Rihanna Gets Serious On Rated R Album Cover

Black-and-white image features pensive close-up of singer's face By Gil Kaufman Rihanna's <i>Rated R</i> Photo: Def Jam After the blood-dripping song title, razor's-edge logo and barbed-wire wrap she wore on the cover of her "Russian Roulette" single , it wasn't unreasonable to expect that Rihanna's upcoming Rated R album would feature a similarly dangerous image. But the grainy black-and-white cover shot that leaked Tuesday (October 27) finds the singer in a moody, contemplative pose reminiscent of outrageous 1980s avant-garde singer Grace Jones. Wearing what looks like a leather top, Rihanna is depicted with her hand covering her right eye, with each finger wrapped in an intricate set of rings that hug two knuckles. The image for the album, due November 23, was shot by fashion photographer Ellen von Unwerth, who said Rihanna is "so beautiful, sweet and tough at the same time — and a pleasure to shoot," according to PopEater.com Von Unwerth went ... (link)