Unapologetic is the seventh studio album by Barbadian recording artist Rihanna, released on November 19, 2012, by Def Jam Recordings. The album was recorded between June and November 2012, during promotion of her sixth studio album, Talk That Talk (2011). As executive producer, Rihanna enlisted previous collaborators The-Dream, David Guetta, Chase & Status, and StarGate to work alongside new collaborators such as Mike Will Made-It and Labrinth. Its music incorporates pop, EDM, and dubstep styles, much in the vein of Talk That Talk and Rated R (2009). The album features guest vocals from Chris Brown, Eminem, Future, and Mikky Ekko.

Upon its release, Unapologetic received generally mixed reviews from music critics. Some critics found its music interesting, while others criticized its lyrical content and rushed approached. The album debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200 with first-week sales of 238,000 copies, becoming Rihanna's first number-one album on the chart and best-selling debut week of her career. The album also became Rihanna's third, fourth and fifth consecutive number-one album in the United Kingdom, Norway and Switzerland, respectively.

"Diamonds" was released as the album's lead single on September 27, 2012. It peaked at number one on the US Billboard Hot 100, and additionally topped the charts in seventeen other countries worldwide. The album's second worldwide single "Stay" which features Mikky Ekko was released on January 7, 2013, and "Pour It Up" was solicited to urban radio as the album's third single in the United States on January 8, 2013. Prior to its release, Rihanna promoted the album with the 777 Tour which consisted of a seven-date promotional tour in which Rihanna performed seven concerts each in a different city in North America and Europe in seven days. The album will also be supported by the Diamonds World Tour beginning in March 2013.

Background and development[link]

In November 2011, Rihanna released her sixth studio album entitled Talk That Talk. Musically, the album was rooted in pop, dance-pop and R&B, but also incorporated a variety of other musical genres such as hip hop, electro house, dancehall and dubstep, a genre which was prominent on her fourth studio album Rated R (2009).^[1] Talk That Talk received generally positive reviews from contemporary music critics upon its release.^[2] It was a commercial success and reached the top ten in over twenty national charts, including number one on the UK Albums Chart^[3] and number three on the US Billboard 200.^[4] The album produced six singles including the worldwide hits "We Found Love" and "Where Have You Been". "We Found Love" topped the charts in over 25 countries and sold over 6.5 million copies worldwide, making it one of the best-selling singles of all time.^[5]

In March 2012, Rihanna revealed that although she had not yet begun recording, she started "working on the new sound" for her seventh studio album.^[6] On September 12, 2012, Def Jam France announced via Twitter that Rihanna would release a new single the upcoming week while her seventh studio album is scheduled to be released in November 2012. However, the tweet was shortly deleted and replaced with another clarifying that "more information will be made available tomorrow, Thursday, September 13".^[7] To further promote the announcement for her seventh upcoming studio album, Rihanna launched a promotional website rihanna7.com. Via her official Twitter account, Rihanna posted series of "teasing" tweets announcing her seventh studio album.^[8] On October 11, 2012, in one of her tweets revealed that the title of her new album is Unapologetic alongside with its cover.^[9] Regarding the title of the album, Rihanna explained that she named it because she wanted to express how honest she is, "I named my album 'Unapologetic' because there is only one truth, and you can't apologise for that. It's honest. I'm always evolving of course, I think the only motto I have is to be true to myself."^[10]

Recording and production[link]

Sia Furler (left) and The-Dream (right) both worked with Rihanna on Unapologetic.

