Rihanna's Rude Boy : Remixes Ahoy

Rihanna's Rude Boy, one of the standout tracks on her Rated R album is shaping up to be one of her biggest hits and while certainly not reaching Umbrella heights, definitely sounds like the new Rihanna taking on the shiny pop of Don't Stop the Music on her own terms. It's been nice to see how the single has slotted into the altogether darker tone of the Rated R campaign, from the suggestive single cover to the Keith Haring meets MIA meets Caribbean vibe of the video.

Still what is a pop single without some decent remixes? Have dug around in the last few weeks very few of them really stand out. Chew Fu who has done wonders with many recent pop tracks falls a bit short with his take. It's too plodding and slow when it should be explosive. The Low Sundays rework is similarly disappointing. The Wideboys thankfully rescue the track with their enjoyable if slightly straightforward mix. Having done wonders with many pop hits over the last few years (Riri's own Don't Stop The Music in particular) they gave this tune an enjoyable house flavoured workout. Sounds a bit like Calvin Harris' I'm Not Alone at times too (those 90s style synths, lovely).

The cream of the crop though is the Cosmic Dawn remix (which I first spotted here) a bouncy nu-disco take on the track. It's fresh, immediate and would sound quite good blared at a summer party. And a nice excuse to post yet another version of the video. By the time you've finished you'll have the image of Rihanna whirling around imprinted on your brain forever. Check out more on Cosmic Dawn at their blog.

All very enjoyable it must be said. It'll be interesting to see how they follow up this single, there's already talk of work commencing on a follow up but with a pop album as strong as Rated R, there is sure to be some mileage left.