Rihanna released the first single today from her upcoming album aptly titled, Rated-R. The dark ballad written and produced by Ne-Yo debuted on Rihanna’s official website. I’m surprised she choose to go with a slower song as the lead-off single instead of a more club-friendly dance track. I guess that’s what remixes are for, right?

I love the fetish-inspired cover art for the single. You can never go wrong with an eye patch, chains and barb wire. Rihanna’s recent fascination with guns (she added a tiny gun tattoo on her side recently) plays a prominent role in the just released single. The song is all about enduring a turbulent relationship with a dangerous boyfriend. Sounds familiar, don’t you think? Here’s a sampling of the lyrics:

“You can see my heart beating, you can see it through my chest/I’m terrified, but I’m not leaving/Know that I must pass this test,” Rihanna sings on the chorus, “So just pull the trigger.”

The song even ends with an ominous gunshot. Yikes. “Russian Roulette” is Rihanna’s first solo project since the Chris Brown debacle earlier this year. If I were Brown, I’d be very scared to hear what topics the other tracks on the forthcoming CD delve into. The music video was directed by Anthony Mandler and will debut in prime time on ABC at a later date.

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Mandler previously directed the Barbadian beauty in her past vids including: Rehab, Disturbia, Take A Bow and Unfaithful. This also isn’t the first time Rihanna and Ne-Yo have collaborated. They’ve joined forces in the past and come up with the following hits: “Unfaithful”; “Take A Bow”; and “Hate That I Love You.” If it ain’t broke, don’t try to fix it.

What do you think of “Russian Roulette”? Will it keep Rihanna’s winning streak alive? Should Chris Brown be afraid of their dirty laundry being aired on radio stations?

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