‘Rated R’ Re-Release Confirmed….Kinda

Published: Monday 14th Dec 2009 by Sam
rihanna_glamour

It appears Def Jam are wasting no time rushing out a re-release of Rihanna‘s latest effort ‘Rated R‘. For in a recent interview with the the BBC,  Ryan Tedder, the hitmaker behind Beyonce’s ‘Halo’, confirmed that he will be heading into the studio with the model at the start of the new year. Check out an excerpt from the feature:

Those so far on his radar include Ne-Yo, the Noisettes. Lupe Fiasco, Imogen Heap and in the new year, Rihanna.

He admits he’s been trying to synchronise schedules with the Umbrella singer for about a year and a half now and wants to get her pushing the boundaries.

He said: “She’s in a darker musical place right now… she’s got enough of those songs on Rated R to last for a while.

“I can do stuff dark musically, haunting kind of thing, but I want to have her do something vocally that she’s never done before.”

While news of a all-but-confirmed re-release comes as no surprise, two things really struck me upon reading this. The first being that in trying to get her to do something vocally she’s never done before, perhaps he could actually get RiRi to sing out of her mouth instead of her nostrils. More than anything though, it really drove home how disgusting the industry can be at times…it’s as if a re-release was always in the pipeline (yes, we all knew it was coming, but the confirmation leaves a salty taste in my mouth). Surely the general premise of re-releases are to extend the shelf-life of an already-successful album or a poorly selling album that never got a chance first go round (in the way of promotion etc)?

Whatever the eventual fate of ‘Rated R’, there’s no doubt its numbers to date are atrocious – when considering all the promo, sympathy, interviews, her success with her last album and all that jazz. If folk weren’t buying into it now, I have no idea why a re-release – which all indications point to being planned before the original even came out – is being given the green-light. As I type, the notion of another entirely new LP being rushed out next year came to mind, which IMO is equally as bad. SMH…

Your thoughts?

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  1. B@tch Please December 14, 2009

    I can’t wait.LOVE RIRI

  2. parisian girl December 14, 2009

    here we go again…
    i know u like it sam!drama drama drama!

  3. whystillinbusiness December 14, 2009

    Get mad all you want at him, he is speaking the truth. Do you all know this is x-mas season when everyone and their momma is spending money and Rihanna only sold WW what she should’ve sold her first week? What do you think is going to happen after x-mas season? Out of the top 100 in a month! They calling that mess a dark side, what it actually was, was a bunch of stupid love songs gone bad… Major promo and still going down HARD!

    Promo:
    3 free concerts to date
    20/20 show huge audience
    walking the streets of everywhere
    3 major networks showed her
    Fuse showing all day
    sympathy

  4. Rihanna Flop December 14, 2009

    and this is a surprise because? LOL 180,000 sales first week, 70% decrease by the second week its too much fun to watch

  5. Rihanna Flop December 14, 2009

    all the promo in the world couldnt help that 99 cents flop piece of trash album
    who wants a burger and fries with that?

  6. wtf December 14, 2009

    whats funny is people laughin at breezy and yet rihanna is flopping big time..they say his rant on twiiter was stupid but it actually got his fans and management to act…what people fail to understand its not people who dnt want his music but stores being shaddy..there is a huge difference there…anyways, its being sorted and graffiti will be on shelves if not already….

    i just bought 3 copies today and now i am sitting at 4.. will give to my cousins…the 2 stores i went to it was selling like hot cakes i kid u not…Rated R was sitting on the shelve and not moving..the one store, graffiti was actually on more in the front than rated r which was pushed to the back coz its not selling….his album is gonna have a long shelve life and will go platinum…his tour will be a success jus watch…

    anyway, i dnt think a re-release will help..people are just no longer feeling her or her direction..people say karma to chris but on the charts he is actually doing much better which makes u go hmmmmmm!!!

    oh sam, she is naked btw on gq..when all fails, do some h** s***!!

  7. wtf December 14, 2009

    oh dnt think he will reach his last figures but he will sell more than rihanna in the long run..watch!!!