On June 20, 2012, Rihanna began recording her seventh studio album, working with Nicky Romero and Burns.^[11] Rihanna and Burns booked three days in a studio in London whilst Rihanna was performing at Radio 1's Hackney Weekend.^[12] It was also confirmed that Rihanna worked with Eric Bellinger, Sean Garrett and Swedish House Mafia for her seventh album.^[13] On July 6, 2012, Def Jam executive No I.D. revealed that he had begun working with Rihanna on the album saying “I’m going in next week for about a week”.^[14] On July 10, 2012, British singer and producer Labrinth revealed to Capital FM that he had been working with Rihanna on the album saying "I'm supposed to be working with her soon hopefully so I've spoke to her managers, I think she's currently working on some stuff so everybody's in there at the moment and she's working in certain studios so it seems like it's very exciting. She's not in my studio [yet] but hopefully I'll have some hot ones on her album."^[15] On July 17, 2012, it was reported that Rihanna would be working with R&B singer Ne-Yo and N-Dubz member Fazer. In an interview with Capital FM Ne-Yo spoke on working with Rihanna on the album saying "I just recently went in to do some stuff for Rihanna, you know. She’s the hardest working woman in showbiz right now. She’s in the process of putting together a new album as we speak, I got in with StarGate and David Guetta and a few other people for that project.^[16]

On July 13, 2012, Sean Garrett confirmed that he had been in the studio with French DJ David Guetta working on Rihanna's album saying "I was in the studio with David doing some stuff for Rihanna recently. He finds inspiration in the things I don't like, and I get excited by the things he doesn't like. He wants to be more urban and I want to be more international, so we push each other, I try to help Rihanna. She works hard and it's cool to write for someone who is so open-minded."^[17] On August 21, American songwriter Claude Kelly revealed that he had been writing songs for Rihanna whilst she was performing in London. Kelly spoke on the songs that he had wrote for Rihanna saying; "Rihanna's a worldwide superstar at this point and she's performing in stadiums and arenas now, so I wanted songs that reflected her audience, when I was in London she was performing at a festival in front of like 30,000 to 40,000 people. So I didn't want small songs that only worked on radio, so I tried to do anthemic big stadium-themed songs."^[18] On August 16, 2012, British singer Angel revealed that he had been writing for Rihanna's album saying "I love writing songs and it's good to pitch tracks to other artists. A couple of weeks ago I was doing some writing for Rihanna".^[19] In September 2012, Ne-Yo confirmed his involvement the album saying “I did go in the studio with her, I know I got one or two on the album that she’s definitely keeping.”^[20]

Music and lyrics[link]

Rihanna spoke on the album’s sound saying she loves working with different sounds and putting them together.^[21] Rihanna also added "Right now we're working on collecting and creating the sound first before we even start working on the lyrical direction or melodies. I kind of have an idea though, and it's very rough right now. So I'm very eager to start that."^[22] Sean Garrett spoke on the album's sound saying it was "a great mish-mash of genres".^[23] Rihanna reveled during an interview with GQ’s “Men of the Year” that she wanted her music to be uplifting saying “I want to make music that’s hopeful, uplifting. Nothing corny or supersentimental. I just want it to have the feeling that brings you out of whatever you’re going through. I want it to spark that fire. I want it to be real, authentic, and raw.”^[24][25]

Unapologetic is a pop album.^[26] The album's first half is made up of EDM songs,^[27] which feature abrasive sound effects and eccentric beats.^[28] Like most of the album, they generally draw on dubstep, a bass-heavy subgenre typified by wobbly synthetic noises and blaring bass drops, as well as dance-pop and chopped and screwed sounds.^[29] Jon Caramanica of The New York Times characterizes the album's music as "brutish and bruised" with "tough and layered" production, citing David Guetta's "guttural" production on "Phresh Out the Runway" and "Right Now" as an example.^[30] Music journalist Alexis Petridis views that the album's "various producers seem to have been minded to try something different" from Rihanna's previous "pop-dance template", "or at least to rearrange voguish sounds into less familiar shapes."^[31] Jon Dolan of Rolling Stone observes "stark, shadowy R&B" on the album.^[32] Unapologetic's ballad-oriented second half incorporates disco, reggae, and rock style.^[28]

American rapper, Eminem is featured on the track "Numb", marking the pair's third collaboration following the worldwide hit, "Love the Way You Lie" and its sequel (2010).

