Music Blogs

Amid all the headlines, allegations, police investigations, court cases and smashed hearts, you'd be forgiven for forgetting that Rihanna and Chris Brown actually have pop careers to consider. They're both singers, after all. So now the dust has settled on their infamous fight, we can get back to the music. Brown recently leaked new single "I Can Transform Ya", which some probably mistook for the self-help guide he keeps by the loo. Today, he revealed plans for a 19-city "Fan Appreciation" tour in November.

Somewhat strangely, the announcement coincided with Rihanna'a rather more overblown return to the fray. Because it has also been confirmed that next month will see the release of the smartly-titled "Rated R", her fourth studio album. The follow-up to 2007's global smash, "Good Girl Gone Bad", is said to feature collaborations with Justin Timberlake, Tyson Ritter of the All-American Rejects, Drake and Akon, and looks sure to seal her position as amongst the globe's greatest music stars.

Lead single, "Russian Roulette", has now leaked and can be heard below. Judging by the painful-looking artwork (see above), Rihanna will not be messed about again. In fact, getting anywhere near her barbed-wire skin looks rather problematic. Written and produced by fellow Def Jam act Ne-Yo, this dark slice of future-pop centres around the following lyric: "You can see it through my chest / That I'm terrified / But I'm not leaving / I know that I must pass this test / So just pull the trigger". Concluding with a gun-shot, the tension - perhaps Brown's defining legacy in their doomed relationship - is palpable.