two weeks after "What's My Name?". It reached number one in the United Kingdom and became Rihanna's fifth UK number one single and Drake's first.
"Raining Men", was sent to urban radio on December 7, 2010, as an urban radio single and third track from ''Loud'' as a single in the US. The song featured rapper Nicki Minaj.
It peaked at number 48 on the US
''Billboard'' R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. "Raining Men" received mixed reviews from critics who praised the chemistry between Rihanna and Minaj but criticized the song for failing to create anything new or original.
"S&M", the album's fourth US single and third international single, was solicited to US mainstream radio on January 23, 2011. Reception of "S&M" was mixed; some reviewers criticized the overt use of sexual lyrics while others noted it as a stand-out track from ''Loud''.
A remix of the song which features guest vocals by
Britney Spears
Britney Jean Spears (born December 2, 1981) is an American singer. Often referred to as the " Princess of Pop", she is credited with influencing the revival of teen pop during the late 1990s and early 2000s. After appearing in stage productio ...
, was digitally released on April 11, 2011. "S&M" reached the top ten in twenty-four countries and peaked at number one in Australia, Canada and the United States.
"Man Down" was released as the fifth international single in some European countries in July 2011.
It received positive reviews from critics, who called it a return to Rihanna's Caribbean-tinged rhythm. "Man Down" reached a peak of 59 on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart. In France, it peaked at number one for five consecutive weeks. "California King Bed" was released as the fourth international single on May 13, 2011, and as the sixth US single. It was sent to US
Hot/Modern adult contemporary radio on May 16, 2011.
The song peaked at number four in Australia and New Zealand and number eight on the
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...
. "Cheers (Drink to That)" was announced by Rihanna as the seventh single from the album on July 24, 2011. The single was released to US mainstream and rhythmic radio on August 2, 2011.
The song peaked at number seven on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100,
and number twelve on the US
Pop Songs
Pop Airplay (also called Mainstream Top 40, Pop Songs, and Top 40/ CHR) is a 40-song music chart published weekly by ''Billboard'' Magazine that ranks the most popular songs of pop music being played on a panel of Top 40 radio stations in the Un ...
chart.
Release and promotion
''Loud'' was released on November 12, 2010, in four separate editions: a standard edition; a deluxe edition, packaged in a
digipak
Optical disc packaging is the packaging that accompanies CDs, DVDs, and other formats of optical discs. Most packaging is rigid or semi-rigid and designed to protect the media from scratches and other types of exposure damage.
Jewel case
A ...
exclusively for the US and Australia, that features a 30-minute documentary ''Making of Loud'' DVD (Directed by Brian and Brad Palmer); a Couture Edition containing the deluxe edition of ''Loud'' with a deluxe cover art lithograph, a box set with enhanced clear couture cover and a full-size photo book. An Ultra Couture Edition was also produced, containing a copy of the Deluxe Edition of ''Loud'' signed by Rihanna, the
MP3 download
MP3 (formally MPEG-1 Audio Layer III or MPEG-2 Audio Layer III) is a coding format for digital audio developed largely by the Fraunhofer Society in Germany, with support from other digital scientists in the United States and elsewhere. Orig ...
of ''Loud'' on
street date and all the features of the Couture Edition. The Ultra Couture Edition sold out and is no longer available neither on Amazon or her online store. An explicit version of ''Loud'' was also released and features a
Parental Advisory
Advisory (abbreviated PAL) is a warning label introduced by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) in 1985 and adopted by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) in 2011. It is placed on audio recordings in recognition of profan ...
label due to some of the lyrical content. The Japanese edition of the album was released with two additional remixes of "Only Girl (In the World)". The piano version of "Love the Way You Lie (Part II)" was only available with the
iTunes
iTunes () is a software program that acts as a media player, media library, mobile device management utility, and the client app for the iTunes Store. Developed by Apple Inc., it is used to purchase, play, download, and organize digital mul ...
edition of the album. However, the version which features Eminem was available for purchase.
Live performances
![Rihanna, LOUD Tour, Oakland 4](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/50/Rihanna%2C_LOUD_Tour%2C_Oakland_4.jpg)
Rihanna embarked on a promotional tour across Europe and North America to promote the album's release. The singer performed "Only Girl (In the World)", the lead single, live for the first time in North America on ''
Saturday Night Live
''Saturday Night Live'' (often abbreviated to ''SNL'') is an American late-night live television sketch comedy and variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Dick Ebersol that airs on NBC and Peacock. Michaels currently serves a ...
'' on October 30, 2010, and debuted the second single, "What's My Name?", later on in the show. The following day in the United Kingdom, Rihanna sang "Only Girl (In the World)" on
series seven of ''
The X Factor
''The X Factor'' is a television music competition franchise created by British producer Simon Cowell and his company Syco Entertainment. It originated in the United Kingdom, where it was devised as a replacement for ''Pop Idol'' (2001–2003 ...
''. Rihanna performed "Only Girl (In the World)" at the
2010 MTV Europe Music Awards
The 2010 MTV Europe Music Awards took place on 7 November 2010 at Caja Mágica in Madrid, Spain. The awards ceremony was presented by Eva Longoria and Justin Bieber was the official MTV EMA 2010 digital host. Nominations were announced on 20 Septem ...
in
Madrid
Madrid ( , ) is the capital and most populous city of Spain. The city has almost 3.4 million inhabitants and a metropolitan area population of approximately 6.7 million. It is the second-largest city in the European Union (EU), and ...
