| What do you do when your debut single is a hit, your | | | | woman who is unfaithful to her man. By changing the |
| debut album is making people talk, and your fans | | | | gender perspective, Rihanna cleverly gives a fresh spin |
| expect you to pull more tricks out of your sleeve? | | | | to an overdone, overcooked topic in R&B. |
| You go for the jugular, of course. You dazzle. | | | | What makes Rihanna's A Girl Like Me so impressive is |
| Rihanna launched A Girl Like Me not long after she | | | | that it shows just how much the singer herself has |
| had the nation dancing to Pon De Replay. The album | | | | matured between albums. While Music of the Sun |
| was no Music of the Sun, however; it was something | | | | pigeonholes Rihanna into the reggaeton medium, or the |
| better - better production, better lyrics, better | | | | mix of reggae, hip-hop, and dancehall music. |
| collaboration. The album opens briskly to the pulsating | | | | A Girl Like Me shows much more range and flexibility. |
| beat of S.O.S and has Rihanna singing: | | | | In the album, Rihanna skillfully takes elements of pop, |
| I'm obsessive when just one thought of you comes up | | | | rock, and R&B and melds these together |
| I'm aggressive just one thought of closing up | | | | seamlessly with her distinctive Caribbean style. Not |
| You got me stressing, incessantly pressing the issue | | | | surprisingly, many tracks in the album went on to |
| 'Cause every moment gone you know I miss you. | | | | become big hits. |
| In Break It Off, she sings a saucy duet with Sean Paul. | | | | Unfaithful, We Ride, and Break It Off quickly rose to |
| Then, she segues into the dilemma one faces when | | | | the top of the charts, cementing Rihanna's reputation |
| one is unfaithful. Unfaithful showcases impressive vocal | | | | as a serious artist, not just a girl with amazing |
| work from Rihanna. The song tells the story of a | | | | beginner's luck. |