  8. Nick December 14, 2009

    u guys/gals r so silly-RIHANNA has never really had huge #’s, BUT always ends up seliing krazy @ the end, once it’s done…this cd will do well, once she really starts putting out the more radio singles..THIS CD IS FIRE!!! I LOVER EVERY SINGLE SONG, even the wait is ova has grown on me…I dont get it, BUT the singing part is cute…haha, I LIKE THIS CD A LOT !!!!!

  9. B@tch Please December 14, 2009

    Hater will be Hater. RIRI always come out on top and the know that just look at Chris Brown Cd sales. Everyone even me thought he would sale more then RIRI.NOT.

  10. Anon December 14, 2009

    But you know that with its EVEN WORSE first week numbers, Graffiti is going to be re-released too, right? It’s inevitable.

  11. whystillinbusiness December 14, 2009

    Stop talking before she blew up, talk reality, like her status now! All the past first week sales should’ve been put on a shelf after GGGB and you know it! This album should have been her first #1 album after all the hype of GGGB, the fight gone bad, her promo, working with Jay z on RTT, 20/20, releasing 3 songs back to back and so on. Susan Boyle should have been eating Riri’s dust, but because of the low sales she is working her but off when she should have been on an Island somewhere sipping something nice to drink, playing with Melissa…. Laughing at GAGA!

  12. JoshZilla December 14, 2009

    LOL @ Ryan Tedder saying he wants her to do something vocally that she’s never done before.. hmm.. like actually sing on key? LMAO.

    Bajan model. that’s right.. she’s a model and lets keep it at that. Save my ear drums the pain and suffering of her chanting and yodelling.

  13. SEAN December 14, 2009

    While I am pretty disgusted with the fact that they’re re-releasing this album, please do not knock Rated R. It’s performing better than Grafitti and has been doing reasonably well. Plus, it is a fantastic album. Seriously! Absolutely brilliant! Rihanna can manage to pump out another three singles from the album: Fire Bomb, Te Amo and Rude Boy! Then, she can clear off for a while!

  14. wtf December 14, 2009

    ok RR is doing better than graffiti??? in what world???

    anyways came to gloat..riri stans talk about her 500k sales..where they get those figures is beyond me but none the less..according to them rihanna reign wont let up, she is the baddest bish in heels yet susan has sold 5million WW in a month…buwahhhhhhhhhhhh, who the baddest bish again??? rihanna has had more press the boyle but only has manged to sell 0.10% of her sales with her 27 million fans she says…where are thoe fans one might have to wonder??? ok no more playing, 27 million fans where u at??come out comeout where ever u are…lol

  15. Hmmm… December 14, 2009

    Soooo saw this coming! No matter what you Rih stans say, 189,000 first week and already out of the top ten is not good for an artist as big as her! It may have gon gold WW, but with all the promo she got and all the sympathy , that doesn’t say much. Plus its the end of the year, once Holiday season is over, sales will slow down.

    @Anon: Another damn delusional ass Rih stan who always has to bring up CB’s name, even when it has nothing to do with him! Please, CB has nothing to worry about. Once he start releasing more single, his sales will pick up. Remember he was the most hated man in Amerca for damn near the whole year! He got a fraction of the promo Rihanna got! She had two top ten singles this year “Run this Town’ and ‘RR’, he didn’t have a single in the top ten like Rih did (although top twenty isn’t bad), he didn’t perform at the AMA’s, a Live Nokia concert, a concert in NY, a concert on a cruise ship, GMA, and that infamous 20/20 interview. She only managed to sell 189,000 wth all that damn promo! He hasn’t been able to perform on ANY live televised shows, some radio stations still aren’t playing his music, a small tour with venues of only about 4-6k and basically his only form of promo being his own twitter page and still he sells over 100,000k! He did great consdering his obstacles
    FYI, CB won’t have to re-release Graffiti, he already has a Deluxe version with a total of 20 songs you jackass! There are at least 6 potential singles that will carry him through next year. ‘Wait’ with Trey Songz, ‘What I do’ with Plies, ‘SIng Like Me’, ‘Pass Out’, ‘Movie’, ‘Brown Skin Girl”. He will be fine! He can just sit back and release singles and let them carry his album through next year. He has a movie comng out early next year, he will do some shows overseas and a tour next summer. Trust CB’s album will be platinum by this time next year with no re-releases.