, Spain, on November 7, 2010, on the ''
X Factor
''The X Factor'' is a television music competition franchise created by British producer Simon Cowell and his company Syco Entertainment. It originated in the United Kingdom, where it was devised as a replacement for ''Pop Idol'' (2001–2003 ...
'' in Italy on November 9, 2010, and on ''
Le Grand Journal'' in France on November 10, 2010. On November 11, 2010, Rihanna appeared on a pre-recorded edition of ''
The Graham Norton Show
''The Graham Norton Show'' is a British comedy chat show presented by Graham Norton. It was initially broadcast on BBC Two, from 22 February 2007, before moving to BBC One in October 2009. It currently airs on Friday evenings, with Norton s ...
'' in the United Kingdom, where she gave an interview and sang "Only Girl (In the World)". On November 15, before the album's US release, Rihanna reprised her performance of "What's My Name?" for
MTV
MTV (Originally an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable channel that launched on August 1, 1981. Based in New York City, it serves as the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group, part of Paramount Media Networks, a di ...
's ''The Seven'', live from
Times Square
Times Square is a major commercial intersection, tourist destination, entertainment hub, and neighborhood in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. It is formed by the junction of Broadway, Seventh Avenue, and 42nd Street. Together with adjacent ...
, New York City. The next day, Rihanna performed "What's My Name?" on the ''
Late Show with David Letterman
The ''Late Show with David Letterman'' is an American late-night talk show hosted by David Letterman on CBS, the first iteration of the The Late Show (franchise), ''Late Show'' franchise. The show debuted on August 30, 1993, and was produced by ...
''. On November 17, 2010, Rihanna was interviewed and performed "Only Girl (In the World)" and "What's My Name?" on ''
Good Morning America
''Good Morning America'' (often abbreviated as ''GMA'') is an American morning television program that is broadcast on ABC. It debuted on November 3, 1975, and first expanded to weekends with the debut of a Sunday edition on January 3, 1993. Th ...
''. Rihanna performed a medley of "Love the Way You Lie (Part II)", "What's My Name?" and "Only Girl (In the World)" at the
American Music Awards of 2010
The 38th Annual American Music Awards were held November 21, 2010, at the Nokia Theatre L.A. Live in Los Angeles, California. The awards recognized the most popular artists and albums from 2010's music list. Nominees were announced on October 12, 2 ...
on November 21, 2010, where she won the award for
Favorite Soul/R&B Female Artist.
On December 11, 2010, Rihanna returned to series seven of the UK's ''The X Factor'', to perform "
Unfaithful" with finalist
Matt Cardle
Matthew Sheridan Cardle (born 15 April 1983) is an English pop singer. He was born in Southampton and grew up in Halstead, Essex. Cardle has been involved in music since his early teens and has been a member of two different bands; Darwyn and S ...
, as well as a solo of "What's My Name?". The finale was watched by fifteen million viewers. Rihanna performed the song with Drake for the first time at the 53rd Annual Grammy Awards on February 13, 2011. Rihanna also appeared at the
Brit Awards 2011 on February 15, 2011, where she performed "S&M" for the first time, as a medley with "Only Girl (In the World)" and "What's My Name?". Rihanna was requested to "tone down" her performance of "S&M" by the show's producers,
and she performed only one verse and chorus in-between "Only Girl (In The World)" and "What's My Name?". Rihanna was a special guest at the
NBA All-Star Game
The National Basketball Association All-Star Game is a basketball exhibition game hosted every February by the National Basketball Association (NBA) and showcases 24 of the league's star players. It is the featured event of NBA All-Star Weekend, a ...
on February 20, 2011, where she performed a medley of "Umbrella", "Only Girl (In the World)", "Rude Boy", "What's My Name?" (with Drake) and "
All of the Lights
"All of the Lights" is a song by American rapper Kanye West, released as the fourth single from his fifth studio album, ''My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy'' (2010). It was produced by West and features additional vocals from several other record ...
" (with
Kanye West
Ye ( ; born Kanye Omari West ; June 8, 1977) is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer, and fashion designer.
Born in Atlanta and raised in Chicago, West gained recognition as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records in the ea ...
).
Rihanna performed "California King Bed" in the style of a
country music
Country (also called country and western) is a genre of popular music that originated in the Southern and Southwestern United States in the early 1920s. It primarily derives from blues, church music such as Southern gospel and spirituals, ...
song for the first time with
Sugarland
Sugarland is an American country music duo founded in Atlanta, Georgia. The duo consists of singer-songwriters Jennifer Nettles (lead vocals) and Kristian Bush (vocals, guitar, mandolin). They were founded in 2002, at which point Kristen Hall (vo ...
front woman
Jennifer Nettles
Jennifer Odessa Nettles (born September 12, 1974) is an American singer, songwriter, actress and record producer.
Nettles is the lead vocalist of the duo Sugarland alongside Kristian Bush, and prior to this she fronted the Atlanta-based band ...
