Rihanna Good Girl Gone Bad

Within one hi-hat, Rihanna goes from promising starlet to cocksure icon. “Umbrella”—a weapons-grade pop hit—opens this third album with its unmistakable drum beat and Jay-Z assist and ushers in a most staggering metamorphosis. The poise on her signature single is held throughout, with “Please Don’t Stop The Music” flirting confidently with its Michael Jackson sample, “Shut Up and Drive” unleashing her new, frankly terrifying confidence and “Lemme Get That” playfully returning her to the dance hall. There’s also light to the fiercest of shade (“Rehab” and “Hate That I Love You” are superior spiky ballads) as we bear witness to an explosive maturation.