Women at the front

Without a doubt, the two artists today represent what is right about today’s recording industry as represented by women. Both Adele and Rihanna have taken the world by storm. Adele for her introspective, plaintive songs, while Rihanna has, over the years, lorded it over the R&B and club scene, belying her Caribbean origins to become a global phenomenon. The two CDs are both a celebration of what they have accomplished, and how we can continue to look forward to their production as their careers further develop.

Adele Live at the Royal Albert Hall (Warner).

It is the one for all those who can’t get enough of Adele, and for those who have yet to discover her. For here in one CD and DVD is her Royal Albert Hall concert on Sept. 22, 2011. Consisting of 17 tracks, the recording puts together all the choice tracks of her two studio albums, 20 and 21. Highlights here are Turning Tables and Set Fire to the Rain coming in succession — ditto for her cover of Lovesong, followed by Chasing Pavements. Among the closing songs are Someone Like You and Rolling In the Deep! Her vocal delivery throughout the concert is nothing but impressive, and for those following her career with a passion, they’d know that pretty soon after this concert, she had to rest her voice, and put her touring on hold. Thankfully, the worse seems to be over, as it would have been a real shame if her career would have been cut short by her throat ailment. For now, this glorious reminder of why she’s such a unique artist.

Rihanna — Talk That Talk (Def Jam/Universal).

She continues to evolve while looking back at the sound that first caught our attention, with the new studio CD. Prolific to the max, it seems there’s always something new with Rihanna, whether it be a studio release or a collaboration with another artist. The CD opens strongly with You Da One and reaches its zenith on the third and fourth tracks — namely, the collaborations with Calvin Harris, We Found Love, and Jay Z, Talk That Talk. One is an instant club favorite, while the second would be the one that she utilizes to maintain street cred! The tracks Cockiness and Red Lipstick are the naughty, cheeky ones, much like Katy Perry’s Peacock, but more earthy and R&B influenced. And if we’re looking for the anthem-type song on the CD, hands down, I would give the prize to We All Want Love. There’s a lot of diversity on the CD, and while that does mean some tracks work better than others depending on one’s tastes, this is a solid effort. Hopefully, the best is yet to come.