, during the
ACM Awards
The Academy of Country Music Awards, also known as the ACM Awards, were first held in 1966, honoring the industry's accomplishments during the previous year. It was the first country music awards program held by a major organization. The academy ...
held by the
Academy of Country Music
The Academy of Country Music (ACM) was founded in 1964 in Los Angeles, California as the Country & Western Music Academy. Among the founders were Eddie Miller, Tommy Wiggins, and Mickey and Chris Christensen. They wanted to promote country music ...
on April 3, 2011. She was a guest on the
tenth season of the US series ''
American Idol
''American Idol'' is an American singing competition television series created by Simon Fuller, produced by Fremantle North America and 19 Entertainment, and distributed by Fremantle North America. It aired on Fox from June 11, 2002, to Ap ...
'' on April 14, 2011, where she performed "California King Bed". Rihanna promoted "California King Bed" with performances in
Milan
Milan ( , , Lombard: ; it, Milano ) is a city in northern Italy, capital of Lombardy, and the second-most populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of about 1.4 million, while its metropolitan city h ...
, Paris and
Hamburg
(male), (female) en, Hamburger(s),
Hamburgian(s)
, timezone1 = Central (CET)
, utc_offset1 = +1
, timezone1_DST = Central (CEST)
, utc_offset1_DST = +2
, postal ...
, because she was appointed ambassador for
Nivea
Nivea (, stylized as NIVEA) is a German personal care brand that specializes in skin and body care. It is owned by the Hamburg-based company Beiersdorf Global AG. The company was founded on 28 March 1882, by Paul Carl Beiersdorf. In 1890, it w ...
skincare. Rihanna opened the
''Billboard'' Music Awards on May 22, 2011, performing the remix of "S&M" with Britney Spears at the
MGM Grand Garden Arena
The MGM Grand Garden Arena (originally known as the MGM Grand Garden Special Events Center) is a 17,000-seat multi-purpose arena located within the MGM Grand Las Vegas on the Las Vegas Strip.
Sporting events
From its opening on December 18, 1993 ...
in
Las Vegas
Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vegas ...
. The performance attracted complaints about the overt sexual nature of the broadcast on a publicly owned television channel. Rihanna performed on
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an Television in the United States, American English-language Commercial broadcasting, commercial television network, broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Enterta ...
's ''
Today
Today (archaically to-day) may refer to:
* Day of the present, the time that is perceived directly, often called ''now''
* Current era, present
* The current calendar date
Arts, entertainment, and media Films
* ''Today'' (1930 film), a 1930 A ...
'' show on May 27, 2011, as part of a Summer Concert Series. She performed "S&M", "Only Girl (In the World)", "What's My Name?" and "California King Bed".
Tour
![Rihanna, LOUD Tour, Florida 8](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d6/Rihanna%2C_LOUD_Tour%2C_Florida_8.jpg)
To further promote ''Loud'', Rihanna embarked on her fourth concert tour, the Loud Tour, in June 2011, having announced it on February 9, 2011. The tour comprised 101 show dates, 32 in North America, 1 in Central America, 4 in South America and 64 in Europe.
Tickets sold well in the United Kingdom and some additional shows were added. She performed ten shows at
London
London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
's
O2 Arena. Rihanna was interviewed by
Ryan Seacrest
Ryan John Seacrest (born December 24, 1974) is an American media personality and producer. He is the co-host of ''Live with Kelly and Ryan'', as well as the host of multiple media shows including ''American Idol'', ''American Top 40'', and '' ...
on ''American Idol'', and talked about the design of the stage, stating: "We've just designed the stage and we have a section that we are building ... where the fans can actually be in the show and in the stage and be closer than they've ever been. It's real VIP." The North American leg of the tour began on June 4, 2011, in
Baltimore
Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, and List of United States cities by popula ...
, United States. Originally,
J. Cole
Jermaine Lamarr Cole (born January 28, 1985) is an American rapper and record producer. Born on a military base in Germany and raised in Fayetteville, North Carolina, Cole initially gained recognition as a rapper following the release of his d ...
and
CeeLo Green
Thomas DeCarlo Callaway - Burton (born May 30, 1975), known professionally as CeeLo Green (or Cee Lo Green), is an American singer, songwriter, rapper, record producer and actor. He is known for his work in hip hop and R&B, including the Gnarls ...
were planned as supporting acts for the North American leg. However, Green left the tour, citing schedule conflicts. Rappers Drake, Kanye West and
Jay-Z
Shawn Corey Carter (born December 4, 1969), known professionally as Jay-Z, is an American rapper, record producer, entrepreneur, and founder of Manhattan-based conglomerate talent and entertainment agency Roc Nation. He is regarded as one of ...
made guest appearances on some dates to perform their collaborations "What's My Name?", "
Run This Town
"Run This Town" is a song by American rapper Jay-Z. The song also features Rihanna and Kanye West. It was released on July 24, 2009. It was written by the performing trio, with assistance from Ernest Wilson and Jeff Bhasker. Production of the ...
", "All of the Lights" and "Umbrella", respectively. The tour was received positively by critics, with some calling it "Rihanna's best tour yet". Jane Stevenson of the ''
Toronto Sun
The ''Toronto Sun'' is an English-language tabloid format, tabloid newspaper published daily in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The newspaper is one of several ''Sun'' tabloids published by Postmedia Network. The newspaper's offices is located at Pos ...
'' commented that "the two-hour, larger-than-life show lived up to the billing." Jon Brean of the
Minneapolis
Minneapolis () is the largest city in Minnesota, United States, and the county seat of Hennepin County. The city is abundant in water, with thirteen lakes, wetlands, the Mississippi River, creeks and waterfalls. Minneapolis has its origins ...
