Talk That TalkIf Rihanna's 2009 album was called Rated R, then the singer's upcoming Talk That Talk should maybe be dubbed Rated X: The first reviews of RiRi's latest disc are out, and the lyrics on TTT are reportedly very, very dirty. The tongue-out album cover was the first hint, but VH1 calls Talk That Talk "the dirtiest pop record Since Madonna's Erotica." In fact, just reading the lyrics would make even Prince blush.
"Watch n' Learn" is like a how-to guide for satisfying Rihanna, with the singer mapping out all the locations she wants to get busy before telling her partner, "It's your turn now, watch and learn now, watch and learn how." But the award for naughtiest song on TTT goes to "Cockiness," which boasts the lines "I want you to be my sex slave" and "I love it when you eat it." Rihanna: Singer by day, phone sex operator by night. We've come a long way from simply standing under her umbrella...
Songs like "S&M" and her duet with The-Dream "Livin' a Lie" -- as well as Rihanna's public persona in general -- suggested that the singer was a sexpot-in-waiting, but on TTT it appears she fully embraces that reputation. And why not: In the post-Prince's Dirty Mind era, male singers like R. Kelly, The-Dream, Lloyd, and every rapper in history hasn't been afraid to be explicit when it comes to sex in song, so Rihanna should be applauded for pushing the envelope like the Material Girl did two decades ago. Especially since all of Rihanna's peers have largely played it safe: Katy Perry sticks to her "girl next door" act, Lady Gaga sings about social issues, Beyonce has always kept it classy, and even Britney Spears' more provocative lyrics these days seem forced and hokey (Case in point: "If U Seek Amy").
Of course, if Talk That Talk was just dirty lyrics on weak songs, no one would care, but VH1 writes that TTT is "from start to finish, the most aurally satisfying record of the six full-length albums she has released." The album arrives November 18th, but get a sneak preview of the X-rated fare by checking out 30-second snippets of all the TTT songs over at That Good Hit.