Rated R: Remixed

Background and release

Following the release and success of Rated R (2009) and its singles "Russian Roulette", "Hard" and "Rude Boy", it was confirmed on April 14, 2010, by Def Jam Recordings that Rihanna was going to release her second remix album entitled Rated R: Remixed. The singer's first remix album was Good Girl Gone Bad: The Remixes in January 2009. The project was announced as something for fans to bridge the gap while Rihanna was still on the Last Girl on Earth Tour (2010–11) and her fifth studio album, Loud, was not yet released. Rated R: Remixed was exclusively remixed by New York-based electronic record producer, remixer and DJ, Chew Fu. Although the track list on Rated R consists of 13 songs, Rated R: Remixed consists of 10 songs; "Cold Case Love", "The Last Song" and "Te Amo" were not remixed by Fu and were therefore not included. Rated R: Remixed was released on May 8, 2010, in Brazil and various European territories in a digital download format. It was released in the same format on May 24, in the United States.

Composition and reception

Rated R: Remixed is an uptempo house album. "Russian Roulette", "Photographs", "Rude Boy" and "Stupid in Love" feature "heavy electro and synth beats". "Wait Your Turn", originally a dubstep and hip hop song, was remastered to a house song. "Stupid in Love", which was originally a pop and R&B power ballad, was also changed to an uptempo house track. Jean Goon for MSN Entertainment gave a mixed review for the album, and awarded it 2.5 stars out of five. Goon was complimentary of how Fu changed some of the more sombre and downtempo songs to incorporate "catchy, upbeat touches." She noted that Goon noted that "Photographs" had undergone a "groovy" transformation, and that the composition complemented Rihanna's vocal performance. With regard to "Stupid in Love", Goon described the remix as "classy enough to be played in a trendy boutique or cafe."

However, Goon was critical of "Russian Roulette"'s production, writing that Fu appeared to have "got a little carried away" and criticising him for applying electro beats to every song, not all of which may have needed them. The critic noted that "Russian Roulette" was a "mess to listen to." With regard to "Rude Boy", originally an uptempo dance song that incorporates elements of the dancehall, ragamuffin, pop and R&B genres, Goon stated that Fu's production was an attempt to try and "outdo the already upbeat original." Goon concluded although she thought some of the remixes "weren't too bad on the ears," there were not any outstanding or memorable tracks. Furthermore, Goon criticised the remixes for being too heavily distorted with electronic synths which "seemed to compete for our attention rather than complement Rihanna’s vocals."

Commercial performance

In Greece, Rated R: Remixed debuted at number 11 on May 17, 2010. The following week, the album peaked at number four. The album spent a total of two weeks on the album chart. In the United States, the album debuted and peaked at number 158 on the Billboard 200 on June 12, 2010. The album stayed on the chart for one week. Rated R: Remixed debuted and peaked at number six on the US Dance/Electronic Albums on June 12, and stayed on the chart for 11 weeks. It debuted and peaked at number 33 on the US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums on June 12, and stayed on the chart for 13 weeks. As of July 2010, Rated R: Remixed has sold 13,000 copies in the US, according to Nielsen SoundScan.

Track listing

Credits adapted from the liner notes of Rated R: Remixed.

Personnel

Credits for Rated R: Remixed adapted from Allmusic.