"
Star Tribune
The ''Star Tribune'' is the largest newspaper in Minnesota. It originated as the ''Minneapolis Tribune'' in 1867 and the competing ''Minneapolis Daily Star'' in 1920. During the 1930s and 1940s, Minneapolis's competing newspapers were consolida ...
" remarked, "The Barbadian singer is more visually and vocally dynamic than she has ever been before."
Critical reception
''Loud'' received positive reviews from
music critics
Music journalism (or music criticism) is media criticism and reporting about music topics, including popular music, classical music, and traditional music. Journalists began writing about music in the eighteenth century, providing commentary on w ...
. At
Metacritic
Metacritic is a website that review aggregator, aggregates reviews of films, TV shows, music albums, video games and formerly, books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted arithmetic mean, weighted average). M ...
, which assigns a
normalized rating out of 100 given to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an
average
In ordinary language, an average is a single number taken as representative of a list of numbers, usually the sum of the numbers divided by how many numbers are in the list (the arithmetic mean). For example, the average of the numbers 2, 3, 4, 7, ...
score of 67, based on 22 reviews.
Jon Pareles
Jon Pareles (born October 25, 1953) is an American journalist who is the chief popular music critic in the arts section of ''The New York Times''.The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'' perceived a "hermetic, cool calculation" on the album, writing that it "works the pop gizmos as neatly as any album this year, maintaining the Rihanna brand".
''Entertainment Weekly''s Leah Greenblatt commented that ''Loud'' shows Rihanna "undefeated by her worst circumstances — and finding redemption in exactly the kind of pop
nirvana
( , , ; sa, निर्वाण} ''nirvāṇa'' ; Pali: ''nibbāna''; Prakrit: ''ṇivvāṇa''; literally, "blown out", as in an oil lampRichard Gombrich, ''Theravada Buddhism: A Social History from Ancient Benāres to Modern Colombo.' ...
that made her famous in the first place".
James Reed of ''
The Boston Globe
''The Boston Globe'' is an American daily newspaper founded and based in Boston, Massachusetts. The newspaper has won a total of 27 Pulitzer Prizes, and has a total circulation of close to 300,000 print and digital subscribers. ''The Boston Glob ...
'' called the album "an unabashed return to where Rihanna belongs: the dance floor" and stated: "As if liberating herself from the depths, she's a force on these 11 songs".
Stacey Anderson of ''
Spin
Spin or spinning most often refers to:
* Spinning (textiles), the creation of yarn or thread by twisting fibers together, traditionally by hand spinning
* Spin, the rotation of an object around a central axis
* Spin (propaganda), an intentionally b ...
'' commended Rihanna's "full, healthy claim to her sexuality" and wrote that the album "offers a confident female ethos on par with the best of
Shakira
Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll ( , ; born 2 February 1977), professionally known by the mononym Shakira, is a Colombian singer and songwriter. Born and raised in Barranquilla, she has been referred to as the " Queen of Latin Music" and is ...
or
Beyoncé
Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter ( ; born September 4, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Beyoncé's boundary-pushing artistry and vocals have made her the most influential female musician of the 21st century, according to ...
".
Genevieve Koski of ''
The A.V. Club
''The A.V. Club'' is an American online newspaper and entertainment website featuring reviews, interviews, and other articles that examine films, music, television, books, games, and other elements of pop-culture media. ''The A.V. Club'' was cre ...
'' commended Rihanna for elevating the album's generic sound, writing that she "does sound invigorated, delivering charismatic vocal performances of material that doesn’t always warrant them".
Emily Mackay of ''NME'' felt that its "
experiments
An experiment is a procedure carried out to support or refute a hypothesis, or determine the efficacy or likelihood of something previously untried. Experiments provide insight into cause-and-effect by demonstrating what outcome occurs when ...
feel more organic, its tone better paced" than ''Rated R''.
Thomas Conner of the ''
Chicago Sun-Times
The ''Chicago Sun-Times'' is a daily newspaper published in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Since 2022, it is the flagship paper of Chicago Public Media, and has the second largest circulation among Chicago newspapers, after the ''Chicago T ...
'' wrote that "the celebratory atmosphere of Rihanna's sassy new jams are seasoned with some of the darker flavors from ''Rated R''".
''Pitchfork'''s Ryan Dombal complimented the album's "effervescent pop" and stated: "Her laissez-faire attitude toward hit-making on ''Loud'' can result in too-safe moves or semi-experiments that come off surprisingly great".
Ed Power of ''
Hot Press
''Hot Press'' is a fortnightly music and politics magazine based in Dublin, Ireland, founded in June 1977. The magazine has been edited since its inception by Niall Stokes.
History
''Hot Press'' was founded in June 1977 by Niall Stokes, who co ...
'' complimented its "unabashedly subtext-free" songs and found its hooks "way beyond addictive."
In a mixed review, Andy Kellman of AllMusic found the album's material "slapdash" and "uneven", and called it "more an unfocused assortment of poor-to-solid songs than a unified set".
Andy Gill of ''
The Independent
''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publis ...
'' felt that "the more interesting tracks are those with less salacious demands on her vulnerability".
''
Slant Magazine
''Slant Magazine'' is an American online publication that features reviews of movies, music, TV, DVDs, theater, and video games, as well as interviews with actors, directors, and musicians. The site covers various film festivals like the New York ...
