Rihanna has really stepped up with sass, aggression and belligerence on her latest, Rated R, and this makes sense given recent headlines about her personal life. A cathartic release that Rihanna can be well proud of, but with such strong material, the real winner is the listener. Will it be a late contender for Teen Blog album of the year?

The reason for much of Rihanna’s very public turmoil is Chris Brown, who also has a new album out, Graffiti. This fares far worse – musically and lyrically – and it’s hard to feel any of the sympathy Brown so obviously and clumsily courts on the record.

Cobra Starship got their start by recording the title track to Snakes On A Plane, they then turned the subsequent success into While the city sleeps, we rule the streets. If you enjoyed Hot Mess, their 2009 effort, you’ll want to pick it up. More witty, hip dance-punk.

Every single person who’s submitted reviews or votes for the best music of 2009 post has mentioned Lady Gaga, usually suffixed with “of course”. Need I say any more? Well, yes actually, as that would be a very short and lazy review. Although with that last sentence padding things out a bit and this one too, I could get away with just saying that The Fame Monster is here and that you’ll likely need to reserve it.

Fall Out Boy have now released five studio albums, one live album, and three eps over their eight year career. Sounds like it’s time for a greatest hits album to me, and look at this, Believers never die is just that. A gold star goes to the person who can name the fictional character who played the fictional fictional character in the never completed fictional fictional movie that appeared in an episode of a fictional TV show that Fall Out Boy named themselves after. If that makes any sense.

Disney Channel actor and now pop star, Selena Gomez, originally broke into the entertainment business by appearing in Barney & Friends. Kinda like Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera and Justin Timberlake starting off in The Mickey Mouse Club huh? Anyway, she now fronts Selena Gomez & The Scene who debuted with Kiss & Tell earlier this year.

Finally some Pop Idol alumni have CDs appearing in the catalogue, American runner up Adam Lambert with For Your Entertainment and Australian winner Stan Walker with Introducing Stan Walker.

Merry Christmas everyone!