The Bottom Line
Fueled by an opening riff reminiscent of Eiffel 65's one-off smash "Blue (Da Ba Dee)," Rihanna effortlessly glides back to the upper reaches of pop singles charts. For those keeping track, "Disturbia" is on target to be Rihanna's 10th top 10 pop single in the US. She is the dominant pop artist in the business today.
Pros
- Instant dancefloor smash
- Exciting, mildly creepy lyrics
- Sound of an immediate hit
Cons
- Throwaway fluff
Description
- Written by Robert Allen, Chris Brown, Andre Merritt, and Brian Seals
- Produced by Brian Kennedy
- Released June 2008 by Def Jam
Guide Review - Rihanna - "Disturbia"
Reportedly, "Disturbia" was originally slated to be recorded by Rihanna's superstar boyfriend Chris Brown. However, his team believed it was better suited to a female voice and eventually "Disturbia" ended up as the second new single from the re-release of the album Good Girl Gone Bad. Chris Brown need not despair as essentially the same songwriting team dropped him the current hit "Forever".
One aspect of Rihanna's success not often acknowledged is that her vocals become progressively more sure and confident with each release. "Disturbia" rings the authority of an established star. It can also be seen as the breakthrough of youthful producer Brian Kennedy into the pop big leagues.
The lyrics for "Disturbia" ring of a bit of urban creepiness. However, Rihanna is no stranger to lyrical dread. Her single [lin url=http://top40.about.com/od/singles/gr/rihunfaithful.htm]"Unfaithful" still rings in the ears with her fears of being a "murderer" to her ex-lover.
Dance programmers will exult at yet another surefire floor filler. Along with her pop success, Rihanna has also been to the top of the dance charts 6 times. It will be no surprise if "Disturbia" lands at #1 dance as well.