''s Sal Cinquemani commended that "the subtle West Indian flavor with which Rihanna and company have smartly imbued" most of the album, although he noted some flaws in its production and wrote that "Rihanna has always had trouble fitting into one genre ... and for better or worse, Rihanna continues to stylistically branch out on ''Loud''".
Hugh Montgomery of ''
The Observer
''The Observer'' is a British newspaper published on Sundays. It is a sister paper to ''The Guardian'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', whose parent company Guardian Media Group Limited acquired it in 1993. First published in 1791, it is the w ...
'' commented that "sonically, it's fairly unremarkable ... but its strident buoyancy is difficult to resist".
"Only Girl (in the World)" won the Grammy Award for Best Dance Recording at the 53rd Annual Grammy Awards and the album was nominated for three awards at the
54th Grammy Awards, including
Album of the Year,
Best Pop Vocal Album
The Grammy Award for Best Pop Vocal Album is an honor presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to recording artists for quality vocal pop music albums. Awards in several ...
and
Best Rap/Sung Collaboration
The Grammy Award for Best Melodic Rap Performance (awarded as Best Rap/Sung Collaboration until 2017, and Best Rap/Sung Performance from 2018 to 2020) is an honor presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and original ...
for "What's My Name?".
Commercial performance
''Loud'' debuted at number three on the US
''Billboard'' 200 chart, with first-week sales of 207,000 copies in the United States, giving Rihanna her highest first-week sales in the US at that time. It also debuted at number one on ''
Billboard
A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...
''s
R&B/Hip-Hop Albums
Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums is a music chart published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine that ranks R&B and hip hop albums based on sales in the United States and is compiled by Nielsen SoundScan. The chart debuted as Hot R&B LPs in the issue dated Jan ...
chart. In its second week, the album dropped to number six on the ''Billboard'' 200 and sold 141,000 copies. By its thirteenth week, the album returned to its peak at number three and sold 62,000 copies. However, in its fourteenth week, the album dipped to number ten on the Billboard 200 with 45,000 copies sold. In its fifteenth week, ''Loud'' rose to number eight, selling an additional 33,000 copies in the US. By July 3, 2011, ''Loud'' was the eleventh-best selling album of 2011 in the United States, selling 598,000 copies between January 1, 2011, and July 3, 2011. ''Loud'' ranked as ''Billboard'' magazine's ninth-most successful album of 2011 on their year-end charts. As of March 2018, ''Loud'' was certified
3× Platinum by the
Recording Industry Association of America
The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...
(RIAA),
denoting shipments of three million album-equivalent units in the United States, including pure album sales of 1.8 million copies in the US as of June 2015.
''Loud'' was also a commercial success outside of the United States.
In Canada, it debuted at number one on the
Canadian Albums Chart
The Canadian Albums Chart is the official album sales chart in Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocea ...
, selling 27,000 copies in its first week. ''Loud'' sold more than 80,000 units in Canada, achieving platinum status by the first week of December 2010.
By September 8, 2011, ''Loud'' had sold more than 240,000 copies in Canada.
In France, the album debuted at number three with first-week sales of 17,304 copies.
By its sixth week on the French charts, ''Loud'' achieved platinum status, reaching the 100,000 copies mark.
In France, the album has sold 355,000 copies as of April 2013. In its second week on the Australian Albums Chart, ''Loud'' was certified platinum for shipments of over 70,000 copies. In Italy, the album reached number eleven.
It became Rihanna's highest-charting album there until her sixth studio album ''
Talk That Talk
''Talk That Talk'' is the sixth studio album by Barbadian singer Rihanna, released on November 18, 2011, by Def Jam Recordings and SRP Records. It was recorded while traveling for the Loud Tour between February and November 2011, and was origin ...
'' (2011) surpassed the record, peaking at number ten. ''
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, ' ...
'' (2012) did even better, peaking at number seven. ''Loud'' was her third consecutive number-one album in Switzerland.
''Loud'' debuted at number two on the
German Albums Chart
The GfK Entertainment charts are the official music charts in Germany and are gathered and published by GfK Entertainment (formerly Media Control and Media Control GfK International), a subsidiary of GfK, on behalf of Bundesverband Musikindust ...
.
The album debuted at number two in the United Kingdom, with first week sales of 91,000 units. In its fifth week, the album sold 306,107 copies in the United Kingdom, giving the singer her first platinum-selling week in her career. In its seventh week on the chart, ''Loud'' reached number one, giving Rihanna her second UK number-one album. After seven weeks of sales, the album became the fourth best-selling album of 2010 in the UK. ''Loud'' was certified seven-times platinum by the
British Phonographic Industry
British Phonographic Industry (BPI) is the British recorded music industry's Trade association. It runs the BRIT Awards, the Classic BRIT Awards, National Album Day, is home to the Mercury Prize, and co-owns the Official Charts Company with th ...
(BPI), marking shipments of 2.1 million copies to retailers.
It was the biggest selling R&B and hip hop album of 2011 in the UK.
As of August 2012, ''Loud'' is the fifth biggest selling digital album of all time. As of March 2015, ''Loud'' is the 45th best-selling album of the millennium in the United Kingdom. As of November 2011, the album has sold over 8 million copies worldwide.
