I have posted elsewhere my objections to this song. I think the production on here is fantastic and Rihanna sounds great (can't say the same for "Run This Town"; her wail is annoying there). The lyrics are catchy and the beat on the intro really draws you in. My issue with the song is two-fold: 1) she waited until she has a new single and album to promote to come forward with her story of what happened . While I applaud the increased attention toward the oft-times taboo subject of domestic violence, the timing seems contrived and her approach manipulative. Her management can't possibly think the public believes she was too upset to broach the subject publicly when she was literally on the blogs every other day for an appearance at one exotic, luxe locale or another. Rihanna was also supposedly still dating Chris Brown for some time after the incident, but this has been glossed over by her PR machine. I sense we are veering off on a tangent, so let's continue, shall we?
The points laid out in number one are really par for the course in the industry so my strongest objection comes from 2) the lyrics. The lyrics to this song describe a young girl grappling with her decision to take part in a game of Russian roulette as part of an initiation into some sort of group (probably a gang). The girl realizes she might lose her life, but feels pressured to partake because the guy initiating her made it through unscathed. This is exactly the type of extreme and dangerous imagery that appeals to many of today's youth. Adolescents as a whole feel they are invincible while at the same time being far more susceptible to peer pressure and trends than any other age group. Rihanna is a huge pop star and trendsetter. If she is all over the airwaves singing about a suicide game, children and youth will follow suit.
Unfortunately, like drug use, suicide ideaology can take root from one bad seed and spread through a peer group like wildfire. I think it is despicable for someone who, only a week ago, was on prime time television declaring she wants to be a role model for young girls to then turn around and talk about possibly blowing her brains out because someone told her to. Some critics question Rihanna's singing and dancing abilities, however she has star appeal and is likely to stick around for the next few years if not longer. There is money to be made regardless of what she sings about (umbrellas?), so why not make your comeback with something positive?
