Unapologetic | ||||
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Studio album by Rihanna | ||||
Released | November 19, 2012 | |||
Recorded | June–November 2012 | |||
Studio |
Various
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Genre | ||||
Length | 55:06 | |||
Label |
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Producer |
Various
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Rihanna chronology | ||||
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Singles from Unapologetic | ||||
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Professional ratings | |
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Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | |
The A.V. Club | C+ |
Entertainment Weekly | B+ |
The Guardian | |
The Independent | |
NME | 7/10 |
Pitchfork Media | 4.5/10 |
Rolling Stone | |
Slant Magazine | |
Spin | 7/10 |
Unapologetic is the seventh studio album by Barbadian singer Rihanna. It was released on November 19, 2012, by Def Jam Recordings and SRP Records. It was recorded between June and November 2012, during promotion of her sixth 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 Parker Ighile, Mike Will Made-It, and Labrinth. Unapologetic is mainly a pop, dubstep and R&B album that incorporates elements of hip hop, EDM and reggae in its production, similar to the sound of her previous albums Talk That Talk and Rated R (2009).
Unapologetic received generally mixed reviews from critics, with some reviewers describing its music as interesting, while others criticized its lyrical content and rushed nature. The album won a Grammy Award for Best Urban Contemporary Album at the 2014 ceremony. It 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 the singer's third, fourth, and fifth consecutive number one album in the United Kingdom, Norway, and Switzerland, respectively. As of December 2014, Unapologetic has sold over four million copies worldwide.