Track listing
Notes
*
signifies a vocal
producer
* "Cheers (Drink to That)" contains samples from "
I'm with You" (2002), as performed by
Avril Lavigne
Avril Ramona Lavigne ( ; born September 27, 1984) is a Canadian singer and songwriter. At age 16, she signed a two-album recording contract with Arista Records. Her debut studio album, ''Let Go (Avril Lavigne album), Let Go'' (2002), is the ...
and written by Lavigne,
Scott Spock, Graham Edwards and
Lauren Christy
Lauren Christy is a British singer, songwriter and record producer. Originally a solo artist, she found success as part of the writing production trio The Matrix. The Matrix received numerous Grammy nominations including best producer.
Biogr ...
.
Bundles
''Loud'' (Ultra Couture edition)
D+DVD
D, or d, is the fourth letter in the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''dee'' (pronounced ), plural ''dees''.
History
The ...
''
* Deluxe cover art signed by Rihanna herself (
lithograph
Lithography () is a planographic method of printing originally based on the immiscibility of oil and water. The printing is from a stone (lithographic limestone) or a metal plate with a smooth surface. It was invented in 1796 by the German a ...
)
* Enhanced clear couture cover
* Deluxe edition of ''Loud''
D+DVD
D, or d, is the fourth letter in the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''dee'' (pronounced ), plural ''dees''.
History
The ...
/small>
* "Making of Loud" video DVD
The DVD (common abbreviation for Digital Video Disc or Digital Versatile Disc) is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 1995 and first released on November 1, 1996, in Japan. The medium can store any kind ...
* 20 page full size photobook
''Loud'' (Couture edition) D+DVD
D, or d, is the fourth letter in the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''dee'' (pronounced ), plural ''dees''.
History
The ...
''
* Deluxe cover art lithograph
Lithography () is a planographic method of printing originally based on the immiscibility of oil and water. The printing is from a stone (lithographic limestone) or a metal plate with a smooth surface. It was invented in 1796 by the German a ...
* Enhanced clear couture cover
* Deluxe edition of ''Loud'' D+DVD
D, or d, is the fourth letter in the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''dee'' (pronounced ), plural ''dees''.
History
The ...
/small>
* "Making of Loud" video DVD
The DVD (common abbreviation for Digital Video Disc or Digital Versatile Disc) is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 1995 and first released on November 1, 1996, in Japan. The medium can store any kind ...
* 20 page full size photobook
Personnel
Credits for ''Loud'' adapted from
AllMusic
AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...
and album's liner notes.
-
Musicians
*
Rihanna
Robyn Rihanna Fenty ( ; born February 20, 1988) is a Barbadian singer, actress, and businesswoman. Born in Saint Michael and raised in Bridgetown, Barbados, Rihanna auditioned for American record producer Evan Rogers who invited her to the ...
– vocals, art direction, creative director, design, executive producer
* Stacy Barthe – backing vocals
(track 3)
*
Nuno Bettencourt
Nuno Duarte Gil Mendes Bettencourt (born September 20, 1966) is a Portuguese-American guitarist, singer-songwriter, record producer, and businessman. He became known as the lead guitarist of the Boston rock band Extreme. He has also recorded ...
– guitar
(track 10)
* Alex Delicata – electric and acoustic guitars
(track 6)
*
Drake
Drake may refer to:
Animals
* A male duck
People and fictional characters
* Drake (surname), a list of people and fictional characters with the family name
* Drake (given name), a list of people and fictional characters with the given name
* ...
– vocals
(track 2)
*
Eminem
Marshall Bruce Mathers III (born October 17, 1972), known professionally as Eminem (; often stylized as EMINƎM), is an American rapper and record producer. He is credited with popularizing hip hop in middle America and is critically acclai ...
– vocals
(track 11)
* Eric England – bass guitar
(track 6)
*
Mikkel S. Eriksen
Mikkel is a Danish and Norwegian masculine given name. It may refer to:
* Mikkel Ødelien (1893–1984), Norwegian soil researcher
* Mikkel Aaland (born 1952), award-winning American photographer
* Mikkel Andersen (disambiguation)
*Mikkel Bødker ...
–instrumentation
(track 1, 2, 5)
*
Tor Erik Hermansen
Tor, TOR or ToR may refer to:
Places
* Tor, Pallars, a village in Spain
* Tor, former name of Sloviansk, Ukraine, a city
* Mount Tor, Tasmania, Australia, an extinct volcano
* Tor Bay, Devon, England
* Tor River, Western New Guinea, Indonesia
Sc ...
– instrumentation
(track 1, 2, 5)
*
Cristyle Johnson – backing vocals
(track 5)
*
Nicki Minaj
Onika Tanya Maraj-Petty (; born December 8, 1982), known professionally as Nicki Minaj ( ), is a Trinidadian-born rapper based in the United States. She is known for her musical versatility, animated flow in her rapping, alter egos and accent ...
– vocals
(track 8)
*
Priscilla Renea
Priscilla Renea Hamilton (born September 14, 1988), known professionally as Muni Long (pronounced "money long"), is an American singer and songwriter. Under her birth name, her solo debut studio album, ''Jukebox'', was released through Capitol R ...
– backing vocals
(track 6)
*
Theron Thomas
R. City (short for Rock City; and formerly Planet VI) is a Virgin Islands musical duo formed in 2003, from Saint Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands. The duo is composed of brothers Theron "Uptown AP" Thomas and Timothy "A.I." Thomas. Primarily known ...
