Loud is the fifth studio album by Barbadian recording artist Rihanna, released November 12, 2010 on Def Jam Recordings. Recording sessions and production for the album took place during February to August 2010, partially during Rihanna's Last Girl on Earth Tour. Rihanna worked with several record producers, including StarGate, The Runners, Polow da Don, Tricky Stewart, and Alex da Kid, among others. Loud heavily incorporates dance-pop and pop to offer up-tempo, sing-along and club-oriented songs. Loud also marks Rihanna's first return to a dancehall-influenced sound since 2006's A Girl Like Me. The album was released on November 12, 2010, in four separate editions. The standard edition; the deluxe edition, which is packaged in a digipak (exclusively for US and Australia), and features a 30 minute DVD presenting a making of the album; the couture edition featuring the deluxe edition of Loud, as well as a deluxe cover art lithograph, a box set with enhanced clear couture cover and a full-size photo book. The same edition was available as the Ultra Couture Edition featuring a copy of the Deluxe Edition of Loud signed by Rihanna herself, and the MP3 download of Loud on street date, as well as all the features of the couture edition. The edition sold out and is no longer available. An explicit version of the album is available, which bears a Parental Advisory label. The Japanese edition of the album will be released with two extra mixes of "Only Girl (In the World)".
In June 2010, it was revealed that Rihanna was planning to release her fifth studio album soon. Recording sessions for the album began in February 2010, and continued over a period of six months, concluding in August 2010. Singers, songwriters and producers Taio Cruz, Alex da Kid, Sean Garrett, Ne-Yo, Rico Love, Timbaland, Shontelle, David Guetta, and Drake worked on the album. "I'm gonna miss the Rated R era too, but nothing compares to the album I just made," Rihanna said, adding, "I made sure not to let you down with my music. You guys are always defending me, so now you’ve got some great songs to justify it. I didn’t want to go backward and remake Good Girl Gone Bad. I wanted the next step in the evolution of Rihanna, and it’s perfect for us". In early September 2010, she announced that the album would be called Loud, saying "get Loud everybody, get crazy, get excited, because I'm pumped. I'm just gonna be me, because that's what you guys love the most, and that's what makes me feel best. Just being normal, normal for me is Loud! Sassy, fun, flirty, energetic." While Rihanna was on set filming for the movie Battleship, she explained in an interview with Entertainment Tonight, "Loud is, the word, the name of the album definitely reflects the attitude of it, it’s really sassy and flirty and it grabs your attention and that’s why I enjoy it. It takes you through a really really interesting ride. So colorful the album.” The artwork of the album was revealed on September 28, 2010.
Rihanna Loud "Only Girl"