Anyone who hasn’t been living beneath a rock knows at least a fraction of what went down with Rihanna this past year regarding domestic allegations against her then-boyfriend Chris Brown. It swarmed the media, caused discussions in classrooms, and became a heightened gossip target for every media obsessed civilian. Brown’s “good-boy” image was depleted and Rihanna was immediately classified as a victim. What most people fail to realize, is before all of the bad publicity, court cases, and YouTube apologies, they were music artists whose job was to entertain.

            Brown was quoted in the Denver Post saying "I wanted to change it up and really be different. Like my style nowadays, I don't try to be typical urban. I want to be like how Prince and Michael Jackson and Stevie Wonder were. They can cross over to any genre of music."

His new album ‘Graffiti’ is an awkward transition from impressionable teenager to adult. The album features plenty of songs with degrading lyrics, typical hip-hop star cockiness, and creepy moans. ‘Sing Like Me’ is scarily seductive, comparable to the mediocrity Pretty Ricky has to offer. Oh, and good luck Mr. Brown, trying to seduce the youth of America, when they’re afraid you’ll “hit it like Sosa”…literally.

            All bad-mouthing aside, there were some pretty good songs within this album’s entirety. His lead single ‘I Can Transform You’ featuring Lil’ Wayne is a no-brainer hit. The beginning of the album comes alive with distorted guitars and Weezy’s trademark clever lines and eccentric style of rhythm. ‘Crawl’ and ‘So Cold’ are both apologetic and haunting, and most likely mirror the woes of his own life.

            Among all songs, there are two that really stick out in my mind, and they both happen to end the album with a great note. ‘Girlfriend’ is a Cool-Kids/old-school hip hop inspired song. It’s fun to listen to, and happens to be extremely catchy. Contrasting that fun vibe, Chris carries out a bit of a genre crossing-over in ‘I’ll Go,’ which features retro-inspired piano and emotionally driven lyrics. It shies away from the entire corny hip-hop vernacular and is different from anything Brown has ever produced. Honestly, it is very heartfelt and memorable, compared to the rest of the album.

            Moving on to Rihanna, instead of going on to produce some more pop fluff, she took a turn for the better in her first album since her unpleasant occurrence this past year.

            The album, ‘Rated R,’ showcases a somewhat edgier side to the Barbadian singer. The starkly contrasting black and white album art and lyrics like "while you getting your cry on/I'm getting my fly on" on ‘Hard,’ really display this new edge. The song to me is like this year’s ‘Umbrella,’ irrevocably catchy with a hint of monotony.  She is definitely trying to make a name for herself aside from the “beaten victim.”

            What I find interesting is that while Brown featured a variety of different artists on his album, Rhianna did more of a collaborative effort, enlisting names like Justin Timberlake and Will.i.am. Feeling the passion in her songs, you can tell it was more of a personal project.

            “The songs are really personal. It’s rock ‘n’ roll, but it’s really hip-hop: If Lil’ Wayne and Kings of Leon like my album, then I’ll feel good,” Rihanna told Glamour Magazine.

            While Chris Brown chose the path of “cars, girls and money” (with a little tenderness and auto tune infested dance anthems thrown in between), Rihanna chose not to ignore their dispute and reacted accordingly, channeling all the angst, sorrow, and remorse into her music, which may very well be called her diary. Referring to both albums, it was not their best, nor their worst work. The transition period for them as artists have not fully taken affect but I see potential in both and am curious as to where there careers may lead them from here on out.