  16. stan December 14, 2009

    uhh, he doesn’t say there’s going to be a re-release. he just said he’s going to work with her next year. reading comprehension much?

  17. whystillinbusiness December 14, 2009

    Why is it that Rihanna stans want to except anything from her, it’ like you know she dont have the talent and you are used to it and expect nothing more but you yourself will dog another artist for doing the same thing and know the other artist have talent.. Rihanna, right now should be on cloud nine for selling over 1 mil in her first week in the states alone with another 2 mil in the uK with them 27 mil WW fans, but instead is going crzay inside cause no artist with that much press and being that much talked about and having that much talent like you stans claim should not be just coming in over 500,000 in three wks……That # was suppose to be opening #s for the states alone. It amazes me how you settle for nothing…

  18. B@tch Please December 14, 2009

    The fact is that she sold more album then CB in the first week. CB have out two single thats a flop hes a flop. FLOP FLOP

    LOVE RIRI

  19. bobs December 14, 2009

    She has sold 500k world wide. Has the #2 song in Europe. Gold in UK and Australia. She’ll be gold in US by the end of 2009. If she sells 1 million copies of this Album that’s just fine.
    It’s a different album, different style of music.

    So people can hate, but the album is critically acclaimed, and getting tons of attention.

    I mean, it’s not a Chris Brown like flop. S***** song, worst reviews of any album this year, and pathetic sales of 90k first week. Now that’s a damn fail.

    His album debuted at #60 in the UK and no post about that. There was a post about Rihanna coming in at #16 as terrible. Even tho she is Gold.

  20. Kirk December 14, 2009

    @Joshzilla, You took the words right outta my mouth. Can you Imagine Rihianna “singing” a song with the enormity of “Bleeding Love” and “Halo”. DEATH on her vocal cords

  21. P.S December 14, 2009

    sam F*** U, m just tired of u, anyone who think rihanna is flopping u r stupid, have u seen a flopping album selling more that 240000 in just 2weeks and u call it a flop u r indeed stupid. it seems u let Gay sam think 4 u instead of thinking 4 your f****** selves, if u want a flop go check chris browns Grafitti now thats a flop.

  22. VaunTV December 14, 2009

    SALTY TASTE, WHY?? EVERYONE DOES RE-RELEASES .. And Sam, I have one Question…. Do you consider Lady Gaga’s The Fame Monster a flop??? I mean U have to since it’s selling less than Rihanna’s Rated R, doesnt that automatically make it a flop? Oh Ok..

  23. smith December 14, 2009

    @VAUNTV…How is Lady Gaga selling less than Rihanna and the album is higher on Billboard than Rihanna’s….Oh Ok…

  24. Dawon December 14, 2009

    Man you Rihanna fans know how to come up with some excuses lol…As much hype as this chick has had this year you mean to tell me that the album isn’t GOLD yet?! She has had performance and PRIMETIME interviews plugging her incident and album and she releases an album in November (holiday season) and cant pull 200k her first week! That is a major flop! Why you think they trying to do the re-release so soon. At least with GGGB the album was out for almost a year b4 that did a re-release. FLOP!!!!

  25. Dawon December 14, 2009

    Then someone said she will be GOLD in US by the end of 2009 and that’s 2 weeks away and she has only sold 240,000. Good luck with that LOL…This chick a flop!

    Queen Beyonce would never!

  26. king December 14, 2009

    I cant stop laughing at these stans comments…blah blah blah we’re haters..blah blah blah rihanna’s is the best….
    its sad,all the h** s*** she done, crying victim, going on every major TV shows, and radio stations..You mean to tell me this bish couldnt managed at least 300,000k on the first week?
    and you got an old white lady who most of us never heard of, sold 5 times more than u on the first week…I dont give a fug how good the album is, that is still pitifull.
    I dont give a fug how many time rated r is re realeased, that ish still gonna be a bomb..
    so stans get over it…ur queen rihanna FAILED big time..
    deny, deny all yall want..the numbers are speaking for themselves..
    SO DAMN SAD AND PATHETIC..LOLOLOL

  27. Peanut December 14, 2009

    Check the charts hooker, your s** isn’t selling!