Up-tempo dubstep songs such as "Phresh Out the Runway", "Jump", and "Pour It Up" celebrate carpe diemic hedonism.^[26] Much of the album's lyrics are presumably concerned with Rihanna's relationship with Chris Brown,^[31] with the second half's lighter songs featuring references to a dysfunctional love life.^[33] The album's subject matter is reflected by an abundance of minor key sounds throughout its songs.^[34] James Reed of The Boston Globe calls Unapologetic "a defiant middle finger to her critics, particularly the ones who don’t approve of her relationship with Brown."^[35] Music journalist Greg Kot perceives a "celebrity subtext" throughout the album and characterizes the songs' narrators as "troubled, anxiety-ridden, lost", writing that "the characters in these songs linger in a limbo of mixed emotions, emotionally attracted to a lover and yet uneasy about the next step."^[26] Caryn Ganz of Spin writes that "Rihanna sings about her unapologetic love of" money, love, and "living in the moment" on the songs "Pour It Up", "Loveeeee Song", and "Right Now", respectively.^[36]

Songs[link]

The album's opening track "Phresh Out the Runway" is a "gritty club banger" that features hip hop and EDM styles.^[37] "Diamonds" is a mid-tempo ballad which incorporates electronic, soul and pop musical genres.^[38][39] "Numb" is a slow-grinding, Middle Eastern-flavored party track.^[37] "Loveeeeeee Song" is a duet with rapper and singer Future, with soft vocals by Rihanna and lyrics that posit love as an adversarial game.^[30] "Jump" is a dubstep-influenced dance song that samples Ginuwine's 1996 song "Pony".^[40] "Right Now" is a "feel-good anthem for the clubs".^[37]

"What Now" is a "vulnerable ballad" containing a "hard chorus".^[37] "Stay" is a ballad that has piano and guitar instrumentation.^[41][42] "Nobody's Business" mixes Chicago stepping and house styles, featuring strings, piano, and a four-on-the-floor kick drum.^[26] Rihanna said that the song's lyrics show "basically the way I look at everything regarding my personal life."^[43] "Love Without Tragedy"/"Mother Mary" is a deeply personal, two-part song that opens with a somber mood and shifts to confessional subject matter and Rihanna's uplifting vocals.^[37] "Get It Over With" is a down-tempo, "chilled-out" song, and "No Love Allowed" is a reggae song with a "bubbly, dubbed-out groove".^[37] The final track "Lost in Paradise" is a "somber-but-hopeful" mid-tempo ballad with frequent tempo drops.^[37]

Reception[link]

Critical response[link]

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[44]
The A.V. Club	C+[45]
Entertainment Weekly	B+[46]
The Guardian	[31]
The Independent	[47]
NME	7/10[48]
Pitchfork Media	4.5/10[34]
Rolling Stone	[32]
Slant Magazine	[33]
Spin	7/10[36]

Unapologetic received generally mixed reviews from music critics.^[49] At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 61, which indicates "generally favorable reviews", based on 25 reviews.^[50] Alexis Petridis of The Guardian found it "far more interesting" sonically than Talk That Talk and stated, "there's stuff here that's worth hearing, if you could untangle the music from the artist's personal life."^[31] Alex Macpherson of Fact cited its material as Rihanna's "most interesting" and "effective" since Rated R (2009) and stated, "Even when Unapologetic fails, it often does so in interesting ways" musically.^[51] Allmusic editor Andy Kellman opined that "the only way to enjoy a significant portion of it is by taking it as pure entertainment" and called it "another timely refresh of contemporary pop music".^[44] Dan Martin of NME commented that, "at its best, Unapologetic trades in daring avant pop", and dubbed Rihanna the "most compelling of pop phenomena".^[48] Jon Dolan of Rolling Stone found the album "confrontationally honest and sung within an inch of its life".^[32] Jon Caramanica of The New York Times felt that it "makes the most of [Rihanna's] talent" and stated, "even on the most vulnerable songs, she maintains her cool, never once verging on the maudlin."^[30] Smokey Fontaine of The Huffington Post called it "kinetic and musically varied", writing that it "blasts the sounds of global, post-mod youth culture through every track."^[52]

