First Look: Rihanna, ‘Russian Roulette’
Yesterday we got to see video from Rihanna’s video shoot for her new music video, which we now know is titled Russian Roulette (it was incorrectly believed the track was titled The Wait Is Ova), and today we get our first look at the cover artwork for the single. We also learn today that her new album, due for release on November 23, is titled Rated R. Russian Roulette will be debuting on radio and then on her official website today but while we wait to hear the song, let’s check out Rihanna’s new single cover artwork and read the accompanying press release:
THE WAIT IS OVA!!! RIHANNA’s NEW ALBUM – RATED R – HITS MONDAY, NOV. 23rd
“Russian Roulette,” first new single pick –written by Ne-Yo – launches worldwide Oct. 20th on radio and on official Rihanna website
“Russian Roulette” video to premiere on ABC-TV
Long-awaited follow-up to 2007’s worldwide multi-platinum Good Girl Gone Bad
(October 20, 2009 – New York, NY) The wait is ova – for one of the most hotly anticipated new albums in recent history, as multi-platinum, award-winning Def Jam recording artist Rihanna announces the completion of her fourth original studio album, Rated R, scheduled to arrive in the physical and digital marketplace on Monday, November 23rd. Rated R’s first single pick, “Russian Roulette” will be launched at 11:23am EST on October 20th worldwide on http://rihannanow.com. The “Russian Roulette” video, directed by Anthony Mandler, will premiere in prime-time on ABC. “Russian Roulette” was written and produced by fellow Def Jam artist Ne-Yo, whose long track record with Rihanna includes the #1 hit “Unfaithful” (2006, from A Girl Like Me), their Top 10 duet “Hate That I Love You” (2007, from Good Girl Gone Bad), and #1 pop/ #1 R&B “Take A Bow” (2008, from Good Girl Gone Bad: Reloaded). In addition to Ne-Yo, other producers and writers on Rihanna’s new album include the team of The-Dream and Tricky Stewart, Chase & Status, Stargate, Justin Timberlake and more. Rated R is the long-awaited follow-up to Good Girl Gone Bad (May 2007), which contained the non-stop string of hit singles that began with the MTV VMA and Grammy Award-winning global #1 hit “Umbrella” (featuring Jay-Z), then “Shut Up and Drive,” “Hate That I Love You” (featuring Ne-Yo), and “Don’t Stop the Music.” Good Girl Gone Bad spent 98 total weeks on the Soundscan chart, earned cumulative sales of more than 36-times platinum in at least 20 territories around the world, and spun off the CD+DVD package Good Girl Gone Bad: Reloaded (January 2009) – which continued the string of hits with the #1 “Take A Bow,” and the #1 “Disturbia.” Good Girl Gone Bad was the third album release in less than two years by the 21-year old Barbados native Rihanna. It followed-up 2006’s RIAA platinum A Girl Like Me, which contained the back-to-back hits, “S.O.S.” and “Unfaithful”; and her RIAA gold debut from 2005, Music Of the Sun, featuring the world-wide smash, “Pon De Replay.”
Oh look … the song is online now, click HERE to check it out in full. I just gave it a listen and … liked it … but ………. it’s too slow a jam for me to really get into. I’ll have to give the song a few more listens but, yeah, it didn’t immediately grab me. Take a listen and tell me what y’all think.
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Tags: 'Russian Roulette', Rihanna
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October 20th, 2009 at 8:44 am
Wow! How sexy is that pic?! I just love her! So excited to hear her full album!
October 20th, 2009 at 8:47 am
Hoodratness is a disease.
October 20th, 2009 at 8:48 am
What a terrible role model for her young audience. I love, love her music. Not particularly this new song (too slow for me as well), but she just doesn’t think about how this impacts the youngins. I understand fashion and style, but she needs to tone the skin and nipples A LOT!
October 20th, 2009 at 8:52 am
P.S. I just checked out her Twitter for the first time. Love how she follows 0 people.
October 20th, 2009 at 8:52 am
she seems to be trying way too hard lately to be sexy. the undercut-mushroom-do with the eyepatch just screams “yargh i’m stuck in 1993!”
October 20th, 2009 at 9:01 am
meh so slow. should not be the first single off a rihanna album.
October 20th, 2009 at 9:08 am
Definitely not a good choice for 1st single.
But this isnt the song we saw in the video is it!? That sounded much faster and i didnt hear the wait is ova in this track. (it may have been bc i fell asleep half way through the song.)
October 20th, 2009 at 9:09 am
I dont hate it i like it but maybe as like a 2nd or 3rd single off the album i would have prefered a real upbeat one as her come back single
October 20th, 2009 at 9:11 am
BORING! why would anyone release a slow jam as the first single off their new album? If the whole album is like that I’m so not interested!
October 20th, 2009 at 9:16 am
Poor Rhianna. . . It must really suck to be born without nipples.
October 20th, 2009 at 9:16 am
Major disappointment! I don’t hate it, don’t love it. The cover is gorgeous! Totally fierce! The song is just mediocre! So sad.
October 20th, 2009 at 9:27 am
after looking at the image i have no interest in even hearing the song. this new hairstyle she’s rocking is FUG, and wtf is with the barbed wire? she trying to revamp pammy anderson?
