Common Sense Note
Parents need to know that there is mild sexual innuendo and talk of infidelity on many of Rihanna's songs, but also a gentle message of empowerment for girls. There is also some violent imagery.
Families can talk about what it might be like to have pop music success like Rihanna's while still a teenager. What are the benefits? What might the down-side be? What does the album title really mean?
Common Sense Review
Reviewed By: Kathi Kamen Goldmark
On A GIRL LIKE ME, Rihanna tries to keep the party going with some very danceable songs, interspersed with a large helping of heartfelt ballads.
Paying respect to her fans' summertime-dance-club expectations, she starts off with the irresistibly danceable "SOS" before drifting off into a more thoughtful and pensive mood. The overall effect is pretty mainstream, with fewer streaks of sparkling Barbados sunshine. A GIRL LIKE ME seems designed to show off Rihanna's increased emotional depth and range as she matures artistically. The songs work, but some fans might miss the fun vibe of Music of the Sun.
Lovesick teens will respond to the heartbreak stuff as much or more than the dance tunes, but other family members might find this collection of songs a bit tedious. The themes are a little more substantial, and also a little more blatantly sexual. Infidelity is dealt with from both sides of the relationship, as "Unfaithful" addresses the issue of infidelity from the point of view of a compulsive cheater, using some violent imagery to get the poignant point across. ("I might as well take a gun and put it to his head, get it over with...I don't want to take away his life/I don't want to be a murderer.") The next track, "We Ride," is all about the pain of being cheated on.
Other songs are very sexy and sexual without actually being explicit. As usual, there's also a gentle message of empowerment for girls, as several of the tunes address issues of self-esteem and controlling one's own life and loves.
A Girl Like Me is expressive, even a little soulful, but less exciting and far less exotic than Rihanna's debut. It will be interesting to see what happens as this very young and talented artist comes into her own.
Rate It!
| Content | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CS | adults | kids | ||
Sexual ContentA lot of innuendo, nothing explicit. A few mentions of infidelity. |
 |
 |
|
|
ViolenceSome violent imagery in a relationship context -- one mention of handcuffs in sex play. |
|
|
|
|
Language |
|
|
|
|
Message |
|
|
|
|
Social BehaviorSome gently empowering messages for girls. |
 |
|
 |
|
Commercialism |
|
|
|
|
Drug/Alcohol/Tobacco |
|
|
 |
|