In a mixed review, Genevieve Koski of The A.V. Club criticized Rihanna for "extend[ing] the album's defiant tone to her romantic life" and called it "a fiery pop album that's unfortunately coated in the icky residue of unearned defiance that has marked Brown’s recent output."^[45] Randall Roberts of the Los Angeles Times felt that its commercial "lyrical turns poison" the album, "even while musically, Rihanna has evolved into one of the more forward-thinking pop divas."^[29] Simon Price of The Independent panned Rihanna's singing as "flatter than Norfolk" and its material "dull as dishwater", observing "the usual half-hearted, sexual single-entendres".^[47] Greg Kot of the Chicago Tribune wrote that its dubstep songs "feel like respites" "in the context of an album dominated by ballads and at least superficially introspective lyrics".^[26] Slant Magazine's Eric Henderson commented that the album sounds "cobbled together" and quipped, "If only the music were compelling enough to back up the supreme bad faith" of the lyrics.^[33] Pitchfork Media's Jessica Hopper dismissed its music as "synth-pop slog" and said that the songs "make for dull labor, not worth our time and not befitting Rihanna's talent."^[34]

Commercial performance[link]

In the United States, Unapologetic debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 with sales of 238,000, becoming Rihanna's first number-one album in the country. In addition, it became the best-selling debut week of her career, besting her fifth studio album Loud (2010) which debuted at number three with sales of 207,000.^[53] In the same week, the lead single from the album, "Diamonds" remained atop the Billboard Hot 100 for a second consecutive week. As a result, Rihanna became only the second artist of 2012 to top both the Billboard 200 album chart and Hot 100 singles chart simultaneously, the first being British singer-songwriter Adele.^[54] The next week, the album fell to number six and sold additional 72,000 copies.^[55] As of January 27, 2013, Unapologetic had sold 637,100 copies in the US.^[56]

The album debuted at number one on the UK Albums Chart with sales of over 100,000 copies sold in its first week, marking Rihanna's fourth album to reach the top spot in the UK, following Good Girl Gone Bad, Loud and Talk That Talk. In addition, it became Rihanna's third consecutive chart topper, tying Madonna, Eva Cassidy and Norah Jones for the female artists with the most consecutive number one albums.^[57] As of January 2013 the album has sold 475,000 copies in the UK.^[58] The album debuted at number two on the Irish Albums Chart. It reached number one in its sixth week on the chart. The album also became Rihanna's fifth consecutive number one album of her career in Switzerland.^[59] Unapologetic also reached number one in Norway, marking Rihanna's fourth consecutive chart topping album of her career in the country.^[60] In the Flanders region of Belgium, Unapologetic became Rihanna's highest-charting album of her career, reaching number two, surpassing the number three peaks of her two previous releases, Loud (2010) and Talk That Talk (2011).^[61] In Denmark, Unapologetic was certified gold by the IFPI Denmark, denoting shipments of 10,000 copies.^[62]

Singles[link]

	"Diamonds" A 25-second sample of the chorus of "Diamonds", an electronic and soul-inspired mid-tempo ballad,[38][39] featuring drums and heavy synthesizers.[63][64][65][66]
Problems listening to this file? See media help.

"Diamonds" was released as the lead single from Unapologetic, premiering on September 26, 2012 and being released the following day.^[67][68] The cover artwork for the song features Rihanna rolling diamonds on a piece of marijuana paper.^[69][70] "Diamonds" debuted at number 16 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart,^[71] eventually reaching number one, giving Rihanna her twelfth number one in the country and tying her with Madonna and The Supremes as the artists with the fifth-most number ones in the chart's history.^[72]

"Stay", which features guest vocals by American recording artist Mikky Ekko was released as the second international single from the album on January 28, 2013.^[73][74] Dan Martin for NME thought that the lyrical content of "Stay" puts a "vulnerable spin" on her relationship with Chris Brown. The song has so far peaked at number four in the UK.^[75]

"Pour It Up" was solicited to urban radio as the album's third single in the United States on January 8, 2013.^[73] "Pour it Up" debuted on the US Billboard Hot 100 at 90.

