It's new Rihanna! *goes into meltdown*

Some points:

• Generic production (thanks for that, Stargate), KILLER CHORUS
• This will undoubtedly be a hit, which is exactly what Rihanna needs BUT
• It's only acceptable if the accompanying album has as many tender and surprising moments as Rated R. "Fire Bomb" and "Cold Case Love" moments, if you will.
• Sound-wise this is an unmistakable step back. Last album round, Rihanna seemed to be the only huge mainstream artist using dark and gloomy dubstep and rock to craft something that sounded like nothing else. This sounds like lots of other things.
• This sounds like it could have benefited from a big beefed up strings and bass production.
• We will be dancing to this in 'a club' at some point in the future and we will enjoy it.
• We can't say we're surprised. Whilst Rated R was Rihanna's career-highlight so far, all artists who've experienced a sales-dip that coincides with a bit of sonic experimentation return to safer ground. Even Madonna whose more audacious than most does this. You could even accuse Björk of it.
• We'll wait til we gain more of a sense of the campaign as a whole (concept art, single artwork, remixes, b-sides, tracklisting, collabs etc.) before we write this off as a totally obvious.
• That is all.