Artist: Rihanna

Album: Loud

Label: Island Def Jam

It's disappointing that in the world of pop music, female empowerment is now equated with sexual promiscuity.

Unfortunately, with Rihanna, as with so many other female pop stars, that's exactly what it means. Loud's first track, "S&M," with its chorus proclaiming, "sticks and stones may break my bones, but chains and whips excite me" isn't subtle. Neither is "Skin," a play-by-play of a fictional bedroom encounter. It's not that we haven't heard this before, but might it be wishing too much for something to be left to the imagination?

To her credit, this album - the fifth in the Barbados-born megastar's career - isn't nearly as dirty as Katy Perry's latest, or as obsessed with deviant sexual behavior as Lady Gaga. In its own way, Loud is tasteful, but still incredibly shallow. The one song that shows an interest in anything other than self, "Man Down," feels cliche in an "I Shot The Sheriff" way.

It's not that Loud isn't an exceptionally-crafted album. Moments of pop euphoria abut slinky R&B, with several nods to Rihanna's Caribbean roots. There's less filler here than on previous efforts. By and large, Rihanna and her bevy of producers, headed by the Swedish Stargate team, create hooky, danceable tracks destined to be chart-toppers. 

Both lead single "Only Girl (In the World)," with its lush, synth-heavy Europop arrangement, and "What's My Name," a boy-girl back and forth between Rihanna and Drake, have already hit #1, and even third single S&M seems headed that way. Rihanna's voice is remarkably versatile; she seems as comfortable belting a power ballad like "California King Bed," as purring through "Skin" or handling a reggae cadence on "Cheers (Drink to That)."

 She succeeds more directly on "Love the Way You Lie Part II," a brilliant pop melody stripped down to piano and drums. A sequel of sorts to the hit single from Eminem, Rihanna's vocals feature more prominently than on his Recovery album, but the song's subject matter - an abusive relationship - is no less eerie, given Rihanna's past history. Her delivery - raw, hollow, and bruised - is spectacular.

After veering slightly off course with 2009's Rated R, Loud represents a return to form for the ubiquitous megastar. But with so many listening, it would be refreshing if Rihanna took a road less traveled, and communicated that there's more to being a modern woman than self-fulfillment. Her talent has given Rihanna quite a platform; here's hoping she uses it wisely.

*This Review First Published 11/30/2010