Listen – Is Rihanna’s new single “Russian Roulette” too dark, too boring, or too addicting? Plus Lyrics

Rihanna’s new single, “Russian Roulette” dropped this week to promote her new album, R Rated, which debuts November 23. “Russian Roulette” has sparked massive amounts of controversy about the cover art featuring Rihanna wearing almost nothing but barbed wire, and the dark lyrics of the song. Others argue that the slow-moving music itself is rather boring, making this new single a bad mix of depressing and dull.

At first listen I thought the song might grow on me, but the more I listen to it, the more I side with the boring/depressing evaluation.

Rihanna – “Russian Roulette” lyrics

Take a breath, take it deep

Calm yourself, he says to me
If you play, you play for keeps
Take a gun, and count to three
I’m sweating now, moving slow
No time to think, my turn to go

[Chorus]
And you can see my heart beating
You can see it through my chest
And I’m terrified but I’m not leaving
Know that I must must pass this test
So just pull the trigger

Say a prayer to yourself
He says close your eyes
Sometimes it helps
And then I get a scary thought
That he’s here means he’s never lost

(Chorus)

As my life flashes before my eyes
I’m wondering will I ever see another sunrise?
So many won’t get the chance to say goodbye
But it’s too late too pick up the value of my life

(Chorus)