October 20th, 2009 at 9:37 am
agrees with Jennifer & Mrs. Cullen
October 20th, 2009 at 9:45 am
Huh…I really liked the song, but then again I’m a pretty big fan of Ne-yo’s writing. I’m sure it won’t be long before she releases the second single.
And I agree that the hair do is a bit early 90’s lookin for me. Hating it.
October 20th, 2009 at 9:50 am
i mean its a neyo song…and everyone seeems to be on rihanna right now so you know the song with do great…but its not first single material at all.
but i hate the fact this new look of hers isnt going away anytime soon, she looks like a fool.
October 20th, 2009 at 9:52 am
@Mrs cullen – comeback single? she never went away. sure its been awhile since shes done some music, but thats what happens when you beat an album to death like she did with GGGB
October 20th, 2009 at 10:11 am
I love the look & the hair, very edgy, punk + some Grace Jones (who is the QUEEN BEE!) –but Rhianna’s tough look has nothing to do w/her music, which is totally MOR/mainstream. The song is fine: I’ve never actually heard her sing, as in hold a note for any length of time, or show some emotion vocally, so this song is a pleasant surprise. I think this dark themed ballad is a bit of a publicity ploy based on the last year’s awful Brown beatdown. Tryin to turn the bad publicity into a good thing?: $$. Again, love the look, but she needs to hire Trent Reznor or tap into some early Pat Benatar or even Tina Turner for the musical punch to go with it (but then again, Trent, Pat & Tina got pipes, right?).
October 20th, 2009 at 10:29 am
I get why she dresses so weird lately – because her new music isn’t really great so she has to have something to get attention.
October 20th, 2009 at 10:46 am
She’s so untalented. I will agree she can pull off the look way better than Beyonce can with Sacha Fierce (ew) but Rihanna can’t dance, sounds horrible live, and… yeah. What good does she do?
October 20th, 2009 at 11:05 am
I don’t really care for this song….it sounds like Christina Milian’s Us Against the World.
October 20th, 2009 at 11:17 am
Wow , after hearing this song a few times, i have to say this: i think all of you have lost your mind. This song is a breathe of fresh air in a time where we a constantly inundated with over-tempo’d pop and rb songs. We have become so accustom to hearing fast paced club bangers with no story, no tale, no message, that now an artist puts out a daring effort that goes completely against the grain as a first single and none of you can appreciate it ?! Now im not going to call this song genius,im not going to call this song perfection- actually i take that one back, for it what it is, its perfection. And as for people who want to talk about role models- Stop it. Artist in any creative field is an artist first a role model a distant second if at all. IMO the greatest role model is someone who is honest in their creative endeavors as it is a reflection of themselves-not an image or mindset of what we want them to be.
again i’ll say it the song is perfect, melody, vocals, lyrics.
A+ Rihanna
October 20th, 2009 at 11:50 am
@ rudeezee – Yes, but that is what we also expect from Rihanna!
I am def not feeling this song. l give it a few more tries, but honestly im severely disappointed and if the rest of the album is like that then im really not interested.
October 20th, 2009 at 12:08 pm
after what she went through I expected a song empowering her…showing she is still going strong…but instead she releases a song about suicide?? really?? beside having a horrible message the song is not that good….this should have definatly not been her first single…not too bad but definatly not a hit song…..
October 20th, 2009 at 12:11 pm
I was really looking forward to her cd because I like her upbeat songs…but I was so disappointed her first release is a ballad. Not quite what I was hoping for. I will give it a few more listens…it might grow on me!
October 20th, 2009 at 12:12 pm
Rudeezee said: “And as for people who want to talk about role models- Stop it. Artist in any creative field is an artist first a role model a distant second if at all. IMO the greatest role model is someone who is honest in their creative endeavors as it is a reflection of themselves-not an image or mindset of what we want them to be.” VERY WELL SAID!! I agree 100%!
October 20th, 2009 at 12:33 pm
@P in regards to what you expect from Rihanna if you’re referring to A club banger- then with all due respect, you shouldn’t. what you should expect from her to produce music. You see you’re thinking that because her past Lead singles and music in general (if you will) have been that, then that’s what we should expect, But as the old saying goes “expect the unexpected” Thats what makes for good tune’s and longevity. And Case in point musicians arent here to bend to our expectations of them as far what sound they should have. its their choice.
also dont think we should judge how the albums going to turn out just because i the first single ; i myself learned that lesson when Ima slave 4 u came out- i still loved the album though but based off that first single it wasnt “what i expected”
October 20th, 2009 at 3:16 pm
I like it. It’s not first single material, but it’s good, well done and not the same beats like every other pop song.
It will be interesting to hear the second single released.
October 20th, 2009 at 3:48 pm
Yikes, that looks painful. The song was not so bad.
-meream
October 20th, 2009 at 4:57 pm
Okay now i reckon she will debut at #1 with the album.
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She is up against Lady Gaga, Britney and that Adam freak. I thought Brit had a really good chance against Gaga’s re-release and Adams debut. If it was Brit’s studio album it would be different but its only a Singles Collection.
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Brit is bigger than Rihanna but i think Ri RI will take #1 followed by Adam and then Brit now for some reason. Brit may still have a chance and it would be great if she did. Then again this is a late call by Rihanna and she prob wont do as much promotion since the incident and all the media frenzy. Either way if Brit don’t get #1 i hope Rihanna does then and beats Adam and Gaga.