  28. AWOLLUVA December 14, 2009

    I’m starting to think Rihanna, just like Chris Brown, should have waited longer to release an album. This whole situation is just not cute at all, lol.

    Team Susan Boyle!!!

  29. Pinkpop December 15, 2009

    LOL …that’s all I can say. Anyone saw her GQ cover…. damn she’s tryng to hard to sell s**, and I think her fans don’t like that… neither do I.

  30. Pinkpop December 15, 2009

    U know what makes me sick…. your so-called haters are right. You stans search for every damn excuse. “she never had top #’s first week”
    actually, that’s what it’s all about. Her team excpected huge first week #’s this time around, because after GGGB one was allowed to expect that.
    But she didn’t sell, so it’s (from that point on) an oficial flop.
    There is no excuse for that.
    Otherwise, of course other artists would be pleased with such numbers,
    but for a Rihanna it’s just no good at all. So please stans, go and sit down or try support your queen b****, because it feels like you didn’t do that enough. lol

  31. hihihihihi December 15, 2009

    f*** u u and trentia

  32. KAY December 23, 2009

    HER ALBUM DID NOT FLOP…SHE HAD THE BIGGEST OPENING WEEK OF HER PREVIOUS ALBUMS….U PPL TALK S*** WITH NO REASON….I’VE HEARD THE ALBUM AND IT’S DAMN GOOD!!! CB’S ALBUM ON THE OTHER HAND DID FLOP….BIG TIME….SELLING ONLY 100K….THATS SAD COMPARED TO HIS LAST ALBUM WHICH SOLD 300K IN IT’S 1ST WEEK!!! RIRI’S ALBUM DID NOT FLOP AND IT WILL GO PLATINUM B4 SHE RE-RELEASES IT AGAIN!!!

    TEAM RIRI!!!!!!!

  33. vladimir January 1, 2010

    ha…ri ri sold 1 million cd worlwide in 5 weeks.

    So is her cd a flop…I see no !!!!

  34. CARLOS February 22, 2010

    F*** YOU-ALL B******!!

    if u hate Rihanna i don’t know wtf are u doing in here reading this? the GGGB album was the best of rihanna— and the selling of RATED R was 180,000 the first week the next up 190,000 all of u who don’t believe f*** u— i don’t care LOL… Rihanna beats Lady Gaga, Shakira and Beyonce with the first day selling the album!!! bye b******

  35. CARLOS February 22, 2010

    @PINKPOP

    Rihanna was in the 200 billboard of U.S. and she was in number 4…

    1.Susan Boyle
    2.Adam Lambert
    3.Taylor Swift
    4.RIHANNA
    5.Lady Gaga
    6.
    7.
    8
    9.
    10.Shakira
    11.
    12.
    13.
    .
    .
    .
    23.Black eyed peas

  36. Noneya Damn Bit-ness February 23, 2010

    I’m completely confused. I’m sitting here thinking that you guys had something valid to say, but it turns out it was just being biased. If you’re trying to become a journalist – whoever you are – by modeling after them with a blog, then you should know bias has no place here. Secondly, I could understand if you were in the least bit right, but this album sold better than her first and has gone PLATINUM in several countries – i.e.: her becoming best International Star of the Year – & in 5 weeks she went platinum here, as someone aforementioned. So I’m confused? How were you right? You just went off on a tangent – and then a rant – and looked completely foolish! Not to mention she debut @ # 4 & kept her place for what – up to 4 weeks. Please just google her, people and even the fools, who Googled this pathetic ass blog & you will see the TRUTH clearly outlined. Hop off of her please, she has a career that she needs to get back to, & you haters are blocking extra hard…

    Just sad… I’m thinking whoever wrote this had proof or at least a documented lie…

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