Rihanna Follows Up "Rude Boy" With "Rockstar 101"

Face palm? My thoughts exactly when I heard she was releasing "Rockstar 101"

And all of the momentum she built with "Rude Boy" just went out the window in one fell swoop...

Apparently it didn't reach Rihanna that dark doesn't sell well (no matter amazing "Russian Roulette" was). Despite hitting #1 with the fun "Rude Boy", the Bajan pop star is releasing the heavy-rock "Rockstar 101" as the album's fourth single. It was originally believed that she would release "Te Amo", and I was already spinning that song in preparation, but apparently there was a quick switch, confirmed by a performance on American Idol last week. "Rockstar 101" features Guns 'n' Roses guitarist Slash, but that's definitely not going to be enough to spark interest in this heavy, dreary, and hook-less dirge. Considering all of the hit material she had from the album ("Te Amo" and my personal favorite "Fire Bomb" included), it's puzzling why she woud release one of the album's weakest tracks to push her album.

She might as well have ended the era with "Rude Boy".