– backing vocals
(track 8)
*
Sandy Vee
Sandy Julien Wilhelm (born 22 April 1975) better known by his stage name Sandy Vee, is a French music producer and songwriter. He gained much commercial and critical recognition for co-producing Rihanna's "Only Girl (In the World)", Katy Perry's ...
– instrumentation
(tracks 1, 5)
Production
* Camilla Akrans – photography
*
Veronika Bozeman – additional vocal production
(tracks 1, 4)
* Leesa D. Brunson – A&R
* Noel Cadastre – assistant vocal engineer for Drake
(track 2)
* Bobby Campbell – assistant vocal engineer
(tracks 1, 2, 7, 9–11), mixing assistant
(track 3)
* Ariel Chobaz – vocal engineer
(track 8)
* Cary Clark – music engineer
(track 7)
* Corey Shoemaker – music engineer
(track 4)
* Carol Corless – package production
* Karin Darnell – make-up
*
Ester Dean
Esther Renay Dean (born April 15, 1986) is an American singer, songwriter, music producer and actress. Dean has also written songs for many artists, with numerous Top 10 hits, including No. 1 hits for Rihanna and Katy Perry, earning the name " ...
– producer
(track 9), backing vocals
(tracks 1, 2, 4)
*
Mikkel S. Eriksen
Mikkel is a Danish and Norwegian masculine given name. It may refer to:
* Mikkel Ødelien (1893–1984), Norwegian soil researcher
* Mikkel Aaland (born 1952), award-winning American photographer
* Mikkel Andersen (disambiguation)
*Mikkel Bødker ...
– producer and music engineer
(tracks 1, 2, 5)
* Jesus Garnica – mixing assistant
(tracks 8–10)
*
Chris Gehringer
Chris Gehringer (born May 27, 1962) is an American mastering engineer, known for having mastered recordings such as Gwen Stefani's '' Love. Angel. Music. Baby.'' (2004), Rihanna's '' Loud'' (2010), Lady Gaga's '' Born This Way'' (2011) and Drake' ...
– mastering
* Brad Palmer – design, video director
* Brian Palmer – video director, video producer
* Josh Gudwin – vocal engineer
(tracks 1, 2, 4–11)
* Mariel Haenn – stylist
* Alex Haldi – art direction, design
* Inaam Haq – assistant vocal engineer
(tracks 3, 5)
*
Kuk Harrell
Thaddis Laphonia "Kuk" Harrell ( ) is an American songwriter, vocal producer, arranger and engineer. He was a member of a songwriting–production team composed of himself, Christopher "Tricky" Stewart and The-Dream, Terius "The-Dream" Nash. In ...
– vocal producer and vocal engineer
(tracks 1, 2, 4–11)
* Koby Hass – assistant vocal engineer
(track 8)
*
Tor Erik Hermansen
Tor, TOR or ToR may refer to:
Places
* Tor, Pallars, a village in Spain
* Tor, former name of Sloviansk, Ukraine, a city
* Mount Tor, Tasmania, Australia, an extinct volcano
* Tor Bay, Devon, England
* Tor River, Western New Guinea, Indonesia
Sc ...
– producer
(tracks 1, 2, 5)
* Jaycen Joshua – mixing
(tracks 8–10)
* Brandon Joner – assistant vocal engineer for Drake
(track 2)
* Terese Joseph – A&R
* JP Robinson – art direction, design
* Rob Katz – assistant vocal engineer
(track 10)
*
Alex da Kid
Alexander Junior Grant (born 27 August 1983), professionally known as Alex da Kid or by.ALEXANDER, is a British musician, record producer, songwriter, record executive and fashion designer from Wood Green, London. He has gained recognition for p ...
– producer and music engineer
(track 11)
* Karen Kwak – A&R
* Damien Lewis – additional and assistant engineer
(tracks 1, 2, 4–6)
* Dane Liska – assistant vocal engineer
(tracks 3, 5)
* Erik Madrid – mixing assistant
(tracks 7, 11)
* Deborah Mannis-Gardner – sample clearance
* Scott Marcus – A&R
*
Manny Marroquin
Manny Marroquin (born September 21, 1971) is an American mixing engineer.Daley, Dan (May 2005).Manny Marroquin. ''Sound on Sound''. Retrieved February 10, 2007 He has received ten Grammy awards for his professional audio work.
Life and career
M ...
– mixing
(tracks 7, 11)
*
Dana Nielsen
Dana Nielsen is an American mix engineer, audio engineer, record producer and saxophonist based in Los Angeles. Nielsen has worked with a wide range of artists including Metallica, Rihanna, The Avett Brothers, Bob Dylan, Adele, Neil Diamond, Slay ...
– music engineer
(track 8)
* Ben O'Neill – assistant music engineer
(track 3)
* Ciarra Pardo – art direction, creative director, design
* Christian Plata – mixing assistant
(tracks 7, 11)
*
Polow da Don
Jamal Fincher Jones (born October 15, 1977, or 1978), professionally known as Polow da Don, is an American record producer and rapper.
Jones has produced a variety of singles for a multitude of artists including "Anaconda" by Nicki Minaj (2014 ...