Release and promotion[link]

In August 2012, it was revealed that the album would be released in late November 2012.^[76] In early October, it was reported that the album would be released on November 19, 2012.^[77] On November 2, 2012, Rihanna released a behind the scenes video of the journey to making Unapologetic. The first video included a behind-the-scenes view of Rihanna backstage at the VMAs, the shooting range, rehearsing for the iHeart Radio Music Festival and a photo shoot at the studio.^[78]

Live performances[link]

Rihanna performing during her 777 Tour in Mexico.

Rihanna performed "Diamonds" and "Phresh Out the Runway" at the 2012 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show on November 7, 2012, which will air on television on December 4, 2012.^[79] She performed "Diamonds" and a solo version of "Stay" on Saturday Night Live on November 10, 2012.^[80][81] On November 25, 2012, Rihanna performed "Diamonds" on The X Factor in the United Kingdom.^[82] On December 9, 2012, Rihanna performed "Stay" in a medley with her 2011 single "We Found Love" on the final of series nine of The X Factor UK.^[83] On December 18, 2012, the singer performed "Diamonds" on the season three finale of US The Voice.^[84]

777 Tour[link]

On November 14, Rihanna embarked on a seven-date promotional tour entitled 777 Tour. She performed seven concerts each in a different city in North America and Europe in seven days to promote the release of Unapologetic.^[80] Fans and members of the international press (150 journalists representing 82 countries) were invited aboard a chartered Boeing 777 twinjet to every venue.^[85] Beginning on November 14 in Mexico City, the tour visit Toronto (Canada), Stockholm (Sweden), Paris (France), Berlin (Germany), London (UK) and ended on November 20 in New York City (United States).^[85]

Diamonds World Tour[link]

To further promote the album, Rihanna will embark on her fifth concert tour, the Diamonds World Tour in 2013. So far, North American and European dates have been announced. ASAP Rocky will act as the support act for North America, whilst David Guetta has been confirmed as the support act for selected European dates including the London and Paris dates.

Music festivals and other miscellaneous performances

^A This concert is a part of Roskilde Festival^[97]

^B This concert is a part of Heineken Open'er Festival^[98]

^C This concert is a part of T in the Park Festival^[99]

Cancellations and rescheduled shows

Track listing[link]

• Credits adapted from Rihanna's official website.^[101]

Sampling credits

• "Numb" incorporates lyrics from "Can't Tell Me Nothing" (2007), as performed by Kanye West and written by Kanye West and Aldrin Davis.
• "Jump" samples elements of "Pony" (1996), as performed by Ginuwine and written by Elgin "Ginuwine" Lumpkin, Stephen Garrett and Timothy "Timbaland" Mosley.
• "Nobody's Business" incorporates lyrics from "The Way You Make Me Feel" (1987), as written and performed by Michael Jackson.

Release formats[link]

Standard version

• Jewel case packaging
• Standard 14 tracks

Deluxe version^[103]

• Special rectangular packaging case
• Standard 14 tracks, 3 bonus tracks
• Bonus DVD, including never-before-released footage, and First Look of Rihanna's Loud Tour recorded live at London's O2 Arena
• 28-page photo and art booklet

Diamonds deluxe edition box^[104]

• 17 deluxe version tracks
• Bonus DVD
• T-shirt featuring a photo from the album's photoshoot
• Diamonds-inspired bracelet
• 7 laptop stickers
• 28-page photo and art booklet
• Fan mosaic poster

Diamonds executive platinum box^[105]

• 17 deluxe version tracks
• Bonus DVD
• 28-page photo and art booklet
• Unapologetic USB Flash Memory Drive
• T-shirt featuring a photo from the album's photoshoot
• 7 art print 12 x 15 lithographs, bound together with a handwritten R logo band
• 3 device adhesives
• 7 laptop sickers
• 11 x 17 a personal note to the fans, handwritten by Rihanna
• Diamonds – Remixes on vinyl
• View-Master including a reel of 3D images
• 40-page notebook with handwritten notes and lyrics
• Fan mosaic poster

Personnel[link]

Credits for Unapologetic adapted from Allmusic.^[106]

Charts[link]

Certifications[link]

Release history[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

Book: Unapologetic

• Promotional website for the album

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