– producer
(track 4)
*
Antonio "L.A." Reid – executive producer
* Antonio Resendiz – assistant vocal engineer
(track 3)
*
Makeba Riddick
Makeba Riddick-Woods (also known as "Girl Wonder") is an American singer-songwriter who has been active since 2005. She is originally from West Baltimore, Maryland, US. Currently she is managed by Jay-Z's record label and production house, Ro ...
– vocal producer
(tracks 3, 10)
*
Evan Rogers
Carl Sturken and Evan Rogers are New York–based songwriters and record producers. They have produced hits for Ruben Studdard, Wild Orchid, Christina Aguilera and Evelyn Champagne King and helped build the career of Rihanna. In addition to ...
– executive producer
* Chad "C Note" Roper – music engineer
(track 10)
*
The Runners – producer
(tracks 3, 6)
* Brad Shea – assistant vocal engineer
(tracks 3, 5)
*
Noah "40" Shebib
Noah ''Nukh''; am, ኖህ, ''Noḥ''; ar, نُوح '; grc, Νῶε ''Nôe'' () is the tenth and last of the pre-Flood patriarchs in the traditions of Abrahamic religions. His story appears in the Hebrew Bible (Book of Genesis, chapters 5– ...
– vocal engineer for Drake
(track 2)
* Ursula Stephen – hair stylist
* Jay Stevenson – music engineer
(track 4)
*
Christopher "Tricky" Stewart
Christopher Alan "Tricky" Stewart (born January 4, 1974) is an American record producer, record executive, songwriter, and music publisher. In a career spanning over 30 years, Stewart has won 5 Grammys and is responsible for over 50 million rec ...
– producer
(track 9)
* Mike Strange – vocal engineer for Emimem
(track 11)
*
Carl Sturken
Carl Sturken and Evan Rogers are New York–based songwriters and record producers. They have produced hits for Ruben Studdard, Wild Orchid, Christina Aguilera and Evelyn Champagne King and helped build the career of Rihanna. In addition to ...
– executive producer
*
Phil Tan Phil Tan is a Malaysian-American music and audio engineer.
Early life and education
Tan was born in Malaysia. He attended Full Sail University in Florida in the U.S., where he attained a degree in Recording Arts in 1990. Afterwards he moved to Atla ...
– mixing
(tracks 1, 2, 4–6)
* Bu Thiam – A&R
* Brian "B-Luv" Thomas – music engineer
(track 9)
* Marcos Tovar – vocal engineer
(all tracks), mixing
(track 3)
*
Sandy Vee
Sandy Julien Wilhelm (born 22 April 1975) better known by his stage name Sandy Vee, is a French music producer and songwriter. He gained much commercial and critical recognition for co-producing Rihanna's "Only Girl (In the World)", Katy Perry's ...
– producer and mixing
(tracks 1, 5), engineer
(tracks 1, 4, 5)
* Jeff "Supa Jeff" Villanueva – music engineer
(tracks 3, 6)
* Miles Walker – music engineer
(tracks 1, 2, 5)
* Kyle White – assistant vocal engineer
(track 6)
* Andrew Wuepper – music engineer
(track 9)
* Robert Zangardi – stylist
Charts
Weekly charts
Year-end charts
Decade-end charts
All-time charts
Certifications
Release history
See also
*
List of UK Albums Chart number ones of the 2010s
The UK Albums Chart is a weekly record chart based on album sales from Friday to Thursday in the United Kingdom; , there had been 266 number-one albums during the 2010s, by 76 artists. The Official Charts Company (OCC) defines an "album" as be ...
*
List of UK R&B Chart number-one albums of 2010
*
List of UK R&B Chart number-one albums of 2011
*
List of number-one albums of 2010 (Canada)
These are the Canadian number-one albums of 2010 in music, 2010. The chart is compiled by Nielsen Soundscan and published by ''Jam!'' Canadian Online Explorer, Canoe, issued every Sunday. The chart also appears in Billboard (magazine), ''Billboard ...
*
List of number-one albums of 2010 (Ireland)
*
List of number-one albums of 2011 (Ireland)
The Irish Albums Chart is a record chart compiled by Chart-Track on behalf of the Irish Recorded Music Association. The chart week runs from Friday to Thursday.
See also
* List of number-one singles of 2011 (Ireland)
References
{{Irish Musi ...
*
List of number-one albums in Norway
This list shows all the albums that have been number one on the official chart list in Norway, VG-lista. The albums chart started as a top 20 chart in week 1, 1967 and was later expanded to a top 40 chart.
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
...
*
Scottish Singles and Albums Charts
The Scottish Albums Chart is a chart compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC) which is based on how physical and digital sales towards the UK Albums Chart fare in Scotland. The official singles chart for Scotland, the Scottish Singles Chart, ...
*
References
External links
*
Loud' at
Metacritic
Metacritic is a website that review aggregator, aggregates reviews of films, TV shows, music albums, video games and formerly, books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted arithmetic mean, weighted average). M ...
Rihanna: The Billboard Cover Storyat ''
Billboard
A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...
''
*
Loud Stream'
{{Authority control
2010 albums
Rihanna albums
Def Jam Recordings albums
Albums produced by Alex da Kid
Albums produced by Polow da Don
Albums produced by Carl Sturken and Evan Rogers
Albums produced by Kuk Harrell
Albums produced by the Runners
Albums produced by Stargate
Albums produced by Tricky Stewart
Albums recorded at Westlake Recording Studios